I wanted to send an international postal service before going on a trip, but I had to rush with age-related arrangements due to a promise with my old high school friend. I remember when the postal service stopped before, it was around the time I changed my smartphone. I don't use my smartphone much other than for daily life. I was thinking about how to enjoy my trip in the most cost-effective and satisfying way, like a typical 40-year-old, but it turned out that dealing with strangers is different. I was saved by a friend's message saying, "I'll take care of the taxi fare." We discussed the safest and most cost-effective taxi route. I already understand QR codes and have adapted to the travel lifestyle. When I urgently needed to update my keywords, I jotted them down and typed them out after leaving the restaurant. I ordered the Marinated Bonito Bowl for 690 yen, which I couldn't imagine before it arrived. It came with egg rice, which I wasn't sure about, but it was slightly lacking in stickiness. It came with real wasabi. I also ordered a Small Hikaraku Udon Set for 150 yen, which was a good choice for my first meal out in a while. The soup was gentle on the stomach. I smelled the food and felt hungry. Thank you for staying open during the pandemic. I went to California in 2004 for a homestay and kept in touch with a child I met there. We are now reconnecting. Time flies, as I was 22 at the time and they were already 27. It's scary how time passes. I might end up going there for Christmas. I want to try being a festive couple for Christmas. I'm a single middle-aged woman in her 40s, Santa Claus. I realized that the reason my restaurant review deviated from the topic of household account books was due to the offering. I have corrected the household account book accordingly. Stay tuned for the day when "cod" and "liver" naturally come up in the conversation, possibly related to embassies. My personal signature was confirmed via EMS a few years ago.

Around 9:30 pm, I arrived at Kyoto Station feeling a bit peckish and craving something light to eat. I remembered there was a "Nakau" near the Hachijo exit of the station, so I headed there thinking it would be empty at this time. However, to my surprise, there were many foreign customers with large suitcases. I managed to find a seat at the counter, purchased my meal ticket, and noticed several foreign workers in the kitchen. Despite it being a Kyoto-style udon restaurant, it felt like a foreign country with both the customers and staff. After a short wait, I received my order of Hi-Kara Udon for 290 yen and an egg for 80 yen. The Tsukimi Udon I had was definitely Kyoto-style. The broth was quite light, the noodles were smooth, and the tempura bits were crispy and delicious. My hunger was satisfied, and I felt happy and content.

I tried a katsudon for breakfast after staying up all night. It was delicious. The portion of egg was small and the pork cutlet was on the smaller side, but considering the price, it was still good. The next day for lunch, I tried a sukiyaki bowl. I couldn't help but think what if a foreigner visiting Japan thought this was sukiyaki... It's clearly different from gyudon! It had cabbage, shirataki noodles, and even fu (wheat gluten), but the cabbage wasn't tasty and the fu was a bit tough and not well soaked in the sukiyaki sauce. If that's the case, I think it's more clever to eat at Sukiya or Matsuya for gyudon. The katsudon was simply delicious, so it's a shame this one wasn't as good.

There was also a Cocoichi, but having curry three days in a row is a bit much, so I came to Nakau. I visited before lunchtime and it wasn't crowded. I bought a meal ticket from the vending machine and waited to be called by number. It was the day of the eel, and everyone was ordering eel bowls, but eel at Nakau is unimaginable. I ordered the Torotama Oyakodon and a small size of Hiyashi Hiyashi Udon. The Oyakodon itself was delicious, but despite being advertised as Torotama Oyakodon, the egg yolk was not in the center and a raw egg was served with the shell. You have to crack the egg yourself, which is different from the picture on the menu. The egg separator provided did not work well, and the yolk and white mixed together. They need to reeducate their staff on how to serve it properly. It's a chain restaurant, so I won't comment further, but since they are open 24 hours, I might visit again after pulling an all-nighter.

The food is consistently delicious! The rice bowls are always stable and as expected. Nakau is originally known as a beef bowl restaurant, but their udon noodles are definitely more delicious! It's right in front of Kyoto Station, so it's perfect for a meal before catching the bullet train! The restaurant is also spacious!

Naka-Uo has always been a favorite of mine, and I have been using this store for a long time. The location in front of Kyoto Station is excellent! This time, during the busy Golden Week lunch time, Kyoto Station and the city were crowded with tourists. Many of the restaurants inside the station's commercial facilities had lines forming even before 11 am. Naka-Uo was also crowded, but since the turnover of customers is good, I have never had trouble finding a seat. Compared to other beef bowl chains, there are also many female customers, making it easier for women to enter. The affordability is also attractive. This time, I had the mountain wasabi cold soba (480 yen). You can eat for about half the price inside the station. It is recommended over eating expensive "obanzai" aimed at tourists. I used to live in Kyoto, so I have many local acquaintances, but I have never heard of locals saying they eat "obanzai". Naka-Uo is recommended for those who do not want to waste time on meals.

