ジビエ・活川魚料理・十割手打ち蕎麦処 「政右衛門」（MASAEMOＮ） — Restaurant in Kyoto

Several people in their reviews mention that this is the best soba they’ve had in Japan. I strongly disagree. While the soba is fine, I’d say it’s very far from the best, I’ve been to easily a dozen others I liked more. I imagine the other reviewers are enamored by the noodles being handmade and the old school vibe of the restaurant. It’s also foreigner friendly as the owner uses a translator device with guests.

If you’re nearby, it’s a fine place to eat. If you are building your itinerary for a limited time trip in Kyoto, just skip this place. There are far better “best” options

EDIT (to reply to the restaurant):

The owner seems confused in saying that the reason for my lesser review is that I don’t like the taste of the bear meat used in their dish. The meat is not the basis of my review; I am purely talking about the quality of the soba noodle itself. You can order their soba with various meats and you can pick whichever you desire. However, it is my understanding that the soba noodles stay the same.

My hope in this review is to help foreign tourists that go to Google Maps reviews as a primary way to identify restaurants. It is very hard to know what to think when reviewers just say “the best restaurant in Japan.” This is an okay place, but if you are setting your expectations at “best,” or looking for “best,” it is not...

The soba here was amazing, if you are visiting Kyoto this place is a must-visit. The soba here is Juwari Soba (十割そば), and therefore gluten-free - whether you are allergic to gluten or just appreciate well made and traditional soba, this place is amazing.

My family knows no Japanese, however the owner is happy to tell you everything you need to know about soba through his pocket translator.

If you are expecting meat like chicken or beef, you may have a hard time eating here - however all the meat was amazing! If you like lamb, the bear meat is amazing, and I had oyster soba which was delicious.

One thing to note - the place is very small, and run by one man who is very talented and passionate, however not many people can be served. It is definitely worth it to show up earlier to make a reservation, especially if you are eating with a larger group.

The prices were quite reasonable as well - we spent around ¥5000 per person. It's on the higher end, but between whiskey, sake, 5 servings of soba, including two double servings and two servings of bear meat soba, and rice porridge at the end, we all left with full stomachs and enthusing about how amazing the soba was.

Overall - please visit and enjoy delicious and well made...

I truly recommend not dining at this restaurant. We went because of the high ratings, but the experience was very disappointing. The menu looked standard, but once we were inside, we were only given a tiny portion of soba noodles. If we wanted a larger portion, there was an extra charge. We ordered sashimi, and they suggested deep-frying the fish head and bones—which also came with an extra charge. The wasabi served with the whole (and quite small) fish was ridiculously small—about one-third the size of a pinky fingernail.

When we asked the owner for a bit more wasabi, we were told: ‘Wasabi is a precious condiment. If you want more, you have to pay extra.’ Even after paying, the amount given was still the same tiny portion. The whole meal made us just want to run away. It felt like a scam—everything required an extra charge.

In fact, the base prices weren’t high, and the extra charges weren’t outrageous either, but the way they were handled left a very bad impression. It felt deceiving. I sincerely suggest the owner reconsider the business model—why not just clearly list all-inclusive prices upfront, even if slightly higher? That would be much easier for customers to accept. The current approach is really hard...