In front of the Hachijo-guchi exit of Kyoto Station, there is a restaurant area called Avanti. Despite the hot weather which reduced my appetite, I decided to visit and try a bite of eel. The eel had a bit more rice than usual and the sauce was a bit light, but with plenty of sansho pepper, it was still enjoyable. The zaru soba had a good amount of noodles and broth as expected. Overall, for 1100 yen, I thought it was a good deal. It was convenient that they still had seats available even after the lunch hours from 2 to 5 pm.

Kyoto 3rd meal. It was a bit unconventional, but I was looking for a place for a late night meal and most of the stores in the station building close at 9pm. I found a place in the basement of a hotel that was open until 10pm. I was hoping to find some soba in Kyoto, but oh well. I had kitsune soba. It was like the udon version of soba, Kyoto style. The broth was made with kombu and bonito dashi, of course. The soba was thin and had a slightly rough texture. The tororo konbu was a nice touch. It was topped with Kujo negi. The sweet fried tofu was delicious, but as someone from Kanto, I couldn't help but think that a sharper soba broth would have been better. If it had been udon, it would have been perfect. It was a nice way to end the day. Thank you for the meal.

I visited Ora Ga Soba Kyoto AVANTI store for lunch. Kyoto Station was crowded with school trips and tourists, so I decided to go to AVANTI where it was slightly less crowded. The restaurant is located on the basement floor of AVANTI. I chose the Katsudon set (890 yen tax included) and it was served promptly. The Zaru Soba had a good texture and the dipping sauce had a slight spiciness. The Katsudon had a decent amount of pork cutlet, although the frying was a bit weak. Overall, the balance was not bad for the price. It's a good option for a quick and affordable lunch to avoid the crowds at Kyoto Station.

Soba restaurant in a commercial building in front of Kyoto Station. Visited for the first time to have a quick meal during work. It seemed to be a chain restaurant, as the people I went with were familiar with it. The main feature of this place is the huge portion size!! Everyone kept saying "I'm so full" because of the large amount of food (laughs). This time, I ordered the "Cold Chicken Tempura Soba Special (990 yen)". Being completely clueless, I thought "Soba alone won't fill me up..." so I ordered the special size. And then... I got a huge portion with 8 large pieces of chicken tempura, and a never-ending amount of soba... such a huge quantity. The chicken tempura was crispy, but the soba itself was a bit bland and not really to my liking. However, the portion size was so big that it was a struggle to finish. A happy struggle ✨ If you want to eat until you're full, this place is good for that. Thank you for the meal ✨

Today, I received a request for an on-site treatment from an esthetic salon located south of Kyoto Station. I took the JR train to Kyoto Station. The appointment was scheduled for 1:00 PM, but the patient asked to postpone it by 30 minutes. I decided to wander around Avanti while waiting. I found a soba restaurant and had the first dining out experience of the year. I enjoyed a set meal of chicken tempura rice bowl and cold soba noodles. It was delicious. They also provided soba broth on the table, allowing me to leisurely enjoy it. Thank you very much.

Located in the basement of Kyoto Station, there is a soba restaurant called "Ora ga Soba-ya". Surprised to find a restaurant in this kind of place, I decided to give it a try. Since it had just opened, there were only two other groups of customers. We were seated at a table and given the menu. The prices were surprisingly affordable. I ordered the Katsudon set for 870 yen, which came with a generous portion of soba noodles. The taste was not bad at all. The Katsudon was also very good. My wife ordered the Chikuwa Tempura with grated daikon for 660 yen. We also received a complimentary oolong tea for registering on LINE. By the time we left, the restaurant was completely full.

Today, I went to Avanti and had lunch here afterwards. I ordered the A set - Chikuwa Tempura Zaru Soba set meal for 810 yen including tax, and the recommended Katsudon set meal for 870 yen including tax. To be honest, the soba broth was a bit salty for me, I prefer it on the sweeter side. The onigiri was thinner than it looked, and the umeboshi and shirasu filling was not very strong in flavor. The chikuwa tempura was crispy and delicious. I also tried a bit of the Katsudon, which was tastier than it looked. The restaurant was getting crowded quickly, and the service was fast, but it felt a bit cramped with the tables close together. Overall, it was a decent meal.

