We successfully made a reservation for lunch and enjoyed a meal while admiring the autumn leaves dyed in red in the inner room. This place seems to be the Seigenin within the Ryōan-ji temple. The parking lot can be used at the Ryōan-ji temple's free parking lot. However, there is an additional fee (500 yen?) for viewing the stone garden. Still, the dry landscape stone garden cannot be missed. While the stone garden at Taizō-in is also wonderful... A leisurely walk while enjoying the garden and autumn leaves with my familiar cousin and her husband, making the group of four even more enjoyable. The autumn leaves, which I thought might be late, provided plenty of enjoyment. We arrived before the scheduled time, and we were guided to the inner room among about 10 people waiting. There were 6 tables. No one was there (^^)/ We ended up eating at a super low table. While waiting for the food, we took lots of commemorative photos♪ Shortly after, the food, which was "yudofu," arrived. Although charcoal was prepared, it seems that it is eaten as is without heating it. The accompanying "dipping sauce" was slightly thick but "delicious!" It was the first time I faced plenty of tofu. I have had yudofu many times before, but the quantity here was large. I struggled a bit to finish it. However, since it is light, I quickly got hungry again ( ;∀;) After the meal, everyone who enjoyed the taste started talking about opening a "yudofu restaurant"!! The meal was blessed with good weather, colorful autumn leaves, and good company. Thank you for the wonderful meal♪ Ryōan-ji's tsukubai. It is said to have been donated by Tokugawa Mitsukuni (Mito Kōmon) and is located on the north side of the Hojo, but the actual one is placed in the private tea room "Zoroku-an," and the photo (the one publicly available in the Hojo) is a carefully made replica. This tsukubai has characters written on all four sides, and the central water hole is shared as the character "口" and can be read as "ware tada taru wo shiru." This means "Even the rich cannot be satisfied if they do not have a grateful heart, while the poor can be satisfied if they do."

A dining place inside the famous Ryoanji Temple known for its stone garden. They only have two menu options, and I made a reservation for Saturday afternoon. I had yudofu (tofu hot pot) and shojin ryori (Buddhist vegetarian cuisine). The yudofu was delicious and surprisingly filling. I enjoyed a leisurely time admiring the garden. Reserved seats seem to be set on the garden side. However, since it's a tatami seating, I couldn't stay for too long.

I ordered the Shojin cuisine with Seven Herb Tofu at a restaurant located within the precincts of the World Heritage Site "Ryoanji Temple". The cuisine mainly consists of Seven Herb Tofu, with additional Shojin cuisine dishes served on a tray. The Shojin cuisine included sesame tofu, white salad, simmered vegetables, rice, and more. The tofu hot pot contained silky tofu and seven types of ingredients such as maple leaf-shaped wheat gluten. The taste was average, and the atmosphere of enjoying the meal in a tatami room while looking at the garden was pleasant. If you liked the review, please follow the account and save the restaurant.

On the final day of my trip to Kyoto, I visited this place within the grounds of Ryoanji Temple. It was raining, but it turned out to be a good thing as there was no waiting. I had only yudofu without shojin ryori. Due to the preservation of cultural assets, they cannot use fire, so they used a makeshift hearth with an earthen pot, but the atmosphere was amazing.

I visited the restaurant just before 2 pm, after the lunch rush, and was seated almost immediately. I ordered the Yudofu set for 1800 yen (with rice for 200 yen). The atmosphere was relaxed and quiet, with a mix of foreigners and families enjoying their meals. I savored the simple Yudofu dish, which came with several tofu side dishes. I enjoyed the rich dipping sauce that accompanied the dish. I would definitely like to come back here again.

When I tried to buy an admission ticket, I was shown a photo and asked, "It's snowy today, is that okay with you?" Indeed, the temple grounds were sparsely populated, and the bustling crowds at Kinkaku-ji seemed like a lie in the quietness. I enjoyed a leisurely hot tofu dish at Nishigenin-san while savoring the snow-viewing sake. The snow-covered dry landscape garden evokes a deep sense of loneliness.

