Every year, it's a tradition to visit a shrine for the first shrine visit of the New Year. This year, I went to Ujigami Shrine in Kyoto. Since it's a shrine with a rabbit motif, it seems like a good start for 2023! After a long walk, I wanted to have lunch around Uji Station, but the prices for tourists were quite high, ranging from 1,600 yen to 3,000 yen... So, I ended up going to a diner behind Uji Station, where the prices were more reasonable at 1,300 yen. When I entered, the staff apologized, saying, "We're out of rice bowls and kitsune udon." It was a late lunch, so I guess it couldn't be helped! I ordered the "Green Tea Soba and Mixed Rice Set," which came with pickles and simmered dishes. The taste was average, but considering the location, the price was very fair. If you don't want to pay tourist prices for lunch, I recommend this place!

I visited Ujibashi Shotengai for lunch. The first restaurant I wanted to go to had a long line, so I ended up choosing Osaka-ya Shokudo. I arrived before 2 PM and there were only 3 groups of customers. I ordered the tea soba set meal, which was simple and delicious.

Oh no! It's New Year's Eve! I wanted to eat Toshikoshi soba, so I went to Osaka-ya Shokudo. But they said, "We're already sold out of soba." Well, that's understandable. It's our fault for going at a random time. The service was very friendly and I ended up ordering the recommended Chicken Nanban Udon, which came out quickly and had a delicious broth. Just as the staff had mentioned. I would like to go back again.

Today I had lunch here♪ Even though it's in Kyoto, it's called "Osakaya" (lol). I came to Uji City, which has the highest resident tax in Kyoto Prefecture. The restaurant is on the second floor and you have to go up the stairs. It used to be a local supermarket called Osakaya Market, but now it seems to have a history of becoming a dining hall. I ordered their recommended shrimp cutlet and egg over rice with a small portion of soba noodles. The shrimp cutlet seems to be frozen... the shape is too perfect, isn't it? Thinner than a Lotteria shrimp burger maybe? It has a thin sweet sauce that doesn't get boring. The soba noodles are boiled... not particularly delicious, but the nostalgic and calming atmosphere is very nice. I relaxed and enjoyed my meal. Thank you♪

On January 3rd, we visited the Byodoin Temple. To avoid the crowds, we tried a local restaurant in Osaka for the first time. The restaurant had a cozy atmosphere that I liked. I ordered the zaru soba set and my partner ordered the other person's bowl with wan-kosoba set. The soba broth was rich and had a sharp taste. The service was friendly and made us feel warm and comfortable. I hope this restaurant continues to do well. Thank you for the meal.

You can feel the history of the restaurant from the entrance. The restaurant is on the second floor, but the showcase on the first floor adds a unique charm. As you climb the stairs and enter the restaurant, you will find cozy table seating. The menu includes photos, creating a warm atmosphere. I ordered a set of katsudon and soba for 1050 yen. The small soba had a delicious broth that filled my mouth. The katsudon was also tasty, with the broth enveloping the egg and cutlet. It was a comforting experience dining at this retro Showa-era diner.

I knew there was a restaurant serving oyakodon for about 45 years, but I went there for the first time. As expected, it felt like time had stopped in the Showa era (๑′ᴗ‵๑). The oyakodon had a nostalgic taste, like the one my grandma used to make, and it was delicious.

Tea soba noodles for 850 yen.

It was past noon on New Year's Day when my friend and I visited Uji and stumbled upon a seemingly old-fashioned diner on our way from JR Uji Station to Byodoin Temple. Despite being in Kyoto Uji, the diner was called "Osakaya." Upon climbing the narrow staircase, we were surprised by how spacious it was, giving us a ski lodge-like feeling. The regular soba was sold out, so the friendly lady at the shop recommended the delicious green tea soba. I ordered the cold green tea soba for 580 yen, while my friend opted for the warm herring green tea soba for 880 yen. The cold soba arrived in 6-7 minutes and the warm soba in 1-2 minutes. The green color of the noodles was vibrant and shiny, especially the cold soba had a great texture. Although the warm soba was slightly soft for my liking, my friend who loves herring seemed satisfied. As we got closer to the temple, we noticed trendy restaurants bustling with young people, but we enjoyed the leisurely atmosphere of the old-fashioned diner. It felt nice to start the year by savoring the charm of a casual eatery.

