The menu has a variety of options, but this time I ordered the pork yakiniku set meal. The thinly sliced cabbage and pork belly are being stir-fried on the hot plate in front of me. Oh, it's a okonomiyaki restaurant, so they serve yakiniku set meals by grilling okonomiyaki ingredients. The rice portion is just a bowlful and comes with miso soup and a little bit of pickles. I can't deny that it feels a bit lacking in volume, but maybe this is normal. Being close to a student area, it might not be enough for younger people.

I'm Kirioji living in Osaka. I was nearby for work so I decided to stop by. I'm on a low-carb diet so I thought I could go for something light. I ordered the squid grilled set meal for 650 yen. This is a good deal. The portion is not large but it's perfect for me right now. The flavor is a bit strong, but some might think it's just right. The amount of rice is just right for me now, but a few months ago, it wouldn't have been enough for me at all.

In April, I had work in Kyoto again. It seems like I'll be coming to Kyoto occasionally this year. There are few shops around Demachiyanagi Station on the Keihan Main Line. Even if you cross the Kamo River and go to the west area, the atmosphere is similar. I decided to have lunch near the station because I didn't feel like moving around too much. I remembered a shop from my last visit. It's a teppanyaki restaurant called Bonkura. The surreal name of the shop gives off a unique sense of style. In the back room, there is a counter with a huge iron plate that seats 7 people. There is also a table for 4 near the entrance. The lunch set menu is 650 yen for 3 items and 750 yen for 5 items. I ordered my favorite dish. - Pork ginger sauté set meal: 750 yen There was only one elderly chef in the kitchen. A cook that matches the well-seasoned shop. He sautéed pork and vegetables on the iron plate with practiced hands. He poured the special sauce over it and let it steam. The meal came with rice, miso soup, pickles, simmered hijiki seaweed, and the main dish. It included mushrooms like shimeji and enoki, onions, cabbage, and other standard ingredients. The pork had a good amount of volume and mixed well with the vegetables. The only downside was the lack of shredded cabbage as raw vegetables. The bite-sized potato salad was a nice touch. The strong flavor may be to some people's liking, but it could be a bit overwhelming. The convenient location near the station, combined with the recent decrease in foot traffic, made the place a bit lonely even during lunchtime. Thank you for the meal.

Visited Kyoto in December 2019 to see the autumn leaves. The main goal was Rurikoin, which was extremely crowded. I purchased tickets for a reserved time slot and waited. After finishing the visit, I wanted to have lunch but there were no restaurants near Hiyoshi-Biei-san-guchi Station. I took the Eizan Railway to Demachiyanagi Station and tried a okonomiyaki restaurant near the station. I sat at the counter at Bonkura and started with a beer. I ordered the Hiroshima-style mixed okonomiyaki and the okonomiyaki with beef tendons. The owner was originally from Gifu and used to live in Nagoya. We had a pleasant conversation until the food was ready. They asked if I wanted the okonomiyaki sauce to be sweet, spicy, or with mayonnaise and bonito flakes. The portions were generous and the food was delicious. The Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki was fluffy. It was a great meal.

In front of Demachiyanagi Station. A casual okonomiyaki restaurant. I ordered the jumbo size okonomiyaki with shrimp, and it was huge and filled me up.

Due to certain circumstances, I had the opportunity to visit Kyoto and decided to stop by this restaurant. Although I forgot to take a photo, the set lunch they served was cooked right in front of me on a hot plate. Just that experience alone got me excited. The price was also reasonable at 750 yen, and the seasoning made the rice taste even better. I'm sure the teppanyaki is delicious as well.

Ponkara set meal ¥800

This is a teppanyaki restaurant located in front of Keihan Eizan / Demachiyanagi Station in Kyoto. It seems like a okonomiyaki restaurant, but the lunch set with various teppanyaki dishes is a good deal. They cook right in front of you, and the heat and savory smell stimulate your appetite. There are two types of lunch sets, priced at ¥650 and ¥750. The menu also indicates that the portions are quite generous and satisfying. The lunch set includes salad, rice, miso soup, and pickles. The interior of the restaurant is somewhat small, mainly with counter seats and only one two-person table. It is convenient to use the train to get to the restaurant.

