I visited for lunch. It's the slightly western part of the popular Sushari. I ordered the 1000 yen chef's choice sushi set. It came with 6 pieces of nigiri and 4 pieces of tekka maki. There were no flaws. The chawanmushi had delicious broth and the only topping, shirasu at the bottom, was tasty. The price of 1100 yen without tax included, is it good?

On this day, with only 2 days left to work this year, I went to a sushi restaurant that I have visited several times before. There were about 5 salarymen sitting at the counter besides me. I ordered the "Sushi set meal (including tax 1,100 yen)" and drank hot tea. Soon, I was served red pickles and a side dish of okara. The sushi was quickly prepared in front of me and placed on the geta in front of me. The sushi included horse mackerel, squid, medium fatty tuna, yellowtail, and a roll... maybe? The sushi pieces were all large in size, especially the medium fatty tuna, which was surprisingly thick. It filled my mouth, but melted instantly, creating a delightful texture. In Kyoto, the miso soup served at restaurants always tastes delicious with a strong dashi flavor, but the ones made from fish scraps at sushi restaurants or Japanese restaurants are exceptional. After finishing the sushi that was served first, I was given the remaining 2 pieces. I think it was mackerel sushi and young sea bream? I left feeling satisfied, about 80% full. Thank you for the meal.

I wanted to eat sushi for lunch, so I went to a sushi restaurant recommended by a friend. I heard that they offer a great lunch deal for 1000 yen, so I was excited to try it out. The lunch set had about 4 options, including tempura and tuna sushi bowl, with a choice of red miso soup or chawanmushi. I ordered the Matsuba set, while my friend ordered the tempura set. The red miso soup didn't have much depth of flavor, and the tuna sushi didn't taste very fresh, maybe due to too much wasabi. The portions were generous, but overall, the taste wasn't memorable enough to make me want to come back. The service at the restaurant felt a bit distant, as if it was an old establishment in Kyoto. There were regular customers, but the sushi didn't quite match up to the freshness of coastal regions. I think I would prefer to eat sushi in a place closer to the sea.

Visited in August 2019 with a rating of 3.25 on Tabelog (based on 14 reviews). I had lunch at the sushi restaurant "Matsuba," quietly nestled in a narrow alley near Karasuma Station. The menu displayed outside showed all items priced at 1,000 yen. I sat at the counter inside, but there were also 2-3 more floors with tatami seating. Although the menu mentioned being able to choose the sushi toppings, the owner informed me that this option was only available a few years ago. Since I couldn't choose, I decided on the "Maguro Yukke Don." The beautifully arranged tuna surrounded the egg yolk in the center, garnished with radish. It came with a side dish and miso soup, which had a rich flavor. I drizzled soy sauce with sesame oil over the tuna, which was more on the light side but still delicious. I wish they offered seafood bowls with a variety of toppings. Thank you for the meal.

A traditional sushi restaurant. The interior is clean and well-maintained. Today, I had the nigiri lunch set. In the past, I could choose the toppings, but now it's omakase style at the same price. The nigiri was delicious with well-prepared toppings. The rice was firm and satisfying. Overall, it was a good meal. Thank you.

I visited a sushi restaurant for lunch today, where I had once been before. This time, I ordered the "Choose Your Own Sushi Set (970 yen)" and waited for my sushi while sipping tea. The menu said to choose 6 of your favorite sushi toppings, but I wasn't asked anything, so I wonder if it's chef's choice? It came with red miso soup and pickled daikon radish. The freshly made sushi included tuna, yellowtail, salmon, squid... and more? The standard toppings were all generously sized. By the time I finished, two pieces of whitebait and tamagoyaki came out. A satisfying sushi lunch that's under 1,000 yen. What a great deal. Thank you for the meal.

Tax-included 1200 yen for a pine leaf set meal, choose between red miso soup or chawanmushi.

It used to be 1000 yen but now it's 1200 yen. However, it's delicious. This time it's not sushi, it's tempura. It's crispy and tasty. It also comes with chawanmushi. I was so hungry that I took a photo without removing the lid of the bowl and ended up eating it as it is. LOL

I wanted to eat a pine leaf lunch, so I visited the restaurant. I have been there a few times, so the owner now talks to me, which makes me happy. I always order the pine leaf lunch. The price is 1000 yen, which makes it a bit of a luxurious lunch, but it's worth it. The prices were originally too cheap, so they lowered the cost performance slightly, but I am completely satisfied with the taste of the sushi, the freshness, and the service. This is not a place where the average salaryman can enter, so I will definitely visit again for the freshly fried tempura, chawanmushi, and sushi.

A shop that focuses on natural fish. I want to go there again.

For lunch today, I went to a sushi restaurant where I couldn't get in before due to the line. A friend, A, used to work near Shijo-Karasuma, so we had a lot of common places we used to frequent, including Matsuba where they used to have lunch often. The lunch menu was all 970 yen, with 4 types to choose from, as well as options like "nigiri sushi" and "chef's choice nigiri". A and I both ordered the "Matsuba set meal (970 yen)" and waited for our food at the counter where live prawns were swimming. We chose the "chawanmushi" but you can also choose "akadashi". The piping hot chawanmushi was filled with plenty of ingredients. The freshly fried tempura included my favorite, shrimp. The first sushi we were served was tuna, yellowtail, boiled whitebait, and squid, I think? Then we were served a tekka maki. The fact that you can get all this for under 1,000 yen is really great. I would like to come back next time to try the "select sushi set meal" where you can choose from about 15 types of toppings. Check out my blog for more details.

