We made a reservation for three people at 11:30 when the restaurant opened. When we arrived five minutes early, we saw a few groups already there, but they quickly confirmed our reservation and took our order in advance, so we were able to enter smoothly. It was definitely a good decision to make a reservation! Even though I didn't plan on drinking, I found a shochu that I really wanted to try! The selection of shochu and the anticipation of the food got me excited. Next time I visit, I will definitely try the chicken tempura set meal!^_^

Today I had lunch at a yakitori restaurant in Uji, a tourist spot. When I arrived 10 minutes before opening, there were already 3 people in line, so I lined up behind them. By the opening time, there were about 10 people in line, including me (it must be popular). The interior of the restaurant had a calm atmosphere with dim lighting, and I could feel the Kyoto vibe. Since I was alone, I sat at the counter where each seat was separated by curtains in pairs to ensure privacy. The staff were also polite and had a gentle Kyoto-like demeanor. For lunch, I ordered the following: - KOKORO Lunch (yakitori & chicken tempura) 1,400 yen - Tsukune Lunch 1,300 yen - Chicken Tempura Lunch 1,300 yen - Chicken Nanban Lunch 1,300 yen - Chicken Rice Bowl Lunch 1,400 yen - Yakitori Donburi Lunch 1,000 yen I wanted to try both yakitori and chicken tempura, so I ordered the KOKORO Lunch. Rice refills were complimentary. The KOKORO Lunch, priced at 1,400 yen, included grilled Kyoto Akadori chicken yakitori and chicken tempura. The yakitori consisted of possibly tsukune, heart, and thigh meat. The thigh meat was well-seasoned, tender, and delicious. The heart had a sweet and savory sauce that I enjoyed, and its unique texture was enjoyable. The tsukune had a nice crispy exterior and a fluffy interior, which was delicious. However, the chicken tempura was more like a fritter than traditional tempura. The batter was different, and there was a large gap between the batter and the meat, as the batter puffed up while the chicken shrank. The salad and side dishes were good, but the chicken tempura should be improved to have a more traditional tempura batter. Despite this, I was satisfied with the overall meal. Everything else was good. Thank you for the meal!

There are many restaurants where the chicken is not cooked through properly, but here the chicken was cooked perfectly all the way through! Even during the busy lunch rush, the staff were friendly and not rushed, which I appreciated. I had a satisfying meal of good quality! It was delicious, I will definitely come back! ❤️

I visited "Jidoriya Shin," where there is always a line before opening. A friend who used to work there introduced me to this place. I was surprised by the tenderness of the "Chicken Tempura" I tried for the first time back then, and this is my second visit now. I made a reservation, so I arrived at the restaurant 10 minutes before opening. The staff was checking reservations and orders in order. Since I had reserved the "KOKORO Lunch," I was seated in the tatami room first. The freshly made lunch arrived in about 10 minutes! It's fast! The portion is still as generous as ever! The main dishes were chicken tempura, 3 types of grilled chicken, and a large daikon salad. The chicken tempura was tender, and the grilled chicken (tsukune, liver, thigh) was delicious. I particularly liked the tsukune. The daikon salad was quite a challenge due to its size (lol). There was chicken miso for the rice, so I enjoyed the rice until the end. Thank you for the meal!

I visited the restaurant at 11:35 on a regular day, and there was one group of customers already there. Since I was alone, I was seated at the counter. I ordered the recommended KOKORO lunch set for 1,400 yen. The lunch included three types of grilled chicken (tsukune, liver, thigh) and chicken tempura as the main dishes. The food was served at 11:50. The chicken is eaten with hot mustard soy sauce. There was also spicy miso paste that was so delicious, I ended up getting a second serving of rice. The portion was larger than it looked, and I left the restaurant feeling full. By the time I finished eating, the restaurant was full of customers. It's a popular place. Thank you for the delicious meal! 🌟🌟

At lunchtime, there was a long line of women, so I visited in the evening and was able to sit right away. I had 2 skewers of grilled chicken for about 170 yen each, 2 rolls of shiso leaves, and a side dish of daikon and cucumber with mayonnaise and miso sauce. I also had rolled omelette, mentaiko sauce, sliced onion with ponzu sauce salad, delicious chicken nanban with tartar sauce, and tempura round eggplant. I started with chicken soup and ended with a drink of black sugar shochu from Kikaijima and Asahi's non-alcoholic beer. The total bill for two people was 4410 yen, which was reasonable. Thank you for the meal.