After having breakfast at Mii Mii Mii, I took a walk to Heian Shrine and then bought pickles at Nishiki Market Street. When I returned to the hotel, I met up with my husband who had come from Fukuoka. Before going to Nijo Castle, we decided to have a light lunch here. I think there was a chain store in the underground shopping area of Hakata Station. My husband chose the specialty dish here, the "Chicken Tempura Soba" for 720 yen, so I ordered the same. When the soba arrived, I was shocked by the huge portion. It was not just chicken tempura, but rather five pieces of fried chicken the size of a child's fist. The seasoning on the fried chicken was good, but the batter was a bit thick. The amount of soba was also quite substantial. The soba itself was cold, smooth, and had a good texture, but unfortunately, the portion was too much for me. I'm sorry, but I ended up leaving about half of it uneaten. What surprised me even more was the man next to us who ordered the large portion of the chicken tempura soba, finished it all, and left. I was impressed.

I had a business trip to Kyoto on this day. When it was time for lunch, I felt like eating soba, so I searched and found "Our Soba" at Avanti Kyoto. I ordered the Mountain Vegetable and Tororo Soba with extra wasabi. When I go to Our Soba, I always get this dish. Choosing the medium size gives you more volume. The texture of the mountain vegetables and tororo, along with the crunchiness of the tempura crumbs, create a unique harmony. I also added extra wasabi for more flavor. It was delicious! And the price was reasonable. I was very satisfied with my lunch on this day. Thank you for the meal! I would like to come again.

A high cost-performance restaurant located on the basement floor of Kyoto Avanti. I ordered the Negi Maguro Don Set, which was around 750 yen. You can choose between kake soba or zaru soba. I chose kake soba. The portion size was normal, not mini-sized like other places. The amount of soba was also quite generous, so even men should be satisfied. The taste was decent. It's a good place to fill up your stomach easily near Kyoto Station. They also serve alcohol, although I didn't order any this time.

Starting from Kobe and touring Osaka and Kyoto, today's lunch was at Oraga Soba, a newly opened restaurant on the B1F of AVANTI. I had their specialty dish, the deliciously spicy beef soba. You dip the cold soba noodles in the hot and spicy dipping sauce, which really stimulates your appetite. The spicy flavor of the broth makes for a fantastic dish, and the soba water at the end was also delicious with a hint of spiciness. Our tour of the Kansai region with four people ends here. Now, I'm off to work.

A superb restaurant located on the basement floor of Avanti near Kyoto Station where you can enjoy soba at a low price. The portions are 1.5 times larger than normal, so it's recommended not to mistakenly order a large serving if you're a first-time visitor. Today, the inari sushi was unnecessary.

The rotation is fast and good, and there is soba-yu placed on the table so you don't have to bother the staff, which is nice. I will go again.

A perfect place for a casual drink around Kyoto Station at night. It can get quite crowded in the evening, but we finally managed to get in. We started by ordering drinks, and then we found a set of oden for 550 yen. Without hesitation, we ordered it along with a draft beer and chose two types of oden (daikon and thick fried tofu). All of this for only 550 yen. In Kyoto Station, a draft beer alone costs the same. We also ordered potato salad for 310 yen and addictive fried chicken sticks for 200 yen. When we ordered a highball, we got to play Chinchirorin (rolling three dice), and depending on the outcome (the numbers on the dice), we could get a free highball. That day, we ordered highballs three times and my friend rolled a winning combination, so we got one highball for free. The regular price for a highball is 320 yen. Lastly, we had soba noodles for a total of 3,200 yen for two people. I had the small soba for 280 yen, which was enough for me, while my friend had the regular zaru soba for 510 yen.

During the consecutive holidays, the restaurant was very crowded and the staff seemed overwhelmed. We ordered "Bou Bou Chicken Soba" and my friend ordered "Chicken Tempura Soba". Even though we ordered regular size, the portions were surprisingly large for the price (around 600 yen). My friend's Chicken Tempura Soba came with five big pieces of chicken tempura, making it quite a challenge to finish. The soba noodles were a bit firm, but considering it's a chain restaurant, it was decent. The scent of the soba was not very strong, but overall, it was worth the price and the generous portions. As a soba lover, I wish there was a branch near my home or workplace.

In Kyoto, there are plenty of soba restaurants for special occasions, but when it comes to casual dining, there are only a few options like Tsutsujiro or Nakau. Our soba restaurant is perfect for everyday dining. The soba is likely made with 50% buckwheat flour, and the dipping sauce for cold soba is rich and Kanto-style, while the broth for hot soba is light and Kansai-style. The fried dishes are served warm, and the side dishes are mainly meant to accompany drinks. One notable aspect is the generous portion of soba served, far exceeding what other Kyoto restaurants offer. The satisfaction of having a meal here is unparalleled. While special occasion soba is delicious, for everyday dining, our soba restaurant on regular days is the best choice.

Cheap and full-volume lunch! The best!