Today I also worked at Toji Temple. Almost every morning, I rely on Nakau at Kyoto Station Hachijo Exit for breakfast. Tonight, I ordered the natto breakfast for 320 yen. What a miracle! Thankful! This morning, there seemed to be a surge in inbound customers, with about half of them being foreigners. My way of enjoying the Nakau natto breakfast is to first add about 3 dashes of sansho pepper to the miso soup, dip 3 seaweed sheets in soy sauce and wrap them around the rice. Delicious! Next, I put the special egg on the rice, add natto, mustard, and dashi soy sauce, mix it all up, and enjoy. It's so simple yet delicious. I feel grateful to have been born Japanese. Recently, Nakau announced that they would be selling their most popular menu item, oyakodon, for 450 yen. It may seem like a step back in time, but I truly respect their corporate efforts. Thank you Nakau for taking care of me every day. Looking forward to tomorrow. Thank you for the meal. #Nakau #Oyakodon #JapaneseCuisine #Gourmet #GourmetInstagram #WantToConnectWithFoodies #WantToConnectWithPeopleWhoLoveEating #GreatBreakfastDeal #MorningInstagram #WantToConnectWithPeopleWhoLoveBreakfast #InstaWorthy #JapaneseFood #PhotogenicNatto #TamagoKakeGohan #WantToConnectWithPeopleWhoLoveBreakfast #KyotoPrefecture #KyotoGourmet #TKG #KyotoStation #KyotoCity #Japan #Kyoto #Gourmet #JapaneseFood #KyotoStationHachijoExit #TrulyDeliciousNatto

I escaped the bustling Kyoto Station and headed towards the Hachijo exit. The first thing I saw was "Nakau Kyoto Hachijo Store." I remembered the buzz about the price reduction of the parent and child bowl starting from April 6th, so I decided to try the "Parent and Child Bowl (regular)" (450 yen) there. Amidst the spring price hikes happening all over Japan, Nakau decided to go against the trend by lowering the price of their 490 yen parent and child bowl by 40 yen. This strategy garnered attention from various media outlets, allowing Nakau to gain widespread publicity without much effort. I learned about this through internet news coverage, falling right into Nakau's marketing trap. It's been so long since I last had Nakau's parent and child bowl that I can't even remember. Trying it again, I noticed that the egg was generously used, providing a rich and smooth taste from the almost raw parts to the cooked parts. The broth was flavorful, and the rice had a nice moist texture. Although some parts of the chicken were slightly lacking in flavor, the portion size was satisfying. I also appreciated the presence of powdered sansho pepper on the customer tables. Overall, I enjoyed it very much. The quality for 450 yen was impressive. Nakau is currently operated by Zen-Sho Holdings, a large company that receives both praise and criticism. Their shrewdness is commendable, but I hope they strive for a reputation of honesty and sincerity in the future.

I wanted to have breakfast and I wanted to eat udon and salmon roe. However, there was no ideal set available. It was cheap, but I couldn't believe it because I had gotten used to high prices overseas. In the end, I chose a small soba, mentaiko rice, and fried egg for 840 yen. It ended up being more expensive than I thought, I was expecting around 500 yen. The challenge failed. It was delicious though.

On Sunday morning at 5:00 a.m., I found myself in front of Nakau, located right in front of Kyoto Station's Hachijo-guchi exit. The two famous ramen shops on the opposite side of the station seemed to be opening a bit late, so I decided to have breakfast here. There were quite a few solo travelers with backpacks, perhaps arriving on long-distance buses. I ordered the simple breakfast set of egg over rice with miso soup, egg, and seaweed for 250 yen, and added a piece of fried chicken for 150 yen, bringing the total to 400 yen. The rice was served in a generous portion in a rice bowl. It's really convenient to have a 24-hour dining option right in front of the station.

Located a 2-minute walk from JR Kyoto Station Hachijo East Exit, in a mixed-use building at the intersection of Hachijo and Torimaru Streets, is Nakau Kyoto Hachijo-guchi, known for its rice bowls and Kyoto-style udon. I visited Nakau for the second time, after experiencing their branch near Keio Line Seiseki-Sakuragaoka Station about 9 years ago. I ordered the Oyakodon (chicken and egg rice bowl) regular size for 490 yen, a small size Hiyakara Udon (Kyoto-style udon) for 250 yen, and two pieces of Tori Karaage (fried chicken) for 150 yen each. Unfortunately, the Oyakodon lacked the fluffy, creamy texture of the egg. The Kyoto-style udon, on the other hand, was quite authentic. The flavor profile, with bonito flakes, kelp broth, and light soy sauce, was stronger compared to Tokyo-style udon. Personally, I enjoyed this stronger flavor.