I walked around Ninna-ji Temple, then stopped by Ryoan-ji Temple. I headed to a restaurant to have Yudofu for lunch. I tried to make a reservation over the phone beforehand, but they weren't accepting them for today. When I arrived, I was seated right away without having to wait. About 30% of the customers were foreigners, the rest were Japanese. I ordered a set meal of Shojin cuisine and Yudofu with a bottle of beer. I enjoyed a little bit of lunch beer. The flavors were simple and comforting. I had a taste of Kyoto cuisine. Thank you for the meal!

The room I was shown to, as rumored, had a traditional Japanese atmosphere with tatami flooring. It was a spacious room facing the garden, near the sunny veranda. I ordered the hot tofu set, which turned out to be more than enough for lunch. It came with seven herb condiments, a gentle tasting sauce, and a large piece of silky smooth cotton tofu. It was incredibly delicious.

I had yudofu (tofu hot pot) here. Although they also offered a set menu of shojin cuisine, there were so many other things I wanted to try, so I just had the yudofu. Nanzenji Temple is famous for yudofu, but it can get crowded this time of year. This place was relatively relaxed, so I'd like to come back again. The unique location, atmosphere, and simple dishes typical of Kyoto were very satisfying.

Today, on the second day of my trip to Kyoto, I visited the World Heritage site of Ryoan-ji to see the autumn leaves and the stone garden. The tourist spots in Kyoto were quite crowded with travel support users, school students on field trips, and foreigners, so I made a reservation for 1:00 p.m. After enjoying the stone garden, we walked along the route around the South Pond, admiring the autumn leaves, and on the left side, we came across Seigen-in (not from the front, but approached from the garden side), which is open to the public as a tofu and vegetarian restaurant. Near the entrance to the spacious tatami room facing the main garden, there were several groups of customers waiting. We had made a reservation, so we were led to a small tatami room next to the north side facing the small garden. All the staff were women, working efficiently and briskly. They were quite busy, so there wasn't much conversation with the guests, but they explained how to enjoy the tofu hot pot properly. Since the hotel buffet breakfast was heavy (my wife had declared herself unfit in advance), we decided to give up on the vegetarian meal and ordered two tofu hot pots at 1500 yen each. The warm tofu, served with green onions, ginger, and soy sauce broth, was smooth and firm, not breaking apart, and had the perfect texture that you could eat as much as you wanted. When asked, they said it was a special order, somewhere between cotton and silk. In the early afternoon, we sat back and relaxed, enjoying the autumn garden while savoring beer and tofu hot pot, and unexpectedly, we were filled with a sense of happiness. Although we could enjoy the autumn leaves from our room, due to the way the sunlight entered, the wider room on the south side facing the main garden had a better view. It's not certain, but it seemed that the north side rooms were used for temporary purposes during busy times, and priority was given to reserved guests (this was inferred from the behavior of the guests in the same room as us and the fact that the waiting guests were mainly foreigners). Even if you have to wait, considering that you can sit and wait in a corner of the south side room while enjoying the view, it might be a good idea not to make a reservation during the peak season. In any case, it is important to visit with plenty of time. While sipping beer with tofu hot pot as a snack and sitting back, gazing at the view, I felt like I had reached a state of mindlessness where I forgot the passage of time and didn't think about anything... Could this be related to the Zen teachings of the Rinzai sect of Myoshin-ji at Ryoan-ji?! For us, full of worldly desires, sitting in meditation for an hour is a bit tough. If we can spend the same amount of time in a state of mindlessness while enjoying tofu hot pot, it would be a waste to leave without eating! A joyous occasion indeed.

While looking at the autumn garden, I wanted to have a meal, so I enjoyed a cost-effective hot tofu dish in a spacious temple, feeling healed and relaxed. It was great to combine lunch with a stroll through the expansive garden of Ryoanji Temple. The building in the photo is from the back garden, and the front building is even larger.

