After a three-year break, we had a Golden Week with no restrictions. During this time, we headed to Kyoto at my wife's request to visit the "Toshio Suzuki and Studio Ghibli Exhibition" at the Kyoto Cultural Museum. Toshio Suzuki was deeply involved in the founding of the pioneering Japanese anime magazine, Tokuma Shoten's Animage, and later served as the producer of all Studio Ghibli films. The exhibition had a minimalistic feel compared to other Studio Ghibli exhibitions. Feeling a bit tired from walking, we decided to explore and stumbled upon a restaurant with a sign that read "Izakaya open from noon" and a purple curtain. We were drawn inside "Yataiya," a traditional Japanese izakaya. The walls were filled with menus of various skewers and small dishes. We tried the beef, pork, and pickled ginger skewers, each priced at 130 yen. The skewers had a deliciously thin coating and paired perfectly with the slightly tangy sauce. Among them, the pork skewer stood out with its rich flavor. We also tried the "Yataiyaki" for 480 yen, which was larger than expected and filled with plenty of Kyoto leeks, giving a delightful texture with the pork belly. The crispy exterior and flavorful sauce made it a perfect match for multiple rounds of beer. The Yataiya salad for 460 yen consisted of lettuce, shredded cabbage, cherry tomatoes, ham, and radish, all topped with a refreshing dressing. The crispy-fried grated yam for 460 yen had a crunchy texture that melted in the mouth as you ate. The cheerful and energetic staff added to the enjoyable dining experience. Although there were other tempting menu items, we ended our meal around 4 p.m. as we were not too hungry. Overall, it was a great find, and I recommend this restaurant if you are in the area.

I used it for the second time. I thought it would be light, but it was delicious, so I ended up ordering quite a bit haha. The skewers, potato fries, jjangajang, yakisoba, and squid tempura are all delicious classic menu items. It's quite cost-effective around Karasuma Oike, so I recommend it.

I was suddenly invited by a friend to go drinking with 4 people. We visited this izakaya called Oobako, which is a favorite spot of my friend. We were seated at a table on the first floor. At this restaurant, you can scan the barcode and order from the menu on your smartphone. We started by ordering draft beer for everyone. Cheers with beer first. The beer tasted delicious as we had walked about 15 minutes to get to the restaurant. Even though it was draft beer, the mugs were small, so my friend who loves drinking finished it quickly. I also finished mine a little later. Next, we ordered more beer, assorted skewers, dice steak, and pickled cucumber. The beer and dishes were brought to us quickly. The food had that familiar izakaya taste, which made me feel comfortable. We chatted with friends while eating skewers and drinking beer. It was a fun time. I had a few more beers, and my friend ordered additional yakisoba and negitoro rolls. My younger friend was eating yakisoba at an incredible speed while drinking multiple highballs. We ended up staying for about 2 and a half hours, and I think each of us had around 5 to 6 beers or highballs. For some reason, I didn't drink the sake that I always have at izakayas on this day. The interior of the restaurant had menus posted all over the walls, giving it a traditional izakaya feel. Unfortunately, I forgot to take photos of most of the dishes, but they were all hearty and had flavors that went well with beer or highballs. Above all, it was the perfect place to have a lively time with friends. Since it's my friend's regular spot, I think I'll be visiting again soon.

Reasonably priced restaurant where you can drink from noon. Visited on a weekday evening and it was quite crowded. It seemed like there were not enough staff members compared to the number of customers, so the service for drinks and food took some time. It's safe to order fried foods or items with consistent quality at reasonable restaurants, but surprisingly, the sashimi was very fresh.

On March 8th, Sunday, after finishing my errands in Kyoto, I decided to have a meal and a drink before heading back. The restaurant was a bit off the main street, making it hard to find. The impact of the coronavirus was minimal, and I was seated on the second floor since the first floor was full. The prices listed are all excluding tax: - Asahi Draft Beer (small) for 299 yen, which is quite cheap - Highball for 299 yen, with 5 slices of lemon available for an additional 50 yen to make a Lemon Highball - Uni (sea urchin) appetizer for 490 yen, and a crab miso soup for 390 yen I debated between choosing skewers or tempura with my wife: - Skewers ranged from 110 yen to 220 yen each, and we ordered 6 - Sours were 390 yen each with a wide variety to choose from - Highly recommended was the Premium Sushi Platter for 1180 yen, which included: 1. Medium Fatty Tuna 2. Sea Bream 3. Lean Tuna 4. Amberjack 5. Red Shrimp 6. Eel 7. Uni 8. Salmon Roe. The sea bream was fresh and had a nice texture. - The Regular Sushi Platter for 820 yen was also good, but the 360 yen price difference made the Premium Platter worth it.