I visited the restaurant on a national holiday around lunchtime and had to wait outside for about 10 minutes. The characteristic fluffy batter was delicious, especially when paired with tartar sauce, and I found myself enjoying the meal very much. The generous amount of vegetables was also a nice touch. I would be happy if they offered the option to add tartar sauce as a topping on other menu items too.

I had lunch at a famous local chicken restaurant that was featured on TV before. The rumors were true, the portion was huge. The chicken tempura was delicious and the rice was fluffy. The skewers were a bit soft, but the tsukune (chicken meatball) was tasty. The soup was light and the side vegetables and small dishes were also delicious. I left feeling full.

After waiting in line for 20 minutes, I ordered the 1,400 yen chicken rice lunch. It came with grilled chicken and a generous serving of daikon salad. The chicken dashi chazuke was a bit hard to eat (lol), but overall, I left feeling full and satisfied. It's a really cost-effective restaurant, and now I understand why everyone lines up here!

The chicken was tender, crispy fried, with a generous serving of daikon salad, three side dishes, soup, and a mountain of lunch. I've tried chicken nanban at various restaurants, but this was the best! It's really delicious, so please do try it out. In addition to chicken nanban, KOKORO lunch offers a variety of chicken dishes like tsukune.

COCORO Lunch - 1,400 yen and up. The lunch set includes rice (with one free refill), 3 skewers of grilled chicken (tsukune, liver, thigh), 4 pieces of chicken tempura, 3 small side dishes (cold tofu with avocado cheese, chicken with ponzu sauce), daikon salad, chicken broth soup, chicken miso (original to the restaurant), and warm tea after the meal. I arrived around 1:30 pm on a weekday and was seated right away at the counter since I was dining alone and there was no wait outside. Soon after, a few tourists started coming in and the restaurant became full. Last order was before 2 pm, and the lunch service ended. The COCORO Lunch allows you to enjoy grilled chicken skewers and chicken tempura. Other lunch options include Tsukune Lunch, Toriten Lunch, and Chicken Nanban Lunch, each priced at 1,300 yen. The food arrived in about 10 minutes, beautifully presented. The chicken broth soup was delicious and comforting. The tempura was hot and juicy, and the skewers were flavorful from being grilled over charcoal. All the side dishes were tasty and well-prepared. The chicken miso was recommended to eat over rice, and it was indeed delicious with a mild miso flavor that complemented the rice well. The dish with avocado and cheese was particularly enjoyable, likely appealing to female diners. The ambiance of the restaurant was nice, with dim lighting and separated tables creating a pleasant atmosphere. There were many tourists and foreigners, so it seems to get busy during peak hours. Overall, the variety of dishes in the set provided a satisfying dining experience, although the daikon salad portion might be a bit much for some women. If you ever pass by Uji, I recommend stopping by this restaurant again for its delicious food. Thank you for the meal!

I visited this restaurant for lunch during a business trip to Uji. It was a weekday, but it seemed like the main customers were tourists. I ordered the KOKORO lunch set, which included yakitori and toriten (chicken tempura). I opted for the large size of rice, which was served in a bowl, and you can get a refill once, so you can eat as much as you want. The yakitori included chicken breast, heart, and tsukune (chicken meatball), and they were all delicious. The toriten had a thick coating and was also tasty. I was happy to see a generous portion of salad. Despite the restaurant being crowded, the service was surprisingly fast. It was a bit disappointing to see chipped plates and tables that looked old, but overall, I would consider visiting again when I want to eat a lot quickly. Thank you for the meal.

