Today, as usual, we had okonomiyaki after work with my colleagues. We went to "Ayashiro" in Higashi-Kujo, just a 10-minute walk from Kyoto Station or a 4-minute walk from Kujo Station. Despite some negative reviews, we were pleasantly surprised by the friendly staff. We arrived just in time for the last order around 10:30 pm. We sat in a cozy tatami area with four people. We started with a red highball for a toast, which was sweet and easy to drink but had a kick to it. We tried the signature dish, "Sujiyaki" first. It was a delicious stir-fry of finely chopped suji meat, eggs, and green onions. The suji meat was full of flavor that slowly seeped out as you chewed. We should have ordered more of it! Next, we had the "Momo Yaki," which was stir-fried in a sweet and savory sauce. It was excellent. We also tried the "Modern Yaki (Pork)" which is a layered style of okonomiyaki with minimal batter, lots of cabbage, and plenty of noodles and eggs. The texture was amazing with a crispy bottom and a sweet cabbage flavor. The yakisoba was simple but delicious with plenty of tempura crumbs. The yakisoba with a sweet and savory sauce was a hit. In the end, we paid the bill and left, already planning our next visit to try more dishes. The sujiyaki is a must-try!

The main seating at this restaurant is at the counter. It is very small, so it is recommended for small groups or individuals. I thought it was a teppanyaki restaurant, but the prices and portion sizes are more like an izakaya. The staff are not very friendly and since there is only one person cooking, it takes time for the food to be served. The beef tendon stir-fry is 700 yen. It is made with tender beef tendons, eggs, and green onions. It is delicious. The natto omelette is 450 yen. It is an omelette with natto. The sand liver stir-fry is 450 yen. It is stir-fried with salt, pepper, and garlic, giving it a fragrant flavor. The yakisoba is 800 yen for half the usual portion. It has cabbage, tempura crumbs, a little bit of meat, and a little bit of squid. It is good as a side dish with alcohol, but if you want to fill your stomach, it will cost around 2000 yen per person. The atmosphere is uncomfortable, so it is not recommended for a meal. I was served a 350ml bottle of cola for 250 yen.

Grilled suji (beef tendon) 650 yen, Modern yaki (soba noodles and pork) 700 yen, Draft beer 500 yen, Bottled beer 550 yen. It was around 9:30 pm on Friday night. No customers before or after us. We had the TV all to ourselves. Thanks! I was tired from work and decided to just go into the first restaurant I saw, and ended up here. I've been staying on the south side of Kyoto Station recently, so I always feel safe with okonomiyaki on this side. The suji yaki, the most popular dish, had a strong salty flavor and was delicious. The modern yaki was pretty standard, but the crispy edges from the hot plate were great. Personally, I would have liked some crispy parts in the noodles too. The owner let us have control of the TV channel, so we could watch TV while enjoying freshly cooked food. However, the draft beer had a strange smell, so I switched to bottled beer.

I couldn't take a photo of the food, but it was a cozy restaurant. I definitely want to go again (I will definitely go...). It was a great choice by my former boss!

I had one draft beer, two red wines, and ate grilled beef tendon, grilled natto, and stir-fried vegetables. This was a restaurant run by the mother of someone involved in rugby.

The modern grilled dish was delicious.

Today's drinking party started from noon with a friend and two more people joined, making it a total of 4 people. A teppanyaki or okonomiyaki drinking party is best with around 4 people, as it allows for a variety of dishes to be ordered and shared. We went to "Ayashiro" near Kujo Shako, which I heard is owned by the mother of Aya Castle Takashi, a former Kobe Steel rugby player. Indeed, there are photos of Hiraoko and Oyagi displayed in the restaurant. The mother is already over 80 years old but she cooks teppanyaki energetically. We ordered dishes such as chicken thigh, tofu, pork kimchi, teppanyaki okonomiyaki, and yakisoba. The chicken thigh was cooked with a sweet and savory sauce, making the chicken tender. The tofu was cooked with a sweet sauce, and I added a bit of chili pepper for extra flavor. The pork kimchi was spicy kimchi cooked with pork in sauce. I love grilled kimchi, so it went well with beer. The teppanyaki was cooked in a sweet and savory sauce and was delicious. The yakisoba was crispy and well-cooked, absorbing the sauce nicely. The modern yakisoba was an okonomiyaki with soba or udon noodles inside, cooked in the Hiroshima style with a crispy texture. It was also delicious. I forgot to take more photos after arriving at the restaurant because we were chatting and drinking. After eating and drinking for about 2 hours, we continued the party at a snack bar run by the mother, who is over 70 years old, until 11 pm. That's all for today's review!