Today's lunch was at "Men-dokoro Yae-matsu" in Fushimi-ku, Kyoto. It is located along Tsuchihashi Street, south of Kintetsu Fushimi Station. The restaurant has a historical feel with a clean noren curtain on the aluminum door. Inside, there are tables, an island counter, and even raised seating areas suitable for individuals or families. They offer a wide variety of udon, including Chinese soba and champon. There are also plenty of rice dishes available, such as duck and yuba. They also focus on their soba menu, and their hot pot dishes are especially appealing in the winter. Set menus are available, as well as regular meal sets. The table menu also offers set meals, and there is an option to add a mini rice bowl. Surprisingly, even though it was not on the menu, there is a sign on the wall for cold noodles. The choices are overwhelming, but I ended up choosing the "Today's Special" for 860 yen. On the table, there are condiments like shichimi and soy sauce. The display on the table, reminiscent of food samples, showcases the craftsmanship of a modern artisan from Kyoto Prefecture. After a while, the mini kitsune rice bowl and grated burdock tempura soba from the "Today's Special" arrived. The kitsune rice bowl had a rich sauce, and the soba was topped with the trendy burdock tempura. The burdock had a crunchy texture, and the classic eggplant tempura had a consistent flavor. The okra was tough and hard to chew. The soba noodles were flat and had a firm texture. The broth was slightly sweet and complemented the tempura well. This long-standing noodle shop has seamlessly integrated into the local community, but also offers innovative menu items.

I visited the well-known and highly praised Hachiyomatsu, a long-established restaurant known for its delicious noodles. When I arrived, the interior was still being cleaned up, but it seemed like it had been full just a little while ago. I was lucky to visit when it was just starting to clear out. You can park your car in front of the store or next to it, but it might be a bit difficult with a large car. I ordered the large portion of zaru soba (820 yen tax included) and a mini oyakodon (390 yen tax included) since I've been eating soba almost every day recently. The soba noodles were thin and had a nice texture, although the water draining was a bit sweet, the rich broth paired well with it and it was quite delicious. The oyakodon had a thick and fluffy egg with plenty of chicken, and the broth was delicious. The restaurant has a retro feel both inside and outside, but I was impressed by the attentive and considerate service of the young male staff. I paid with PayPay, and I noticed that the restaurant was constantly busy with local customers, showing that it is truly loved by the community.

On a regular weekday lunch, I arrived to find only two men. I thought it was empty, but then regular customers started coming in one after another. A young woman who was visiting for the first time asked, "Where is the parking lot?" It seems like this place in Minamisannomiya, Tanbabashi North, is attracting a lot of people from the local area. They serve mini pork cutlet rice bowls and grated mushroom udon as today's special. When it arrived in about 10 minutes, I found that it was thin udon topped with traditional grated mushroom tea pickles. I mistakenly thought it was namako (sea cucumber), but isn't this just home-cooked food? The broth wasn't particularly delicious. The komatsuna (Japanese mustard spinach) and fried items were tasty though. The pork cutlet was also good. I hear that this place has a history of about 70 years, but it seems like they offer more of an arranged menu rather than traditional dishes. ♪ You've dyed me in your colors ♪

I went for lunch and ordered today's special. I had a mini chirashi bowl and zaru soba (udon) for ¥800. The soba noodles were thin and delicious. The dipping sauce was slightly sweet but tasty! The chirashi bowl had a light seasoning. It feels like a place loved by the locals. They have a wide variety of menu options. The friendly and refreshing young man with a lovely smile made the experience even better. Thank you for the meal!

I walked from Tanbabashi Station instead of the nearest Fushimi Station. Tanbabashi Street has been a place where food and beverage stores have struggled to survive for years, with only a few remaining shops that have a loyal customer base or some kind of connections. The once popular okonomiyaki restaurant "Mifuku" and the unnamed diner have also disappeared. Upon arriving at the restaurant, I decided to enter. The interior had a counter in front of the entrance, a raised seating area on the left, and table seating on the right. The man in charge of the restaurant, who appeared to be in his 30s, took my order for the daily specials - tsukimi soba and gyudon. The soba was thin and light in color, with a smooth texture and a good amount of chewiness. The simple broth had a strong kombu flavor. The gyudon was flavorful, though not particularly professional in taste. The restaurant has a history of about 70 years, and according to the man, it was renovated about 30 years ago. This place may be even older than Gansakusai?

There is not much information available, so I will provide a detailed review. I arrived alone at 11:30 on Friday to find the restaurant still preparing. I went to return books at the library and returned at 12:00 to find it still preparing. However, customers were already entering, so I decided to go in as well. I found out that the business hours are from 11:00 to 19:30, which was fine with me. I forgot to ask about the regular closing day. *Update: The regular closing day is Sunday. The restaurant was mostly full of regular customers. Everyone sat down and ordered immediately. The smell of dashi was delightful. There are seating options for 4 people at 3 tables, 4 people at 3 tatami rooms, and a counter with 10 seats where 5 people sit facing each other with partitions in between. Since the counter was full, I hesitantly sat at a table, but I noticed other solo customers occupying the larger tatami rooms or tables. Most customers were 1-2 people, so this seemed to be the usual setup. The customers were mostly middle-aged men in suits, a middle-aged couple from the neighborhood, and the rest were men in work clothes. In other words, it was mostly older men, which I didn't mind. Unfortunately, smoking is allowed. With too many menu options, I chose today's special. I opted for udon with a mini rice bowl, requesting a smaller portion. Today's special was ¥800 including tax, consisting of yuba-toji udon, a mini kitsune rice bowl, a side dish, and pickles. The hot dashi was delicious! As I ate, I noticed the noodles had a good texture. The kitsune in the rice bowl was sweet and savory, which I enjoyed. The side dish was a savory-sweet eggplant and pork stew with a strong ginger flavor. I managed to finish it all, but I was stuffed! Next time, I'll order a la carte. By 12:30, about half of the customers had left. Everyone seemed to leave soon after finishing their meals. The male staff occasionally chatted with regulars with a smile, providing excellent service. They quickly cleared the plates after customers left and went around pouring warm tea, which was impressive. It's a charming restaurant in a nostalgic neighborhood. Thank you for the meal.

I have been trying various oyakodon dishes, but the one from Yaomatsu is the best. The sweetness, dashi seasoning, and perfect texture are all amazing. The set menu with udon (or colored set with somen) is also delicious, with a flavorful broth that lingers in your mouth even after you finish eating. The cost performance is great, and it's so tasty that I keep going back. During lunch, many working men come to eat.

I have been eating this food only through delivery since I was a child, but this time, I visited the restaurant for the first time.

I visited a shop near Fushimi Station on the Kintetsu Kyoto Line that I had been ignoring because I couldn't find a parking lot. The interior of the shop was a bit dark and the sound of the TV was a little distracting. When I looked at the menu, there were quite a few options to choose from, but I decided on the "katsu simmered set meal" for 850 yen. The katsu was thick and topped with a soft-boiled egg, and the broth was not too sweet, making it delicious. The eggplant and pork stew had a light seasoning, but the eggplant absorbed the flavor of the meat, making it tasty as well. The meal also came with rice (in a bowl) and pickled vegetables (takuan). Next time, I'll try their noodles.