【Jidori-ya Kokoro】@Uji I recently introduced #Jidori-ya Kokoro, a very popular restaurant with long lines at all times and even more so after being featured on the TV show "Banana Man Sekkaku Gourmet" at the end of June 2022. The guests on the show were Erika Ikuta and Kyoko Yoshine✨ This time, I decided to try the "Chicken Rice" that the two of them had. ✔️Chicken Rice Lunch ¥1,300- "Chicken soup rice in a tea pickled style. Chicken rice is a local dish from Amami Oshima. Enjoy it with yakitori." (Jidori-ya Kokoro) ➡️Ingredients for Chicken Rice: Steamed chicken, shredded omelette, orange peel, Nara pickles, chopped green onions (Banana Man Sekkaku Gourmet) They bring it to you in the state shown in the second photo, where you can add the ingredients (third photo) to the white rice, pour chicken soup over it, and enjoy. The chicken broth is really delicious and surpasses the realm of tea pickled rice. The chicken is incredibly tender, and the unexpected texture of the Nara pickles matches perfectly with the tea pickled rice. It's genius. I was happy to have the same dish as Erika Ikuta and Kyoko Yoshine. You can enjoy the "Chicken Rice" at Jidori-ya Kokoro for lunch or dinner (¥640 for dinner). For lunch, in addition to Chicken Rice, you get a voluminous salad and 3 yakitori skewers (including tsukune). It's really good. I had always ordered the "Kokoro Lunch" when I visited for lunch before (a menu I introduced earlier. It's so delicious that I've repeated it about 10 times! Highly recommended). This time, I was very satisfied to try a different menu for the first time. I was drawn to the Chicken Rice Lunch to the point that I will seriously consider it next time. If you're looking for a lunch spot in Uji, please give it a try✌️ ○Access 5 minutes walk from JR Nara Line "Uji Station" 8 minutes walk from Keihan Uji Line "Uji Station" ○Business Hours Lunch 11:30-14:30 (Last Order 13:45) Dinner 17:00-22:30 (Last Order 22:00) ○Closed Sundays #Jidori-ya Kokoro #Chicken Rice Lunch #Chicken Rice #Uji Lunch #Uji Dinner #Uji Gourmet #Kyoto Lunch #Kyoto Dinner #Uji Izakaya #Kyoto Izakaya #Kyoto Gourmet #Banana Man Sekkaku Gourmet #Banana Man Sekkaku Gourmet Visited Restaurant #Want to be a Gourmet Writer #Kyoko's Gentle Diary

After leaving the house leisurely, I arrived in Uji and it was almost lunchtime! It was crowded with tourists. Before becoming a lunch refugee, I joined the end of the line at Kokoro. The shop was in the shade which was a relief. Across the street, the sun was shining brightly. About 10 people were waiting outside the shop. There were chairs set up not only on the road side but also inside the entrance, making it hard to see from outside, but there were more people waiting inside. After waiting for over 40 minutes, we finally entered the shop. The interior was complex with seating even on the second floor. It felt more spacious than it looked from outside, with a large seating capacity. I had the Kokoro lunch (1300 yen). I love tsukune, so I was torn between the tsukune lunch, but was told that the Kokoro lunch also had tsukune, so I ordered that. My companion had the yakitori bowl lunch (950 yen). The bowl that came out was a bit different from the menu photo. The daikon salad in the Kokoro lunch was generous. It came with three side dishes and overall had a lot of volume. The chicken tempura with fluffy batter was also voluminous. The yakitori was nothing special, seemed a bit overcooked. It came with yuzu pepper. I was already full. By the way, rice refills are available. You may not need to wait in line for so long to get in, but it's a tourist spot after all.

