I went to a restaurant with a friend who is on a gluten-free diet, so when it comes to noodles, it's soba. As the weather gets cooler, warm soba is what we crave. Since my stomach wasn't feeling great, I usually go for tempura soba, but this time I opted for a lighter option - the herring soba for 800 yen. The herring and the flavorful broth were delicious and satisfying, but the soba itself was a bit disappointing. If they improved the soba, it would be the perfect herring soba. It left me feeling a bit regretful.

I went to Kyoto last week. The autumn leaves had just started to change colors. During my stroll from Arashiyama to Daikakuji, I crossed the Togetsukyo Bridge, passed by Horin-ji Temple, Tenryu-ji Temple, and the bamboo grove, crossed the railway tracks, and turned left past Saga Park. There, I found a simple-looking restaurant that caught my eye as I was getting hungry. The menu was simple, offering about 5 varieties of warm and cold soba noodles, as well as udon. They also had Mitarashi dango for dessert. I ordered the zaru soba and my companion ordered the warm tempura soba. The soba noodles arrived promptly and were delicious with a nice flavor. I noticed they didn't bring soba-yu (soba dipping broth) so I asked for it, and they kindly prepared it for us. It seems they don't usually serve soba-yu here. The soba-yu was simple yet flavorful, which I appreciated. What impressed me the most was the reasonable prices - 700 yen for zaru soba and 1,100 yen for tempura soba, which is quite affordable compared to other places in Arashiyama where prices can range from 500 to 600 yen for similar dishes. Unfortunately, I didn't take any photos as I wasn't planning to write a review initially, but I highly recommend this place. They have a main branch elsewhere and another branch in the Arashiyama area, but this particular one, away from the touristy spots, is worth a visit.

During my trip to Kyoto, I used the Randen tram to explore Kitaoji and Sagano roads. The season was not autumn or cherry blossom, but the fresh greenery with bamboo, pine trees, and a refreshing breeze passing through was wonderful. In Sagano during Golden Week, it was a bit chilly with occasional light showers, so I stopped at a shop along the road for a light meal. I had the mountain vegetable soba for 600 yen and Kitsune udon for 500 yen. The soba had a Kansai-style clear broth with regular mountain vegetables. The Kitsune udon had a large piece of sweetened fried tofu on top, Kansai-style. In Kyoto, there are so many other foods to try, so enjoying a little treat like this is nice.

When I went to Arashiyama for autumn leaves and temple sightseeing, I wandered around a bit for lunch and ended up at a soba restaurant called "Dangoro". The restaurant had a traditional Japanese interior and was cozy. I ordered the mountain vegetable soba (600 yen), which had a flavorful broth that was just right for my tired body. My senior colleague ordered the herring soba (800 yen), saying that the herring was delicious. There were also various sweet options that looked delicious.

During a Kyoto trip in the autumn leaf season, I visited Saga-Arashiyama. I strolled around Togetsukyo Bridge, Hogonin Temple, and Tenryuji Temple, and I wanted to visit Jozan Koji Temple next... but I was getting tired from all the walking, so I decided to take a break. That's when I stumbled upon this restaurant by chance. It was quite crowded, so I had to share a table with a foreign couple who seemed to be struggling with the Japanese menu. They wanted to order zaru soba, so I helped them out by placing the order. It was a small international exchange in an unexpected place... it felt kind of nice. As for us, I ordered coffee and kuzukiri, while my wife got mitarashi dango. Sweet treats are great when you're tired. I rarely eat kuzukiri, so it added to the travel experience. The mitarashi dango was served fresh. We spent some time sipping our coffee, looking at the view outside the window, and going through the photos of autumn leaves we took with our camera. You can also have a meal here, making it a perfect spot for a break when you're tired from exploring.

"Dango" is a soba and sweets shop located in Sagano. The interior is simple and casual, with both counter and table seating available. In addition to soba, their sweets also look delicious. I decided to try both. First, I had the "zaru soba," which was machine-made and had a normal taste. Then, I tried the Kyoto specialty "nishin soba," where the sweetened herring was delicious on its own. The broth was slightly lighter in the Kyoto style, allowing the flavor of the herring to shine. However, the real highlight at "Dango" is their sweets. The "special warabi mochi" was incredibly delicious, with a fresh and bouncy texture that made me say "delicious" involuntarily. And the "mitarashi dango" was surprisingly soft and made me smile with each bite. It's a great place to stop by while exploring the area.

During a family trip, we stopped by this place in Kyoto. My parents and sister, who discovered a love for herring soba here, ordered the herring soba, while I, who was more accustomed to it due to being married into the family, had the tempura soba. Both dishes were delicious. The herring was large and went well with the noodle soup. The tempura had large, crispy shrimp on top. The prices were reasonable for adults. The restaurant had a simple Japanese style and good natural lighting from the windows. The staff were friendly, although some seemed to lack knowledge about the menu. As you explore Sagano, with tea houses and dining spots scattered around, I recommend this place!

Arashiyama, a break during a stroll in Sagano. The interior of the restaurant is set up in a Japanese style, creating a cozy atmosphere. The menu includes soba noodles, light meals, and desserts, making it suitable for both lunch and snack time. The prices are reasonable.