Bon Bon Soba — Restaurant in Kyoto

A pleasant surprise in Arashiyama.

I walked by this shop yesterday scoping future places for lunch. The matcha soba set immediately caught my eye. Immediately an older woman came out and beckoned me inside but I apologized and said I was just looking.

We went out looking for lunch today and the original plan was marred by a long wait for a restaurant by the river. Our fault for leaving later in the day. I reminded my partner of this restaurant that I found from yesterday and off we went.

It’s was hard to tell from the outside because it looked closed but the shop waitress came out and showed us in.

I ordered the matcha soba teshoku set that I had been eyeing and my partner the sansei soba.

I cannot speak for others’ experiences but The matcha soba set was absolutely delightful!! There were so many different flavors happening but each subtle and each one completely complimented the others. The noodles, the hanami mochi and the veggies worked so well together in the dish.

The pickles were made with shiso vinegar and equally delicious. It also came with a side of omelette and Inari sushi. Each was served warm and the temperature was perfection.

Imagine my surprise when I finally noticed the side of matcha cake accompanying my lunch as dessert!

All in all this lunch outing was an absolute treat and I am looking forward to...

All restaurants were so crowded except this one, I though my must be very bad because there were no customers. I checked on Google Maps and the rating was 2.6, so I thought I was right. But there were mixed comments, some very good and some very bad. I risked myself to eat here and I’m very happy I did. First, I didn’t have to wait in line like other restaurants. Second, the lady and the man at the shop were very nice, they asked me if I wanted English menu and also chat with me. Many customers were coming by, looking a a little bit through the window but then moved away, maybe because it was empty. Third, they gave me good food. I ordered Katsukare udon and was very good, katsu was not the best but also not the worst in my life. I paid 1400 yen for my lunch but I know this area is more expensive, so I think is fine. I hope more people will dare to come. The lady was eagerly welcoming all customers passing by and you can tell they really want customers to come in. Maybe some people has had bad experiences in the past but I think they have learned and grow from...

Fantastic little noodle store! We passed a lot of other places because they were triple the price and not a lot of food. They have a vegan menu which may husband greatly appreciated and they use a special vegan broth for those dishes. While the Yuba was a little bland, they do give you seasoning on the side to add a little spice. The curry udon was delicious though! They put pieces of I think beef or it could have been pork, tofu skin bits and vegetables. I poured some of my water in it to make it less thick and more like a broth and it was divine! There are public bathrooms nearby so it's not really a huge make or break here. It's a cute little family store that is worth patronizing and is perfect for groups with both vegans and...