Opposite the Eiden Noriba bus stop is a long-standing okonomiyaki restaurant. An elderly man cooks right in front of you. It seems like there are many regular customers. They have a wide variety of set meals like teppanyaki and vegetable stir-fry, and you can even have your okonomiyaki served in a set meal style. If you ask, they will give you extra rice and serve you a generous portion, so you can get a satisfying meal for under 1,000 yen. The sweet sauce is delicious and the cabbage is cooked just right. Since they close early, it's recommended for an early dinner. Demachiyanagi Station doesn't have many options for solo dining in the evening.

I went to a teppanyaki restaurant in front of Demachiyanagi Station for the first time. The restaurant has a counter in front of the teppan and feels quite spacious. The menu is decent, with options like the classic butatama, grilled dishes, and a few side dishes. The grilled dishes and side dishes were average, but the okonomiyaki was fluffy and delicious. However, the closing time is quite early, with last order at 8:30 pm (we were told that even drinks need to be ordered by then). It might be a good place to visit for lunch. We left feeling a bit unsatisfied and headed to our next destination right away.

Bonkura-san has been going to this restaurant for about 9 years now. I feel like I've tried all the menu items. The master is a kind person, and I often consult with him about my worries. Recently, due to his age, he has closed the second floor and now only operates on the first floor. The okonomiyaki here is more on the elegant side, so I usually prefer the set meals since I like to eat a lot. I especially enjoy the ginger pork set meal, as it comes with plenty of meat and vegetables. It's cooked on a hot plate, so it's not greasy, making it a menu item I could eat every day. At first, I thought it was pronounced "bonzou" instead of "bonkura." I'm rooting for them, so keep up the good work!

The restaurant is located close to the Eizan Electric Railway station. The entrance of the restaurant has a menu displayed, showing a variety of set meals. The interior of the restaurant is narrow and long, but the space next to the counter is not too cramped, allowing for a relaxed seating experience. The long teppan grill is where the chef cooks, and there is no teppan grill for customers. Once the okonomiyaki is cooked, it is plated and served with sauce and mayonnaise, cut into four pieces. I prefer to have the okonomiyaki placed on my own teppan grill to keep it warm, so I find it a bit disappointing. The okonomiyaki has a well-rounded flavor and is delicious, cooked to perfection. The yakisoba, on the other hand, seems to be cooked for a shorter time, leaving the noodles slightly undercooked. However, this allows for a nice charred flavor on the cabbage.

The lunch set meal has a decent amount and the taste is not bad, so sometimes when passing by, I think I might stop by. However, in the evening, the cost performance seems to be poor. Okonomiyaki and yakisoba have a decent amount compared to other places in the neighborhood. The amount of sauce they put on is also decent. And if you don't have 700 yen, you can't eat okonomiyaki. When did flour-based dishes become so expensive? The thickness of the okonomiyaki is firm, so it's not a matter of skill, but rather a matter of taste preference. They also have Hiroshima-yaki on the menu, but I think there's a bit too much bean sprouts... Thanks to the rich flavor of the bean sprouts, you can't really taste the sweetness of the cabbage. Both the okonomiyaki and Hiroshima-yaki are served on a hot plate divided into four pieces. You eat them with chopsticks, but especially with Hiroshima-yaki, no matter how good you are with chopsticks, it ends up being messy when you eat it. I wish they had spatulas...

Located near Demachiyanagi Station, this restaurant offers not only okonomiyaki but also teppanyaki dishes as part of their lunch set menu. The portions are quite generous, so I visit occasionally. The restaurant is a long and narrow space with a table right at the entrance where customers are often seen enjoying their meals. Passing by this table, you will find a long teppanyaki counter where the chef, an older man, skillfully cooks the dishes. There are a few lunch set options available, with one dish being offered at a discounted price as a daily special. Popular choices for the daily special include pork and bean sprout set and pork and Chinese cabbage set. The chef cooks the dishes with a sizzling sound, creating a delicious aroma. The vegetables are cooked perfectly on the large teppanyaki grill, which is one of the reasons why I enjoy coming here. In addition to the main dish, a side dish in the style of obanzai, rice, and miso soup are included in the set, providing a satisfying and affordable meal. For those with a hearty appetite, there are also yakisoba set and okonomiyaki set available. The sauce is slightly sweet and the spiciness is mild. The restaurant is advertised as an "elegant okonomiyaki restaurant," but the atmosphere is typical of a local eatery near the station. The friendly and attentive service from the chef and staff adds to the overall pleasant dining experience.