At Nakau in Kyoto, Hachijo-guchi, I had the Hainkara soba & mentaiko rice set (730 yen). Luckily or unluckily, I had to transfer from JR to the subway at Kyoto Station during lunchtime. I looked around for a restaurant in the station, but it was crowded with revenge travelers due to the pandemic. Due to high ingredient costs, the prices at the shops had increased significantly. Even for lunch, it was over 1500 yen. I gave up and was about to head to Avanti when I saw Nakau, famous for Kyoto-style soba and udon (it's Kyoto-style gyudon, right? lol) right in front of me! Without hesitation, I visited and enjoyed the Kyoto-style soba.

It's been a while since I visited Nakau. I used to go to the Seta branch almost every day. This is my first time at the Kyoto Hachijo-guchi branch. When I entered the store, I saw a ticket machine. I always associated Nakau with gyudon, but looking at the menu, it seems like a place for oyakodon. I ordered the breakfast set I was looking for, the fried egg breakfast for 280 yen! The miso soup had a lot of ingredients! It comes with seaweed and a fried egg at this price! I can really feel the company's efforts. I added sansho pepper from the table to the miso soup for a change in taste, which was also nice in the morning! The store was lively with many long-distance bus passengers. I will use it occasionally. Thank you for the meal!

This is a convenient shop to stop by when you're short on time. Today I tried something different, the Chicken Karaage Donburi in a small size for 430 yen, but with a coupon it was only 380 yen. It arrived in just 5 minutes and was a generous portion. The juicy chicken karaage with a special sweet and savory sauce made the rice even more enjoyable. The large pieces of karaage were crispy and delicious, coated in the sweet and savory sauce with green onions. It was a satisfying and delicious meal from start to finish.

Around 10 pm, I visited Nakau at Kyoto Station Hachijo-guchi by myself. Nakau's main dish is "oyakodon," but they also offer a variety of menu items such as gyudon, katsudon, udon, and soba, all at a low price while maintaining a certain level of quality and deliciousness. This time, I visited with the intention of trying their summer classic, "cold tantan udon." The ordering system is done through food ticket vending machines, and you receive your order at the counter after your number is called. It's a very efficient system. The history of Nakau is actually quite old, as it was founded in June 1969 as a handmade udon shop in Ibaraki City, Osaka. The name "Nakau" was derived from one character of the founder's name, "Naka," and changing the "u" in "udonya" (udon shop) to "au" to create "Nakau." The character "au" resembles the shape of a Kannon-sama's (Goddess of Mercy) cupboard with sliding doors, symbolizing good fortune and the wish for the company to grow like a rabbit jumping around, representing the zodiac sign "Usagi" (rabbit). [Menu Prices (including tax, regular size)] (Oyakodon) - Oyakodon: 480 yen - Cheese Oyakodon: 600 yen - Torotama Oyakodon: 520 yen - Asari Cream Oyakodon: 680 yen - Uma-tama Oyakodon: 630 yen - Torotama Negi-la Oyakodon: 650 yen - Negi-la Oyakodon: 610 yen - Gyudon Oyakodon: 780 yen - Karaage Oyakodon: 650 yen (Egg and Rice Bowl) - Katsudon: 590 yen - Gyudon: 580 yen - Gyudon Katsudon: 880 yen - Cheese Katsudon: 710 yen - Cheese Gyudon: 700 yen (Rice Bowls) - Seafood Bowl: 690 yen - Special Tempura Bowl: 380 yen - Japanese-style Beef Bowl: 430 yen - Cheese Beef Bowl: 550 yen (Curry) - Oyako Curry: 680 yen - Katsu Curry: 680 yen - Egg Katsu Curry: 720 yen - Karaage Curry: 650 yen - Double Karaage Curry: 750 yen - Cheese Curry: 650 yen - Egg Curry: 630 yen - Chicken Tempura Curry: 630 yen - Double Chicken Tempura Curry: 710 yen (Udon) - Cold Tantan Udon: 490 yen - Oyako Gake Udon: 500 yen - Torotama Oyako Gake Udon: 540 yen - Negi Oyako Gake Udon: 650 yen - Special Tempura Udon: 450 yen - Kitsune Udon: 400 yen - Chicken Tempura Udon: 430 yen - Tsukimi Curry Udon: 330 yen - Curry Udon: 550 yen - Cheese Curry Udon: 650 yen - Beef Udon: 480 yen (Authentic Nihachi Soba) - Zaru Soba: 450 yen - Special Tempura Soba: 500 yen - Kitsune Soba: 450 yen - Chicken Tempura Soba: 480 yen - Curry Soba: 600 yen - Cheese Curry Soba: 700 yen - Beef Soba: 530 yen - Hiyakara Soba (Hot): 450 yen - Hiyakara Soba (Cold): 250 yen (Small size only) [Dishes Tried] - Cold Tantan Udon: 490 yen The noodles are thinly sliced for the cold dish. By slicing the noodles thinly, they maintain a balance between firmness and elasticity that can become too strong if left at the original thickness, while also increasing the surface area for the sesame sweetness and the flavor of the special spicy oil to blend well with the appetizing tantan broth. The texture, smoothness, and mouthfeel are all there, and it's no wonder that the taste resonates with the fact that it was originally an udon shop. - Oyakodon The chicken's elasticity, the fluffy texture of the egg, and the slightly bold seasoning with the secret sauce make this a classic dish finished in a hand-held pot. [Overall Impression] I had a satisfying meal at a reasonable price. Personally, I enjoy tantan noodles, and particularly, the "Cold Tantan Udon" could be considered a masterpiece in this price range. Thank you for the meal.

