I found a restaurant in Gion where I can eat alone and decided to go in. The quality of the food was high and the atmosphere was great. The restaurant is relatively new and has few seats, and there are many foreign customers. Because of this, there are only a few reviews on Tabelog as of 2023, causing the rating to be unusually low at 3.1. However, the restaurant is actually quite good. I believe that in the future, as more reviews are posted, the rating will increase and it will become a difficult-to-reserve restaurant. I have tried many top restaurants in Kyoto, and this one is not inferior. If they continue to build their reputation steadily, I think they will become a renowned restaurant (whether this prediction will come true is something to look forward to). Thanks to the quirks of Tabelog, this restaurant has become a hidden gem with a slightly difficult reservation situation, making it a great find. It's a great hidden gem that you should visit before it becomes too popular.

I visited Mr. Ono's restaurant which I had been curious about for a while. The friendly chef at the counter seat greeted me with a smile and served me a few dishes automatically. After that, you can order a la carte. Rest assured, everything you eat here is delicious.

I heard about this place from an acquaintance and was able to visit on the same day after contacting them. It's a small restaurant with 6 counter seats. When making a reservation, they mentioned that they would serve appetizers, sashimi, and a soup as part of the course, and then we could choose our main dishes. We had seared scallops, squid ink, octopus, whelk, sea bream and yuba soup. Everything was delicious. We also had a salad with spring vegetables, grilled Omi beef fillet, and fresh bamboo shoots. The bamboo shoots were especially tasty. They even added bamboo shoots to the clam and tofu hot pot! We finished with a light chicken ramen. It was nice to be able to choose our favorite dishes instead of having a set course. It's a great option for those who are tired of set courses.

#Yasaka-san's Higashioji Street#Moroko's Nanbanzuke#Natural eel from the Bungo Strait#The taste of natural eel is truly in the richness and aroma of the fat#If the fat content is the same, then the aroma and characteristics depending on where it is caught may vary according to individual preferences#Eel enthusiasts tend to prefer eel with a stronger flavor#I still prefer eel with a mild flavor and rich fat content#I particularly enjoy the Kansai-style grilled eel#In Kansai, they refer to snow crab as "koppe-gani"#In Tottori, it's known as "parent crab," and in Echizen, it's called "Kano crab"#The chef is friendly and very nice#The food is delicious, and I would love to visit this restaurant again.

I visited Shokuba Ono. They serve dishes cooked with high-quality charcoal and seasonal ingredients. The chef is friendly and the restaurant has a nice atmosphere. The homemade squid ink dish was delicious. Although I found many dishes I liked, as a big eater, I felt that the portion sizes were a bit small. The prices were reasonable, so it's understandable. I would love to visit again if I have the chance.

A small restaurant with only 7 counter seats. It is noisy with people talking loudly. If they allow this, why not just offer private bookings for one group? They seem to focus on quality ingredients and beautiful dishes, but it's a shame that the food is just average. I don't think I will visit again.

The food is great! Just a little more please. 😊

On the second day of January in Kyoto, after enjoying a delicious lunch at Shinodaya, we headed to the main purpose of this trip - Yasaka Shrine for a purification ceremony. There were many visitors at the shrine, so we had to wait in line for about an hour and a half before receiving the purification ritual from the priest. It was so cold that I thought I might catch a cold before getting rid of the bad luck. After the ceremony, we explored Kyoto with the help of a sightseeing taxi driver that we always rely on when visiting the city. Before we knew it, our sightseeing in Kyoto was over, and the night of the second day had arrived. Time to eat and drink again and probably gain some weight! We decided to have Japanese cuisine for dinner at "Shokuba Ono" as recommended by a local regular customer who we had met at a restaurant two years ago. The restaurant was located along Higashioji Street, near Yasaka Shrine. Upon entering, we were warmly greeted by the young and friendly owner, Ono. The cozy restaurant had only seven counter seats, but it felt spacious and comfortable. We felt at ease immediately. The restaurant offered a seasonal menu, and we decided to go for the 10,000 yen chef's choice course. We started with a warm soup made with rice flour and topped with seven herb paste. Then we enjoyed a sashimi platter of flounder, amberjack, and octopus. The octopus was particularly tender and delicious. We paired the meal with a bottle of sake called "Satore Junmai Ichinoya" from Kurume. Next, we had charcoal-grilled mackerel from Awaji Island, which was crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. This was followed by sea urchin, which paired perfectly with sake. We also tried raw sea cucumber, known for its crunchy texture. Overall, the dining experience at Shokuba Ono was delightful, and we were grateful for the recommendation. The warm hospitality of the owner and the delicious dishes made our night in Kyoto memorable.