Cheap and delicious. A popular izakaya with a wide variety of menu options. Very affordable and tasty. They also offer bottle keep service. The staff seems busy, so ordering may take a bit of time, and last order is early. The distance with the staff is a bit distant, so it's more of a place to come with friends.

On November 20, 2019, I went for a daytime drink on a Wednesday. The atmosphere inside the restaurant was excellent. Drinking during the day always brings great satisfaction. I ordered shrimp skewers, mozzarella skewers, salmon yukhoe, butter-fried shimeji mushrooms and bacon, cheese tempura, and spicy fried chicken. Everything was delicious and amazing. I had five drinks - draft beer, plain, tomato, plain, plain. I got pretty drunk and felt really happy. Thank you for the meal. I will definitely go back. I appreciate all the ingredients in this world. I'm calling for delicious food♪ The more I eat, the more power overflows♪

I had some errands to run near Karasuma Oike, so I decided to stop by. I don't come here often, so I was just wandering around and stumbled upon a place that said "Drink from noon." I started with a beer and some Stamina-pickled zucchini. I had never tried pickled zucchini before, but it was surprisingly delicious. Maybe it was because I had walked a lot and was sweaty, but the beer tasted great. I still had some tsukemen for lunch in my stomach, so I ended with the red snapper head soup. Oh no, it was covered in scales (laughs). The taste was okay, but it was hard to eat. Unfortunately, the sake I was looking forward to was not available, so I left in disappointment. I had a good impression of this place's other branches, so it was a shame.

When I arrived at 8:00 PM, it seemed like the girl working in the hall was the only staff member. It took a while for her to notice my second order, but she eventually did when I started to lose interest. Her service was decent, considering she was probably born in the Heisei era. The price was great, especially the cost performance of the draft beer. The sashimi and chicken karage I ordered were both generous portions for the price. After having three draft beers, the karage felt a bit heavy for one person. Even if you're a woman drinking alone, sitting at the counter where I was seated, you won't feel lonely as your back is turned to other customers. It's a good spot to enjoy with headphones on, accessing your favorite content online. The restroom was also within an acceptable range.

I usually spend my days off freely during the day. I visited this restaurant that I had heard about through word of mouth. Wow, it's really cheap! And the sashimi was so thick and delicious, I had to take a big bite to eat it. The salmon and squid were so tender and sweet. I was really impressed. The pickled cucumber served as a palate cleanser was popular among other customers as well. It was perfect for nibbling while waiting for the dishes to arrive. The skewers, scallop butter, everything was delicious. The draft beer is also cheap! There was a notice that on the 8th, 18th, and 28th of each month, draft beer is only 199 yen. I'll definitely go on one of those days if I can.

At Nishiki Market, I had sashimi and beer, then moved to Karasuma Oike for a friend's errand. After finishing the errand, we decided to have a casual drink. I'm not good at searching for daytime drinking spots, but my friend found a place called Yataiya that was open. The first floor was full, so we were directed to the second floor, which was spacious with groups of customers. The menu had a wide variety of options. We ordered kushikatsu, clam butter, beer with butter, and a red eye cocktail. The clam butter arrived quickly, but it seemed like it had been sitting for a while and was a bit cold and clumpy. The kushikatsu was okay, not too thickly coated, but something was missing. The menu had a lot of choices, including sashimi, tempura, and more. It might be a good place for a lively group gathering. We found another place to go next, so we finished our meal there.

The beer is cheap at 390 yen. They have both kushikatsu and tempura. It wasn't my first choice for kushikatsu, but I randomly decided to go in and it was good.

When it comes to daytime drinking, Yataiya is the place to go. They have a variety of menu options, all of which are delicious. I forgot to take a photo, but the kushikatsu is crispy and tasty.

Set meals are available. Easy to use. Since it's an izakaya, there are many seats.