On a busy long weekend Saturday at 11:00, I went to the restaurant after visiting Ryoanji Temple. I've been here a few times before and it was never crowded, but this time there were several groups waiting and reservation plates on two tables. I underestimated the crowd. After waiting for about 20-30 minutes, we were finally seated. I ordered the Shojin cuisine with Seven Herb Tofu. The food arrived in about 15 minutes. The Shojin cuisine was pretty average, with the white salad tasting more like potato salad. The Seven Herb Tofu was flavorful with ginger in the broth, and the vegetables included Chinese cabbage, carrots, and even bell peppers. The tofu itself was delicious. It might be tastier than at other famous tofu restaurants.

I suddenly decided to go to Kyoto and visited Ryoanji Temple. I had a strong desire to see the dry landscape garden. It was a fulfilling break coming all the way from Yokohama. For lunch, I felt like having some shojin ryori, maybe some yudofu. The revisit here was calming, with the leaves starting to turn red. The flavorful yudofu and nanakusa were really delicious. Since I'm already here, I might as well stop by nearby Ninnaji Temple and then head back on the Shinkansen.

A restaurant serving Shojin cuisine located within the precincts of Ryoanji Temple. We ordered the popular "Shojin Cuisine with Seven Herb Tofu" for lunch. The Shojin cuisine included sesame tofu, yuba rolls, simmered shiitake mushrooms, okra with sesame dressing, fried taro, nama-fu (wheat gluten), white sesame-dressed vegetables, pickles, and more. The fried taro was the most delicious. It wasn't just a simple deep-frying, the taste was rich. The tofu in the yudofu was incredibly smooth and silky, yet it didn't fall apart at all. I wonder if they specially made the tofu. Other items included nama-fu, Chinese cabbage, mizuna, carrots, shiitake mushrooms, etc. You dip them in a special soy sauce broth with ginger, green onions, and grated daikon. There was a large amount of tofu, so as you eat, it really fills up your stomach. In the end, I left over half of the rice, I apologize... For two women, one order of the Shojin Cuisine with Seven Herb Tofu might be enough. There were many female customers, and they mostly chose just the yudofu on its own or with rice. It was still hot in late September, and the windows had half-opened shoji screens, allowing a view even when closed. There were insects resting on the outside shoji, and the door was slightly ajar for ventilation, but no insects came near the Shojin cuisine area. There was a restroom across the hallway, and I was worried about hygiene, but it turned out to be very clean. It was a quiet and peaceful, luxurious time.

Today I had lunch here. This place gained worldwide recognition when Queen Elizabeth II made an official visit, and it is also registered as a World Heritage Site "Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto". The stone garden praised by Queen Elizabeth, known as the "Hojo Garden", was too deep for me to understand as an ordinary person, but it really purified my heart. This is a hidden tofu cuisine restaurant located on the premises. The atmosphere inside is very quiet, and it feels like every corner of the room can hear your conversation. The air conditioning inside was blasting, so even on a scorching hot day, the hot tofu was still enjoyable. The soy sauce with ginger dashi was a perfect match for the tofu, with a refined taste at first but a gradual punch of ginger coming through later, making it delicious. A serving is one block, but I was quite full by the end. Thank you for the meal!

It is a dining place with a fantastic atmosphere located in the garden of Jikoin Temple in Kyoto. My partner and I visited and had a vegetarian meal with yudofu (hot tofu) and a separate order of yudofu. The amount of tofu was quite generous, so even sharing between two people fills you up. We enjoyed a leisurely time while looking at the cherry blossoms from our tatami seat.

I visited this restaurant when I was sightseeing in Kyoto! I actually wanted to see Kiyomizu-dera Temple as well, but it was under construction at that time... But I was able to enjoy eating while looking at the garden of the restaurant! Honestly, I thought it would just be hot tofu, and I was worried if I could eat it without getting bored. But that was not the case at all!! The tofu was simply delicious. And the broth, the vegetables and wheat gluten in it, the ponzu sauce for dipping, everything was delicious. Is tofu this delicious? I was surprised and moved, forgetting to talk while eating. When I raised my head, there was a quiet and beautiful garden. It was the best. If I ever have to guide my parents around as tourists, I definitely want to come here again! Thank you for the meal.