If you go north at the signal of Higashioji Road Yasui, there is a shop on your left. In other words, it faces the northbound lane of Higashioji Street. Various tourists, especially Chinese, walk along the narrow sidewalk, peeking at the inside of the shop through the large windows. You can order a la carte. First, a soup dish was served as a complimentary dish - a soup with grilled sea bream. The first item ordered was horse mackerel sashimi. You can feel the freshness and richness of the fish. There is no draft beer, so I had a bottle of Ebisu and then switched to sake. You can choose the sake cup. I chose the Old Baccarat first, which my wife also chose. It made me want one too. I'll look for it. You can choose a cup each time you change your drink. My wife doesn't like bonito, so I ordered two pieces just for myself. And then grilled swordtip squid. It was delicious when eaten with sansho leaves. The bonito used here is caught using a different fishing method than the one-line fishing method, so the freshness is different. By the way, Arashiyama's Ozen also uses this bonito. It was sweet tomatoes with junsaizu vinegar. It goes well with vinegar. There are not many types of alcohol. Next was a dish of simmered to kombu. Daikon radish was also cooked. It's a dish I occasionally cook at home, but the professional taste is different. The menu with prices that I checked before visiting was written, but... Sometimes the alcohol written here is sold out. On the contrary, there may be other brands not written. Eel from Lake Biwa. Grilled with salt. Wasabi was placed on top. The fat was just right, and it was crispy grilled. The power of charcoal fire, or rather the quality of the ingredients. I recommend the salt-grilled collar of sea bass. All the dishes were perfect for drinking. The young owner, who will soon celebrate the second anniversary of the opening, is still young. Tanba beef ribeye. I couldn't help but order this when I saw it. Boiled udo. I'm not very good with this kind of vegetable. While I was talking, the meat was cooked. I often make rolled omelets at home, but I ordered it anyway. I didn't feel any outstanding deliciousness. One of the two dishes served to us. I ordered the last meal. Homemade pickles were served first. I waited for the rice to cook with Scotch on the rocks. Rice with sand lance and burdock in a clay pot. There were two bowls each in a teacup. The aroma of burdock is nice. Of course, the broth from the fish is also effective. These were all the dishes I ate. I may have forgotten to take a picture of one more bottle of alcohol, but the bill was about 23,000 yen. It was delicious, but I feel like the cost performance is not very good. A well-spoken male customer in his 60s who said he came all the way from Tokyo for a revisit arrived after us. He ordered 2-3 items and then ordered the clay pot rice as the last dish. He seemed to be talking to the owner about medical-related work. Maybe he's a doctor. He didn't look like that at all, and would he spend over 40,000 yen on a bullet train and hotel just to come here? Well, when asked about a revisit, I'm not sure. First of all, the menu is limited. Also, the variety of ingredients is limited. You may have noticed, but there are no fried dishes. I want to eat a variety of dishes, but there are no options, so I can't help but compare it to places like Mirei. I left the restaurant and wandered aimlessly through the quiet back streets of Gion. Next time, while looking for a new restaurant to try, I took a combination of trains and buses and safely returned home before 10 o'clock. The restaurant itself may not stand out, but the location is easy to find. This review is quoted from my blog. https://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/kenran1122/49156740.html

A cozy restaurant with 7 counter seats. The main focus is on fish dishes, but they also offer meat, vegetables, and a delicious clay pot rice dish as a finale. The grilled dishes are particularly exquisite, cooked to perfection showcasing the chef's skill. They serve simple sashimi and charcoal-grilled dishes that bring out the natural flavors of the ingredients. The menu includes a few types of alcohol, but the chef will also recommend other options based on your preferences. The clay pot rice at the end was cooked beautifully, and even though I was full, I couldn't resist finishing it. In this area, I believe the cost performance is good. I have found a restaurant that makes me want to visit again after a long time.

Ueda's recommended à la carte menu.