Benkei Udon Higashiyama — Restaurant in Kyoto

In the nostalgic alleyways of Kyoto, they delivered an honest, soul-warming Japanese meal that felt like a hug from the past.

Their curry udon was the star of the meal. Thick and rich, the broth clung beautifully to the chewy, perfectly cooked udon noodles. The flavor leaned more toward the savory and spiced side rather than sweet, with just the right amount of heat to warm me up on a cool evening. Thin slices of aburaage soaked up the curry like sponges, adding a comforting texture and flavor burst with each bite.

Their takikomi gohan was subtly seasoned and loaded with comforting ingredients like carrots and tender chicken. Each grain of rice was firm yet moist, with a gentle soy-based flavor that made it a great companion to the bolder curry udon.

Their oden bowl was generous and filled with variety—daikon, tofu, konjac, quail egg, and fish balls. Everything had been steeped in a delicate yet flavorful dashi. The daikon was especially outstanding: tender, juicy, and deeply infused with umami. A dab of karashi (Japanese mustard) added a welcome zing.

It’s the kind of meal that doesn’t shout for attention but stays with me long...

Our first udon in Japan. We got the udon noodles with stamina and the suki curry udon. Both were delicious but the curry one has a thicker broth and was a little bit salty. I prefer the clearer broth of the stamina udon. The noodles were good - chery, bouncy and cooked just right. We also tried their onigiri and it went well with both udon broth and helped with the saltiness of the curry udon.

Their draft Asahi beer was ice cold and so good! Always order draft Asahi if available, when in Japan. Draft tastes way better than bottled or canned one, always.

Service was great too. The staff are younger Japanese kids and were very polite and took time to explain the menu. The chef are two elderly Japanese who were also so hands on and makes sure the food goes out as fast as possible. We arrived and got seated at the counter right away. Five minutes later, there's a line at the door.

Cash only but I hope they start accepting cards and not make it hard...

decent spot for a quick bite. it may look closed but just slide the door open upon arrival. ample seating but it was constantly being filled with customers the whole time we were there. pretty local spot, workers’ english is limited but it’s no problem since the menu has english translation, we simply pointed to our orders. you also have tbe option to choose what kind of noodles you want, udon, soba or ramen. they have many options to choose from and service was really quick! we couldnt get a seat at the “bar” / regular seating section so we got a table (theres two total) where you sit on the floor on a low table. also known as zashiki. personally, it was really cool to experience that! i would say the food was on the pricier end but they give a generous portion size that will...