I went to Uji looking forward to seeing the autumn leaves and Byodoin Temple. After visiting Byodoin Temple, I wandered down the main street looking for a place to have lunch. All the popular restaurants were crowded and expensive, so I decided to walk a little further and found a traditional diner. I didn't expect any of the restaurants to be particularly delicious, so I went in looking for a reasonably priced option. I climbed the stairs to the second floor where there were several tables, most of which were already occupied. The owner, a woman, was busy but told us to wait quietly for our turn to order. However, some customers who arrived later managed to order before us. I ordered the Chicken Nanba Udon dish, which took a bit of time to arrive. The taste was simple and decent. Considering it was a tourist area, the price was not too bad. The restroom was a pit toilet, so be careful as the water doesn't flow much when you use it.

My partner's friend came to Japan, so I guided them around Uji. We originally planned to watch cormorant fishing, but it was fully booked last minute. Disappointed, we searched for a place to have dinner. Around 6:30 PM on a weekend, we walked along the street from the entrance of the shrine towards JR Uji Station. There were many restaurants, but some were closed, and the ones we wanted were also full. After walking around a lot, we finally settled on this set meal restaurant. It had a "diner" vibe. I ordered the shrimp cutlet and scrambled egg rice bowl, which was a rare dish for a set meal restaurant. The shrimp cutlet, scrambled egg, and broth were all delicious with a simple taste. After that, we went to watch cormorant fishing from the shore since we missed buying tickets. Although we couldn't see the cormorant master's face, we were able to enjoy the fishing process and the cormorants spitting out fish. Overall, we managed to have a good time experiencing our "first cormorant fishing."

I was wandering around Uji and thinking that I wanted to try some "cha-soba" while I was there. However, being a tourist spot, the prices were over 1000 yen for a bowl! Since I couldn't justify spending that much, I was looking for a more affordable option. As I was walking, I came across a place that caught my eye. It was a "daisu shokudo" (cheap eatery) which is my kind of place! I went in and realized that the restaurant was on the second floor. As I climbed the stairs, I found a nice and cozy eatery with a friendly hostess. There were a few local customers here and there. I ordered the cold cha-soba and it was delicious! It cost just around 600 yen. It was exactly what I wanted and I left feeling very satisfied. These kinds of restaurants are definitely necessary!

This is a shop that has been around for a long time along the Uji Hashi shopping street. I happened to be nearby at lunchtime, so I casually stopped by. When I opened the door, there was a glass case on the right side. I was wondering what to order, and as I looked inside, I couldn't help but chuckle because some of the soba dishes and other items were just displayed with the bowls, without any actual samples on top. Anyway, I climbed the stairs and entered the shop. The welcoming call from the older lady inside was very energetic and put me in a good mood. There were only two groups of customers with three people in total, so I boldly took a seat where I could watch TV and looked at the menu. I decided to try the recommended set meal, the "Chuka Soba Set" for 800 yen. As I leisurely watched TV, the food was served. The "Chuka Soba Set" was a soy sauce ramen with medium-thin straight noodles that were a bit overcooked. The toppings included seaweed, bean sprouts, narutomaki, green onions, and char siu. The soup was not very elaborate, just a slightly salty soy sauce flavor. The side dish was a simple fried rice with ham, carrots, eggs, and pickled ginger. The seasoning was good, but there was nothing particularly outstanding. The conversation between the customers and the lady was quite friendly, so it seems like a shop that is loved by the locals.

Kyoto is a restaurant located in the Ujihashi Street Shopping District in Uji. There are various shops in the Ujihashi Street Shopping District, so it can be difficult to decide where to eat. As it is a tourist area, the prices are set accordingly. The restaurant I visited this time is called "Osakaya Shokudo," and it has a Showa-style atmosphere. The meals are served on the second floor, with a window display facing the street. The sample dishes in the window display are not very appealing, and I think they could attract more customers with better presentation. This time, I tried the Ebi Katsu Don for the first time. While Katsu Don is common, I had never heard of Ebi Katsu Don before. I was curious about the yellow topping on the Ebi Katsu from looking at photos on a food review site. I thought it might be tartar sauce because of the shrimp, but it turned out to be egg. So, it's like a combination of Ebi Katsu and Tamago Don. The sample display did not have Ebi Katsu Don, but I confirmed it from the menu photos inside the restaurant. The actual dish was a bit different as the egg was placed under the Ebi Katsu in the photo. The taste was simple and the price of 800 yen with pickles included seemed reasonable, given its proximity to Uji Bridge. The interior of the restaurant, like the exterior, is reminiscent of the Showa era. However, it was clean, and I appreciated the brisk service by the staff. It was lunchtime, so there was a steady flow of customers, including what seemed to be regular families. The restaurant is non-smoking.