I was planning to go to a restaurant for lunch, but it was fully booked, so I ended up going to this nearby restaurant instead. It was almost full during lunchtime, but luckily there was one table available and we were seated right away. We sat at a table on the first floor, but there were also tatami rooms and a counter, creating a moody and calming atmosphere. They had a wide variety of alcohol options, so it seems like a nice place for dinner as well. This restaurant is known for its fresh, ground Kyoto Akadori chicken. For lunch, they offer options like the KOKORO lunch with grilled chicken and chicken tempura, dashi tea-soaked chicken rice lunch, grilled chicken bowl, tsukune, chicken tempura, and various set meals. I decided to try the recommended KOKORO lunch. It was more filling than I expected, with three side dishes and a generous portion of salad. The chicken dishes were all delicious, as expected from a popular restaurant. The chicken tempura was crispy and juicy, without any dryness. The grilled chicken, being made from local chicken, had a firm texture, just the right amount of fat, and a smoky charcoal flavor that spread in your mouth. I usually prefer salt seasoning, but I quite liked the sauce here. Everything was delicious and I was lucky to stumble upon this restaurant with a nice atmosphere. I would love to visit again for dinner in Uji, although it might require staying overnight.

■Visit Date: May 28, 2022 ■Items Received: KOKORO Lunch ■MEMO: I ordered the KOKORO Lunch for 1300 yen. Just look at this portion size! It gets you excited. It comes with three small side dishes, smoked pickles, chicken tempura, shishito peppers, and three skewers (heart, thigh, and tsukune) with rice and chicken soup. Everything was truly delicious. The yakitori, especially, was delicious. I felt like it was a rare find and enjoyed every bite. I would love to come back at night, have some beer, and enjoy this meal heartily. Each dish was carefully prepared and I was impressed as I savored them. All the chicken dishes were really tasty. It's no wonder there's always a line. As we left after our first round, there were already 10 people waiting in line. Good food really attracts people, doesn't it? I definitely want to come back at night and try more dishes at this place! ■Blog: https://ay-style.net/

This time, a long-awaited small gathering with an old friend was planned, and we had a drink here. Although it was non-alcoholic. The infection prevention measures are well taken care of here, so it's reassuring. We mainly had chicken skewers, all of which had good sauce and were cooked well. Some of them felt a bit tough, but they were delicious. The side menu was also fulfilling, and the carbonara-style potato salad was very tasty. The chicken tempura had a different impression compared to the typical one in Oita. Thank you for the meal.

I had researched this place beforehand and thought it looked delicious! I arrived about 20 minutes before opening and lined up. I was able to get into the restaurant after just one round of waiting. They mentioned that the food might take a little longer, but I didn't feel tired of waiting at all. The staff's consideration was much appreciated. The lunch seemed like a great deal. They had chicken tempura, but I decided to go with the tsukune since I thought I could try the tempura locally. I chose raw egg yolk for the tsukune. The side dishes and miso soup were also delicious, and since rice refills were free, I ended up eating a lot!

I tried to go for dinner before, but without a reservation it was fully booked and I left disappointed. After about 2 years, I finally made a reservation and went back. It was still very popular and I chose from several lunch options, which were all very filling. The egg that came with the tsukune lunch looked delicious with its jiggly texture.

I purchased the "Uji Shop Support Coupon" and searched for a shop where I could use it... I found the name of this place, "Jidoriya Kokoro," in the list of participating stores! I visited for lunch before, but this time I went for dinner! I made a reservation, but there were hardly any customers, maybe because of the Omicron variant spreading! I ordered: appetizers x2, Asahi draft beer "Maruef" x2, Harushika Junmai extra dry sake (cold, 1 cup) to share, Black Nikka Clear (highball) for my friend, fresh squeezed sour (grapefruit) for me, various yakitori skewers, fried cartilage, smoked cheese spring rolls, homemade pickles, grilled rice ball soup x2. The total payment was 8,546 yen including tax. The Asahi draft beer was smooth and delicious, the appetizers were refreshing, the homemade pickles were a nice palate cleanser, and the yakitori skewers had different flavors. The fried cartilage was oily but tasted better with lemon and mayonnaise. The smoked cheese spring rolls were aromatic, especially with honey. It was a pleasant experience overall!