Last year, I received a delicious souvenir of Yoshikura's simmered noodles from a friend, so I came to buy it. I saw on their website that it is sold at Kyoto Daimaru and Isetan Kyoto, so I bought it at Isetan before leaving Kyoto. I bought the Instant Simmered Noodles (3 bags for 3200 yen). I tried one bag as soon as I got home. It only takes 2 and a half minutes to make, and the taste is amazing for instant noodles. It's easy to make - just put the noodles in a bowl, pour hot water, and add the included condiments: bonito flakes, seaweed, and sesame seven spice. Especially the sesame seven spice adds a nice aroma and flavor to the noodles. The broth is really what makes it stand out. With two bags, you can adjust the richness to your liking. I used all the seasoning, adjusted with hot water, and after finishing the noodles, I added rice to make a porridge, so I could enjoy it twice and get full. I also bought the "Hon Sazanami-ni" (1200 yen) and had it over white rice. Sazanami-ni is Yoshikura's unique sweet and savory simmered dish with shredded mountain pepper. It's a taste that you'll get hooked on. Yoshikura will be the star on our dining table for a while.

I visited for lunch. It is traditional Japanese cuisine, but it feels a bit cheap in a station building. The presentation of each dish is very elaborate. There is nothing particularly noteworthy about the explanation of the dishes or the service. The price is definitely on the higher side. There is nothing special about the drink options.

In the basement of the Isetan department store in Kyoto, there is a section called "Traditional Restaurant Bento Corner" where you can purchase bento boxes from renowned traditional restaurants in Kyoto by making a reservation in advance. Two years ago, I was deeply impressed by the bento box from Tsujitome, and last year by the one from Shibano Wakuden, so this year I decided to purchase one again. Since Mother's Day is approaching, I splurged a bit and convinced my mother to go for the more expensive option. We bought the "Ichidan Fold" bento box from Kitcho for 5,400 yen. Kitcho is known for its high-end traditional New Year's dishes, with some even priced in the hundreds of thousands of yen. The bento box was prepared for us at the specified time, and we brought it home in a grand Kitcho logo bag. Upon tasting the bento box, we felt that for 5,400 yen, some of the items seemed a bit overpriced. The quality seemed more like 900 yen per block. The eel and sansho pepper rice in the center was the most delicious. Overall, the bento box did not quite meet our expectations compared to previous years, and my mother found the bento boxes from Wakuden and Tsujitome to be much tastier. The fruit in the bento box seemed unnecessarily fancy. We also purchased a more affordable bento box for ourselves, which we found to be tastier. Choosing a bento box can be tricky, as price and reputation do not always guarantee taste. This experience taught us a lot about selecting bento boxes. Thank you for the meal.

I purchased bento boxes from the bento corner in the basement of Isetan at Kyoto Station. There were renowned bento boxes from famous restaurants like Hishio and Tsujitome, which are difficult to visit in person. I bought the Matsukado bento from Kyoto Kichotei and the two-tier bento from Kikunoi, which were the last ones left at 12:00 PM. The Matsukado bento from Kichotei came with a menu, so I savored each dish one by one. Both bentos had elegantly flavored dishes that were delicious even when cold. The sesame tofu, yuba, simmered daikon, and salmon cooked in Kyoto-style miso were particularly tasty. The simmered rice with daikon and carrots had a fragrant woodsy taste and was delicious. While freshly made and warm is always better, the convenience of buying a bento and enjoying it with your favorite local sake in your hotel room is appealing. The bento from Kikunoi was also delicious, making it hard to choose between the two. However, the rice in this bento was a bit loose and difficult to eat with chopsticks. Both bentos had several similar dishes, making the differences in appearance and seasoning interesting. The Matsukado bento from Kichotei even came with a strawberry jelly dessert with custard sauce, providing a high level of satisfaction.

I tried the bento box from Yoshikura this time, after trying Tsujidome's bento box last time. I made a reservation in advance at JR Kyoto Isetan and paid for it at the traditional bento corner on the 2nd basement floor. The cooking and seasoning of the traditional Kyoto bento from Hitoshina is truly impressive. The jelly dessert takes up a lot of space and the overall volume is a bit lacking, but I respect the skill and tradition required to create such a beautiful world in one box. The simmered bamboo shoot in the top left corner of the photo was the best this time, with plenty of wood buds. My companion used to visit Ginzas Mibu regularly for over 30 years, so he knows a thing or two about Japanese cuisine, but he was impressed by how delicious this bento was in such a natural way. It's hard to find a restaurant in Kyoto that suits our tastes. We missed a few places this time. For ¥5,250, you can definitely taste the essence of Kyoto with Yoshikura's bento box. How many other restaurants can beat this within the same budget? Eating this on the way back on the Shinkansen makes me want to visit Kyoto again.

