I finished my errands nearby and came for lunch. The popular Kyoto bento for 1200 yen includes rice, miso soup, sashimi, and various side dishes, all of which were delicious. The kitchen in the back emits a nice dashi aroma, giving off a cozy Kyoto vibe.

I used it for lunch. I had been curious about it before, but it was a holiday so it was finally fulfilled. Even though it was a weekday, the inside of the restaurant was quite crowded. I love simple yet delicious set meals like this. The taste is very gentle and amazing. If it were nearby, I feel like I would come here for lunch all the time. It was delicious!

Today there were no special limited items, only regular menu items. I ordered the "Hannari Udon." The server mentioned that they also serve soba noodles instead of udon, and that they have both hot and cold options, with the cold option being zaru. I chose the warm udon. When I arrived, the restaurant was quite busy and I had to wait for a bit. I sipped on hot tea while waiting. The dish arrived with the warm udon, a side of tempura, and 4 pieces of tekka maki. They explained that there was no dipping sauce for the tempura, so I was supposed to scoop up some broth with a small dish. The thin udon noodles were soft and just to my liking. The broth had a rich flavor of bonito and kelp, though not as complex as specialty shops, it was still quite flavorful. The tempura included eggplant, pumpkin, chikuwa, and shrimp. They were delicately fried and flavorful. I particularly enjoyed the chikuwa for its delicious fish cake flavor. The tempura was not piping hot, but it wasn't cold either. Even if it had cooled down, it was still enjoyable. The colorful tekka maki was well-balanced with seaweed, vinegared rice, and tuna. However, the soy sauce in a portable container was a bit inconvenient. The female server was attentive and offered to bring more water when she noticed I was sweating from the warm udon. A group of regular customers came in and ordered items not on the menu, showing that regulars have some flexibility with their orders.

After a long time, I thought about going to "Sairai" but I was also interested in this nearby shop, so I decided to go here. This shop offers bento and takeout. The place was almost full. It felt like there were about an equal number of regular customers and tourists. When I sat down, they brought me water, hot tea, and a wet towel. It's interesting that they serve water and tea. Overall, it seems a bit on the pricey side, but they had a "daily special" for 850 yen, so I chose that. What came out later was a sashimi and conger eel tempura set meal. The rice was piled high. They also mentioned that you could have seconds. Even though they advertise Kyoto cuisine, I was expecting something more refined, but it was quite substantial. The sashimi included tuna, sea bream, salmon, and scallop. The freshness was evident as the fish was very good. However, it somehow lacked flavor. The tempura had eggplant, lotus root, and fish cake, with 4 or 5 pieces of conger eel. They were fried in white sesame oil, giving them a white color. The frying technique was good. The conger eel was deboned perfectly, with no obstructions, and the rich umami flavor of the white-fleshed conger eel was well preserved and enhanced. The service was done by one person, but they seemed attentive as they promptly refilled my tea and water. I think it's a good restaurant. I would like to visit again.

I decided to treat myself a little today and went to have some eel. I visited a catering restaurant near Toji Temple in Minami Ward, Kyoto City. The restaurant offers obanzai, eel, and bento boxes. I was surprised when I looked at the menu - it turns out that eel is available by reservation only. I was a bit flustered, but luckily, after asking the kitchen, they managed to prepare an eel rice bowl for me. Lucky me! The eel rice bowl set came with red miso soup and pickles. It had two plump pieces of eel on top. The eel was tender and delicious, and I love the sweet sauce on the eel rice bowl. I enjoyed a satisfying lunch.

I visited for lunch on June 17, 2016. The place is located near Toji Temple in Kyoto. They only serve lunch, but you can enjoy a Kyoto bento at a reasonable price. I ordered the Kyoto bento for 850 yen (excluding tax). When it was brought to me, it was a two-tiered bento box with various side dishes and rice inside. The side dishes were colorful, light, elegant, and delicious. The rice was plain white rice, so I would have preferred seasoned rice. Still, this price is cheap. If you're around Kyoto Station, it would cost over 1500 yen. I recommend it when you visit Toji Temple.

I went to a restaurant called "Kyoben" recently, which I found while waiting in line for the popular Maguro no Sairei. It has a cozy atmosphere with a counter seating for 7, three 4-person tables, and a small kitchen in the back. The lunch rush had just ended when I arrived around 1 pm, but soon after, a second wave of customers started coming in. I ordered the Chirashi Sushi for 850 yen (excluding tax), which came with a variety of toppings like conger eel, shrimp, sea bream, pickled eggplant, and more. The presentation was beautiful, and the flavors were light and perfect for summer. The sushi rice was seasoned delicately, and the miso soup that came with it was flavorful. Overall, the meal was delicious, and I look forward to trying their Kyoto-style bento next time. The total bill came to 910 yen, but they rounded it down to 900 yen, which was a nice touch.

I visited this restaurant for lunch on August 15th around noon. There were two customers before me and no customers after me. It was during lunchtime on the day commemorating the end of the war. I had been curious about this place in the neighborhood for a while, so since I had the day off, I decided to have a solo lunch there. The restaurant has been around for a while, but they recently started offering a dining space, which is more like an eat-in area. The bento boxes they serve have a traditional catering style, with a combination of homemade and pre-existing ingredients. The taste was top-notch, just like you would expect from a professional catering service. The two-tier bento box I ordered seemed small (or rather, elegantly portioned). Other menu options included seafood bowls, seafood set meals, tempura bowls, and tempura set meals. I didn't feel like I could ask to take photos, but I will try to look into it next time. They also offer takeout options, including Kyoto-style bento boxes. I think this place is more geared towards serving lunch or takeout for those who have come to visit the nearby To-ji Temple. It's a great place to enjoy Kyoto kaiseki or bento boxes at a reasonable price. They also seem to offer dinner at similar prices to lunch, so it's worth considering for an evening meal as well.