Duck Miso Udon, small size for 390 yen. The udon noodles were soft and lacked the usual firmness. The broth had a slightly strong soy sauce flavor, but it was acceptable as a Kyoto-style dish. The miso was grated and added value to the dish. The fried tofu was said to be specially developed to pair with duck, but it didn't stand out much. What stood out was that the tofu wasn't drained of excess oil, which felt a bit off. Now onto the duck meatballs, they were quite small at 2cm in size. They seemed pre-cooked and had an unnatural appearance, almost resembling fish cake more than meat. Although they had a slight taste and aroma of duck, the texture and appearance left much to be desired. The duck meat itself was in thin, flat pieces resembling processed meat rather than authentic duck meat. Overall, the experience of trying to enjoy a Kyoto-style dish at this restaurant was a big disappointment. It might have been better to stick with a more traditional dish.

I went on a business trip to Kyoto, drank a lot, and ended up drinking in Fushimi Momoyama. I took a taxi from Kyoto to Gion, drank Chamisul at Kanjitei, had some horumon, and then took a taxi back to Kyoto Station. In front of where the taxi stopped, there was a shop where I decided to have a drink. My companion had udon while I had a draft beer. It was a chain restaurant, so I would rate it as average.

Nakau Hachijo-guchi is located across the road from JR Kyoto Station Hachijo Higashi Exit. I had breakfast there at 7:00 AM. I bought a morning soba and karaage set for ¥390 (tax included) from the ticket machine. I exchanged the ticket for the meal at the order counter. I sat at a table by the glass window along the road. The karaage was warm and delicious. The thin soba noodles were quite authentic, different from typical station soba. It's a great value breakfast set.

At Kyoto Station, near the Hachijo Exit, there is a bus stop. I was waiting to board a night bus and had about 30 minutes to spare. It was cold with the night breeze blowing, so I decided to go to Nakau, a restaurant nearby, to warm up. Even though I wasn't hungry, I wanted something warm to drink. The restaurant was quite busy around 9 pm. I bought a small size of Kitsune Udon and even found out they serve coffee, which was a pleasant surprise. I ordered at the counter and saw other delicious dishes like Gyudon and Hotate Don being served to other customers. I made a mental note to try those next time. The small Kitsune Udon was just right for a late-night snack, with sweet fried tofu adding a nice touch. The self-serve coffee was a nice addition. It was a budget-friendly and convenient place to take a break while keeping an eye on the bus arrival.

I came back on a night bus and tried to have breakfast, but the bus arrived too early, before 5 am. I couldn't order a morning set meal. I ordered shrimp tempura udon instead, and it came out quickly, which was nice. The clear broth and soft udon noodles were gentle on my morning stomach. Even though it looks like there are a lot of shrimp tempura toppings, they don't have much flavor. I can't taste the sweetness of the onions either. Maybe I made a mistake by adding toppings?

When I visited Nakau for breakfast, I found a menu item called morning soba that caught my eye. Since I wasn't going to be able to eat lunch that day, I decided to have a hearty meal in the morning. So, I ordered a regular gyudon for 380 yen and morning soba for 290 yen. It's quite cheap. It felt more like a lunch than a breakfast. The taste was good, with Nakau's signature dashi flavor. However, the Nakau near Kyoto Station was very crowded due to the tourist season. There were many foreign visitors and people killing time. (But I wish people wouldn't kill time at a gyudon restaurant. It would be better to go to a cafe instead.) When it's crowded, let's offer our seats to others.