Thank you for visiting. On Friday night, I suddenly felt like eating kushikatsu, so I headed to the familiar place that I usually go to, the Yoshijin store. However, today I went to the Yataiya Karasuma store instead. Yataiya now has 7 stores in Kyoto. The Karasuma store is only a 3-minute walk from Karasuma Oike Station. I asked a friend who works nearby to join me, but they declined. The last time I visited this place, I checked that they have counter seats, which are perfect for solo diners. It was around 6 pm and the first floor was already full, but thankfully they have a second floor as well. It seems to be popular among nearby businessmen. Cheers to the end of the week! I started with a pickled cucumber for 190 yen and the highlight of the day, the assorted kushikatsu (shrimp, beef, pork, eggplant, pumpkin) for 500 yen. I've been waiting for this! The kushikatsu here has a thin coating, crispy and my favorite. I ordered an additional 5 sticks because I couldn't get enough. You write down the kushikatsu you want on an order sheet and hand it to the staff. In the meantime, I ordered my second drink and the kushikatsu arrived in all its glory. At the same time, they brought out the cabbage appetizer... a bit late. I added shiitake mushrooms, asparagus, lotus root, shishito peppers, quail eggs, and ham katsu for 100 yen each. Thanks to that, I left the restaurant fully satisfied. My "kushikatsu meter" is now at full capacity.

I arrived at this restaurant that I had been curious about for a while for lunch. I arrived a little before 12 o'clock. I saw the lunch menu outside and was attracted by the reasonable prices and variety, so I decided to go in. When I entered the restaurant, there were no other customers, and I was directed to the 2nd floor for lunch. The 2nd floor was also quite spacious, with a pub-like atmosphere, and there were other customers there. It seemed like lunch was served on the 2nd floor. I chose the Large Shrimp Fry Set for 680 yen (including tax). While waiting, I noticed there were rice and miso soup available, and even though there was no explanation, I saw other customers getting it themselves, so I understood that it was self-service. There was rice, red miso soup (with seaweed and green onions), pickles (sakura pickles), coffee, and a snack lined up, which seemed to be all-you-can-eat. It would have been nice if there were toppings like furikake or seaweed, but unfortunately there were none. After about 7-8 minutes, the Large Shrimp Fry arrived. It was indeed large, but the unusually small head was a bit off-putting. As I started eating, I noticed that the batter was quite thick and the shrimp itself was thin. It seemed like the shrimp had been elongated by the batter, so it felt like I was just eating the batter. Also, for some reason, it didn't have that freshly fried taste and was just slightly warm. Perhaps it had been left out for a while after being cooked. The tartar sauce seemed store-bought, and although I prefer sauce, there was a strict limit of two dips allowed for the sauce provided, so I had to make do with just the tartar sauce. This was a bit disappointing. Overall, considering the all-you-can-eat option included in the price, it was quite affordable, but taking into account the service and other factors, it felt like just an average lunch. Maybe my impression would have been different if I had chosen something else from the menu. 3.0

I visited a rumored izakaya (Japanese pub) for the first time. I started with a bottled beer to quench my thirst. I ordered chicken gizzards, sashimi platter, octopus tempura, and kushikatsu. The portion sizes were quite generous, unlike many places where cheap prices mean small portions. The taste was above average, which I think is acceptable for this price range. I ended with a sushi platter, which was decent. This place is best for enjoying a casual drinking atmosphere. It's great that they open at 11:30 am, I will definitely be coming back here regularly.

This area is a mix of museums, trendy shops, and a variety of buildings including Taisho-era structures, traditional townhouses, and upscale apartments. It's a great value for the area. Located right in the middle of a business district and stylish spots, you can find chic restaurants where you can have a cost-effective lunch. However, these places can be intimidating for solo diners on weekends. I wanted to have seafood and kushikatsu for lunch. Plus, draft beer and highballs are only 280 yen! The sashimi had thick slices and the sushi was decent. The steamed clams came in a generous portion, but sometimes they weren't thoroughly cleaned and had a sandy texture... However, it's just the right hassle for a drink and a good amount of food to go with it. The prices are comparable to budget chain restaurants per dish, but since I don't go out often, it's hard to make a direct comparison. Overall, I think it's not bad. I really enjoyed having a daytime drink here.

About a 10-minute walk from Karasuma Oike Station. It's a budget-friendly restaurant where appetizers are not served, and you can order at a reasonable price. There are many seats, including counter seats and table seats, and I was seated in a crowded area. I wished it was quieter so I could talk without hearing the next table, but I just accepted it. I ordered a Fuji Highball (280 yen) and Macori (bottle; 1,200 yen) one after another. Also ordered were scallop tartare with shells (370 yen), salmon carpaccio (430 yen), grilled beef tongue with salt (390 yen), potato salad (230 yen), kushikatsu (each 100 yen), and doteyaki (390 yen). Everything was reasonably priced, tasted decent, and the portions were generous. The young staff came to take our order multiple times, and since there were no other late-night options nearby, it was an average dining experience.