This is also a restaurant I wanted to visit for a long time. I had tried several times before, but it was always full around lunchtime. I couldn't get in... I went again at the end of last year, but it was the same situation... When I visited after the New Year, it was around 12:15 pm, and surprisingly, there was only one other customer inside. The owner said that there are a few days like this in a year, but it's rare. (I had tried 5 or 6 times before, but it was always full...) The restaurant has a small counter on the left and table seats on the right. I chose to sit at the counter. A while later, the Matsuba set meal for 970 yen (tax included) was served. The sushi was made quickly, and the tempura was fried as well. The tempura was served in about 5-6 minutes, along with the set meal. The sushi included 4 pieces (fatty tuna, squid, roe?, yellowtail) and a roll (fatty tuna and red meat roll) with 4 pieces. The tempura had shrimp (average size), small saury, shimeji mushrooms, eggplant, and pumpkin. It also came with a bowl of steamed egg custard (with yellowtail) and a small dish of simmered tuna. It was quite a luxurious meal! The rice was slightly sweet and the vinegar was a bit strong, which is the Kansai standard. The sushi was round and the wasabi was in powder form, but not bad. The ingredients were normal, but having fatty tuna and fatty tuna roll was a nice touch. The tempura was freshly fried and crispy, using a light vegetable oil. It was delicious. The simmered tuna was flavorful and the steamed egg custard was elegant. Overall, it was a good value lunch under 1,000 yen, with tempura and sushi, which are my two favorite foods. I have no complaints. They also offer other options like sushi set meals, tempura set meals, and sashimi rice bowl set meals, making it a good choice for lunch. 3.4

Familiar restaurant was closed on their regular holiday... Realized it only after arriving at the front of the store (laughs). Lately, my sense of days of the week has been dulled! I wandered around the Shinmachi area, and since I always end up going to my usual place at night, it's been a while since I tried a new place. There are many interesting shops lined up. The first sushi restaurant was full, so I wandered around again... Although not a new place (I vaguely remember going here a long time ago), I stopped in front of "Matsuba" and couldn't help but go in. The friendly chef gestured for me to sit at the counter. I ordered a bottle of Akahoshi beer, of course! Looking around the store, I noticed that all the other customers were locals, creating a lively atmosphere! The sashimi was large and especially the amberjack from Toyama was delicious. I ordered my favorite ark shell as an extra! It was thick and delicious. After finishing two beers, I wondered if I should order some sushi. I had a piece of tuna, medium fatty tuna, squid, and another piece of medium fatty tuna, as well as red miso soup to finish. The friendly chef and the cozy atmosphere at the counter made it a great place. I would love to visit again! Thank you for the meal!!!

Office Lunch Exploration Series (Kannon-do Tour Edition) We are close to conquering all the weekday lunch specials in Kannon-do. Today, we visited Matsuba, a sushi restaurant where you can enjoy a delicious sushi lunch at a reasonable price. Located on the east side of Kannon-do Street, just a short walk from the entrance, you will see a white curtain and the menu displayed outside the restaurant. The lunch menu includes the following options, all priced at 970 yen: Sushi Set Lunch - Chef's choice of 6 pieces of sushi, hosomaki, small side dish, red miso soup or chawanmushi Matsuba Set Lunch - Sushi, tempura, small side dish, red miso soup or chawanmushi Tuna Yukhoe Bowl - Tuna yukhoe bowl, small side dish, red miso soup, pickles Tempura Set Lunch - Assorted tempura, small side dish, chawanmushi, red miso soup, pickles Inside the restaurant, there are 7 counter seats, 1 table with 4 seats, and tatami seating on the 2nd and 3rd floors. I sat at the counter and after a few seconds of contemplation, I ordered the Matsuba Set Lunch for 970 yen. The set included: Sushi - Tuna, squid, yellowtail, white fish (red belly), gunkan, medium-fatty tuna roll Tempura - Shrimp, white fish, enoki mushroom, eggplant, sweet potato Small side dish - Dried daikon radish The variety and quality of the sushi were impressive for the price. The squid was tender and the yellowtail had a nice fatty texture. The balance of sushi rolls and gunkan was satisfying. The chawanmushi was light and subtly flavored, while the tempura was crispy and not greasy. The dipping sauce for the tempura and the soup were both flavorful. It was a luxurious feeling to enjoy such a high-quality lunch at a reasonable price. Thank you for the delicious meal.

Business trip to Kyoto. We wanted to have a kaiseki lunch, but unfortunately the restaurant we were aiming for was closed on that day. We had to find an alternative, and stumbled upon this place tucked away down a side street. Even though it was a bit hard to find, the fact that it was almost full during lunchtime on a weekday raised our expectations! The restaurant seemed to be run by a couple, and although things were a bit hectic, the service was friendly. There were several lunch menu options, but we ended up choosing the sushi set where you can pick 6 pieces from the day's selection. I chose medium fatty tuna, salmon, eel, sea urchin, mackerel, and ikura, and added yellowtail as well. The set also came with a sushi roll. For the side dish, you could choose between red miso soup or chawanmushi. The sushi arrived shortly after ordering. Hmm, the pieces weren't that big and the presentation was quite modest. The flavors were not particularly rich or fatty, and I was surprised that even the eel was lightly seasoned. As someone used to the sweet and savory eel dishes, I was taken aback by the subtle flavor. The medium fatty tuna was delicious, but not overly fatty. I finished the meal feeling light and not too full. Is sushi in Kyoto meant to be light like this? Thank you for the meal.