Enjoyed a visit to Ryoanji Temple to admire the World Heritage stone garden. Had lunch at Nishigen-in, a small gate with a bamboo fence swaying in front of a pond in the garden, where they serve their famous "Nanakusa Yudofu" (tofu hot pot with seven kinds of wild herbs). Was debating whether to order just the Yudofu or add rice for my daughter and me, when the staff suggested getting one serving of Yudofu with a side of rice for each of us. While waiting and admiring the garden, a colorful Yudofu hot pot was brought out on a lacquered tray along with sesame tofu, simmered dishes, salads, pickles, and rice. It was a perfect amount for the two of us to share. The Yudofu was soft but held its shape well, and the light Kyoto-style sauce complemented it perfectly. Although my daughter ate all the Yuba (tofu skin), the food itself was not overly elaborate. The Yudofu was packed with vegetables and was the highlight of the meal. Enjoying the Yudofu in the tranquility of the autumn garden was exactly what I wanted. It was a satisfying meal for the two of us. Thank you for the advice from the staff.

Kyoto right now is really nice, with fewer people due to the pandemic, you can actually relax and feel calm. After seeing the stone garden at Ryoanji Temple, I was walking around the grounds and stumbled upon a quiet tofu hot pot restaurant. It had one large tatami room facing the temple's garden, with koi swimming in the pond and the sound of a water harp echoing in the background - a true Japanese garden experience. I ordered the tofu hot pot for 1500 yen, which came with plenty of tofu, cabbage, and shiitake mushrooms in a flavorful broth. It was delicious! There were only three other groups of customers on a weekday around 11:30, which made it feel special. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, it's nice to rediscover the beauty of Japanese traditions like this. It's more than just a restaurant, it's like a hidden gem at a temple. Highly recommended! Thank you for the meal!

If you're going to enjoy yudofu in Kyoto, make sure to visit Nishigengen-in located within the grounds of Ryoan-ji Temple. We arrived just before 11 am without a reservation and were lucky to get a table, but it seems they prioritize seating by the window, so it's better to reserve if you really want to eat here. In late March, the cherry blossoms were in full bloom, and the weeping cherry tree was still in bud, creating a beautiful view to enjoy while listening to the tranquil sounds of the deer. The specialty yudofu dish is quite voluminous, cooked in a pot big enough to serve a group, and it includes vegetables, so many people opt to just order this with rice. We also ordered the Shojin cuisine set with Hannya-yu, but we were so full until dinner time... The Shojin cuisine, including simmered dishes and sesame tofu, was quite ordinary. The tofu was said to be cotton-like, smooth, rich in flavor, and very delicious. The generous amount of vegetables was also a nice touch. When compared to other Shojin cuisine places, Tenryu-ji Temple's Shigetsu may come out on top, but the yudofu here is definitely worth trying. The simplicity and depth of flavor from the first bite were impressive. The service and the nostalgic atmosphere of old Japan, along with the stunning garden view, make it worth a visit. Thank you for the delicious meal.

I happened to discover a tofu hot pot and vegetarian restaurant inside the Ryoanji Temple after visiting the temple. It is located within the temple grounds. It was lunchtime, so I decided to go in. Since it was a weekday, I was able to enter without much of a wait. The tables were spaced far apart, creating a relaxed atmosphere. The tables with a view of the main garden were all full, so I was seated near the back garden, which was also charming. The tofu hot pot with vegetarian dishes cost 3500 yen. The vegetarian dishes included sesame tofu, simmered mushrooms, tempura bell peppers, ginger, and wheat gluten, along with a macaroni salad and vegetable miso dressing. The tofu hot pot was filled with ingredients, including cute pieces of wheat gluten. The tofu was delicious. Enjoying the tofu hot pot while looking at the garden was a special experience. I savored the atmosphere of the extraordinary.