Today, I had okonomiyaki for lunch at Yorimichi in the Mecca of Kyoto-style okonomiyaki. The restaurant is about a 10-minute walk from Kyoto Station, Hachijo Exit. The atmosphere is simple but clean, as the restaurant recently moved. The chef is friendly and approachable, making it a comfortable place for first-time visitors. I ordered the Manbo-yaki for 700 yen, which is a Kyoto-style okonomiyaki with noodles. You can choose from udon, soba, or thin udon noodles, and I chose thin udon this time. I also added egg and pickled radish toppings for an extra 100 yen each. The okonomiyaki had a dense noodle texture with a thick base, and the addition of egg provided a satisfying eating experience. The crunchy pickled radish added a nice flavor and texture contrast. The okonomiyaki comes with two types of sauce for self-dressing: a sweet and a spicy one. Overall, it was a delicious meal, and I would recommend trying their teppanyaki-style horumon (offal) as well. I look forward to going back for drinks next time.

I recently visited Kyoto for 2 nights and 3 days, and I would like to share my review. Despite the scorching heat, I find Kyoto in the summer to be charming with unique attractions like the evening view of Kamo River. I have been visiting Kyoto almost every year since using the Seishun 18 ticket over a decade ago. As a food blogger, I cannot miss the delightful gourmet experiences that Kyoto offers in the summer. Arriving in Kyoto at 9 am after taking the morning Shinkansen, I dropped off my luggage at the hotel in Karasuma Gojo and visited Rokuharamitsuji, Toyokuni Shrine, and the National Museum. By the time I left the museum, I was starving and could only think about food. I headed straight to a famous okonomiyaki restaurant in Kyoto's Suinin (along the Kamo River) known for its specialty "manbo-yaki," which is okonomiyaki with yakisoba or udon. I chose to visit "Yorimichi," which had great reviews. Despite being tempted by another restaurant, I stayed true to my initial choice. Arriving at the local restaurant on the first floor of a public housing building, I was seated at a table and quickly decided on my order. I opted for manbo-yaki with yakisoba and added "aburakasu," a dish made with oil-fried intestines which is a popular ingredient in udon and okonomiyaki. The dish was cooked on a griddle and served on the table griddle. It was more substantial than I had imagined. I divided it into four portions with a spatula and applied a mix of sweet and spicy sauce using a brush. The taste was classic okonomiyaki with aburakasu adding a nice touch. I regretted not applying more of the spicy sauce as it was my preference. As I progressed through the meal, I felt like having a highball, so I ordered one. I had planned not to drink until the evening, but I couldn't resist. I wanted to order a large bottle, but it seemed excessive, so I refrained. The flavor definitely enhanced with the addition of alcohol. After finishing the dish and feeling full, I decided to stop there. I had wanted to try the "horumon tempura (fry)" at the neighboring Satake, another famous dish in Suinin, but it required alcohol, so I gave up (or rather, they had already closed). I then headed to my next destination, Fushimi Inari.

We originally planned to go to a different restaurant, but it was closed so we ended up here instead. It turned out to be a good decision because there are several delicious okonomiyaki shops across JR station. I didn't know about them before, so I felt like I got lucky. They serve large bottles of Asahi and Kirin beer, which is great for daytime drinking. The okonomiyaki has a crispy surface and a chewy inside that is addictive. You can choose your own toppings starting from 50 yen, which is very reasonable. The restaurant is run by a family, and they also take a lot of takeout orders during lunchtime, so it's best to observe the situation before ordering during busy times.

On a regular night, I stopped by the okonomiyaki restaurant "Yorimichi" located an 8-minute walk from Kyoto Station Hachijo-guchi. The restaurant was run by a lady and her son, giving off a warm and welcoming vibe. There were no other customers when I arrived, and during my stay, only two groups of three customers came in. I sat at a counter table with a teppan grill, which seemed to allow smoking. I ordered: - "Kirin Lager" (600 yen) x2 - "Manbo-yaki" (700 yen) + "Hoso" (100 yen) + "Takuan" (50 yen) + "Tamago" (50 yen) The "Manbo-yaki" is okonomiyaki with soba, udon, or thin udon added for an extra 150 yen. I also added "Hoso," which is beef intestines, "Takuan," pickled daikon radish, and "Tamago," egg. It was interesting to see Takuan as an option, as I had encountered it in another okonomiyaki restaurant in Kyoto just the week before. I learned that adding Takuan to okonomiyaki is popular in places like Hamamatsu and Kumamoto, and it seems to be the case in Kyoto as well. The son, who was in charge of cooking, skillfully prepared the okonomiyaki on the teppan grill. He layered the ingredients, cooked the thin udon, added the Hoso, and finished it with toppings before flipping it over to cook the other side. The final touch was cracking an egg on top and flipping it again before serving it on the customer's teppan grill. The cooking process took about 6 minutes, resulting in a substantial and flavorful okonomiyaki. The okonomiyaki had a soft texture, with a crispy bottom layer as it cooked further. The thin udon was fluffy and tender, while the Takuan added a crunchy texture and a sweet-salty flavor. The Hoso was tender and flavorful, blending well with the other ingredients. The egg added a nice variation in texture and taste as I ate through the okonomiyaki. I also ordered another okonomiyaki with "Yama-kasu" (100 yen), which had a sharp sweetness that paired well with the savory flavors. Overall, the experience at "Yorimichi" was delightful, with delicious food and friendly service.

I went to a restaurant in Kyoto that specializes in manbo-yaki! The recommended dish is manbo-yaki, so I ordered that. Even though it can be hard to choose! Just trust my recommendation and order it, you can't go wrong. Password unlocked!! Manbo-yaki with thin udon, takuan, hoso (small intestine, maruchou), egg, topped with green onions and egg yolk (I forgot the egg yolk). Copy and paste this password!! They will ask if you want sweet sauce or spicy sauce to brush on top, so decide beforehand! I chose spicy sauce, but it was spicier than I expected! If you don't like spicy, go for the sweet sauce! But it goes really well with beer, haha. Then they pile on the green onions, so if you love green onions, you'll be thrilled!!! The green onions are crunchy! And the hoso (small intestine) is soft and delicious! And the takuan is a great accent! But the most surprising part was the thin udon! It's really thin! Honestly, I always thought that noodles like udon or soba in noodle dishes were just there as a filler carb, but this is different!!! It's juicy and slippery inside! This thin udon is a must-order!!! As time passes, it gets crispy and delicious with a crunchy texture! Oh man, it was really delicious! Thank you for the meal! Trust me! You won't be disappointed!!!

At homey atmosphere, very cheap yet delicious. Self-serve drinks allow you to drink at your own pace, which is nice.

Mambo soba with egg, hosō, and oil kasu for ¥850.