I returned from Kyoto yesterday. I bought an expensive bento box (3675 yen) at Kyoto Station building as my last meal of Kyoto cuisine for a while (about a month). When I got home, I picked up the iPhone 5 I had ordered and took a picture of the bento box, but something was off. The color was dull and the focus was off. I realized that I had forgotten to remove the back protective seal before taking the picture. By the time I noticed, I had already eaten the bento box. Now, in the basement of Kyoto Isetan, there is a high-end bento box section where famous restaurant bento boxes are sold (some require reservations). This time, I chose the bento box from "Kicho" at the "Shoka-do" store. Kicho's Arashiyama main store is very delicious, but HANA Kicho is so-so. The Granvia store was terrible, so I tried the "Shoka-do" store which I had never been to before (even though it's a bento box). The good thing about this bento box is that most of the side dishes come in pairs. Whether it's grilled fish or sweet potatoes. This is very good for sharing between two people. The taste, except for the rice, was deliciously seasoned. However, the rice was a bit mushy. In this section, they also had the chestnut and conger eel rice from "Kikuno I" which I had eaten and enjoyed the day before, so I bought that along with the Kicho Shoka-do bento box to share with someone, it might be on par with the Hishio bento box. It was delicious for a bento box that you can get without a reservation at Kyoto Station. (Note) I have now changed the standard rating to 3 (to conform to general standards).

Now, for lunch, there is a bento box sold at one place. The popular restaurant's bento boxes are almost sold out by reservation! I should have ordered one when I came the day before (^^; Still, I chose one of the remaining bento boxes. While choosing a bento box, I noticed Yoshikazu's bento box right next to it, so I got that! It stands out with its seasonal bamboo shoot rice. There are various side dishes, making it a colorful bento box. Stewed dishes are always good. This one is cooked in a good broth and very delicious. Is that young bamboo shoot stew? The wakame seaweed is not too soft and still has a nice texture. And of course, the bamboo shoot is delicious! The bamboo shoot rice is tasty even when cold. Is that finely chopped fried tofu? The salmon with miso paste is tender and flavorful. It can be a great accompaniment for sake or rice! This bento box offers plenty of Kyoto's spring ingredients to enjoy, so it was really good.

This time, I received a bento box from a very famous restaurant for a work meeting. It was my first time trying their food and I had high expectations. The presentation was beautiful and each ingredient was prepared with great care. The miso-marinated mackerel and beef simmered in soy sauce were particularly well-seasoned. The other ingredients were also delicious, with the only minor downside being that the tamagoyaki (rolled omelette) was not to my taste. The price was quite high, so I felt that a bit more luxury could have been added, but overall, it was a rich and enjoyable dining experience.

The Sazanami simmered mountain pepper is made with carefully selected natural ingredients, but personally, it didn't quite meet my expectations. It also doesn't last long once opened, so you have to consume it immediately. I will be trying their udon next, hoping it will be delicious. I might give it another try in the future.

In December 2014, I have the opportunity to have bento lunches several times a month, ranging from catering bento to kaiseki bento to Western-style bento. In the basement of Isetan, there are various kaiseki bento available for sale, such as Murasakino Wakuden, Hishiiwa, Kikunoi, and Shimogamo Saryo, some of which cost over 5000 yen. The Yoshikura bento I received this time featured autumn ingredients such as mushrooms and chestnuts, giving a taste of the season. Packed in a limited space are various ingredients, totaling dozens of items. It feels like having osechi (traditional Japanese New Year dishes) early. Kaiseki bento packed with traditional techniques. Each store has its own strengths and characteristics, making it interesting. I wouldn't usually buy such formal bento on my own, so I am grateful for the opportunity. But in the end, I feel more familiar and reassured with homey bento like Hiro's beef bowl or Cook Rakku's Western-style bento.

The B2 floor of JR Kyoto Isetan, with its traditional bento corner, is one of my favorite things to enjoy when I visit Kyoto. The bento box costs 3,675 yen and includes the following: 1) simmered dish with daikon radish, deep-fried pumpkin, tofu skin, carrots, komatsuna greens, lotus root, burdock root, yuzu citrus, 2) grilled salmon, squid with egg yolk, scallop with persimmon seeds, onion, green pepper, rolled omelette, shrimp, seaweed salad, konjac jelly, thousand shiso leaves, fava beans, 3) sesame tofu, fruit jelly, 4) rice with grated daikon, mitsuba leaves, pickled turnip, kelp. I always wanted to visit the store, but the prices were a bit out of reach for me. Finally, I decided to purchase the bento box, and each dish was delicious. It's amazing how even familiar foods can taste so good.