pecopoko
Walking along Sanjo shopping street, I finally visited a shop that caught my eye from afar. The name of the shop, "Robatayaki Kochi," indicates that this is a cool place where you can enjoy fresh fish directly sourced from Kochi's Susaki Port. I went with an old friend who knows all about the ups and downs of life on a weekday. It was a good decision to arrive early as the place started getting crowded after 7 pm and was almost full! It's better to make a reservation. There are counter seats and a few private tables for four. As soon as you enter, you see a long menu on the counter. The enticing aroma of delicious food fills the air. They serve a starter with a small grill for you to roast some snacks like seasoned rice, sweet potato tempura, and mirin-dried fish. It really whets your appetite. We ordered katsuo straw-grilled salt Tataki, Shimanto pork charcoal-grilled, shredded dried fish salad, maguro Tosa-style yukhoe, Tosa sweet potato tempura, smelt tempura, jellyfish and cucumber sesame vinegar salad, chicken Karaage, and grilled rice balls. Everything was delicious! Especially, the katsuo Tataki is a must-try here! They fire it up with straw, creating a smoky and flavorful dish. The garlic served with the katsuo is also tasty. Every time someone orders katsuo, the restaurant gets a bit smoky, but it's only for a moment, so it's okay. There were many more tempting dishes on the menu, but unfortunately, we were too full. We'll look forward to trying them next time. We enjoyed some Kochi sours (with kinkan and buntan) and shochu on the rocks, having four drinks in total. The bill came to ¥10,320, which was clear on the receipt. The food and drinks were both excellent, with local Kochi drinks available. I wanted to try some Kochi sake, but I haven't been drinking sake for a while, so I decided against it, as I might get drunk easily. They also offer a sake tasting set for ¥790, which I might try next time. The lack of reviews might be due to the older age group of customers, but even the elderly seemed to be enjoying themselves. The handwritten menu and warm welcome message with our names added a nice touch. We felt the charm of such details, realizing that we are also getting older. We made a reservation, and the chef wrote a personalized welcome message for us, which was very thoughtful. I left feeling the lingering taste of Kochi in Kyoto and definitely plan to visit again. This place is a gem that brings the deliciousness of Kochi to Kyoto. It's not super close to any station (closest are Karasuma Oike, Hankyu Saiin, and JR Nijo), but it's within walking distance from all of them. I'll definitely come back here again. Thank you for the wonderful meal.