kasuganomichi
There was a bit of a gap, but here is a revisit. Today, I went alone and it was past 9 PM. I had the liver sashimi. The portions here are large, so I asked for a bit less. There were no other customers yet, so I chatted with the owner. The quiet night in Kawaramachi is also nice. Thank you for the meal. (May 2016)
Located on the 3rd floor of a mixed-use building just south of BAL Building, this restaurant is quietly tucked away. I visited with two acquaintances for a second round. We entered around 9:30 PM. The place was quite lively, especially with young people, and the atmosphere was not bad. Well, I was the oldest among us. The tall owner was laid back, casually attending to customers. Since we were already quite full, we ordered just one dish, the momo (thigh meat) tataki with ponzu sauce. It was delicious. The Nagoya Cochin chicken meat had a firm texture, with a thick cut for tataki, which might be a bit tough for those with weak jaws. Grated daikon radish in the center of the meat, topped with grated garlic that added a sharp flavor. The owner mentioned that his family runs a Nagoya Cochin restaurant in Kyoto. Due to facility constraints, they mainly serve dishes plated on dishes, and the menu is based on the owner's improvisation. The relaxed atmosphere was very nice, and the restaurant happens to specialize in Nagoya Cochin dishes. Thank you for the meal. The drinks were also good. So, the purpose of this secret project is to solve the mystery of the three "Tori-ko" chicken restaurants in Kyoto! In conclusion, there is no relation between them. It just happened that way. The oldest of these three restaurants also acknowledged this, saying, "I gave it a very cliché name, didn't I?" with a wry smile. However, all three of these restaurants only have 2 reviews each, with no ratings for the other two. To rectify this, I decided to write a review. The names of the restaurants, their founding years, locations, existing reviews, and the results after the third review are as follows (as of August 11, 2016):
Tori-ko: Established in 2014, located in Marutamachi, Kawaramachi. 2 reviews. No rating → 3.03
Tricoh (Torico): Established in 2008, located in Takoyakushi, Kawaramachi. 2 reviews. 3.16 → 3.21
Torico (Trico): Established in 2014, located in Gojoshaka, Higashiyama. 2 reviews. No rating → 3.06
So, in conclusion, in Kasuganomichi's "New Rule for Tabelog!" #20, this time it's a bit straightforward. For those planning to open a new chicken specialty restaurant in Kyoto, please refrain from using the name "Tori-ko." It's already fully booked.