Dainoji — Restaurant in Kyoto

The place was tiny and packed when we randomly stopped to look for lunch. Nearly discouraged to move on, but as I peered through the glass door, the lady proprietor of the place came out to greet us warmly, and asked us to wait as a table was imminently available. She pulled out some chairs, placed cushions on them, and even brought out some blankets for our laps as it was getting a little chilly outside. We were supplied with English menus to peruse. After a short time, a young man came out to take our orders so they could get it ready to serve when we got in. The wait was probably around 15min or so, not unpleasant, as I think we were warmed by the great hospitality shown by this lady and her staff.

I was actually a tad worried that they would have already prepared our food and we won’t be in until it got cold. No need to worry as we were shown to our table shortly, and it had a built in hotplate. We were each given a small bowl of pre-prepared ingredients with a mixing spoon, and asked to mix it ourselves. A lovely young lady who was serving us then instructed us to empty the contents of our individual bowls onto circles on the hotplate that she had pre-marked with her oil brush. Each table had a hourglass timer, and she started ours while talking us through each step of the cooking process, when to flip, how to add the toppings and seasonings etc., all with a patience and warmth that reflected a joy in what she was doing that is all too rare these days. All the while clearing the used vessels and implements while checking back on us. We noticed another table being served a big bottle of Asahi beer and the aromas in the place suggested that the meal would be deserving of such an accompaniment, so we also ordered a bottle and it too, was served to us promptly. The food was cooked before too long and we were able to cut it up and serve ourselves, but not before our server generously offered to take a family picture for us.

The food was delicious, and the experience overall even surpassed the flavour. What was most pleasing was the spontaneity of it all! Great value, annd anwesome overall experience. A very heartfelt “Gochisosamadeshita!” on...

Visited here on a busy Wednesday lunch time. Waited about 20 minutes for a seat but it was well worth it. The staff moved people through the restaurant quickly. We went here for the gluten free reviews and was not disappointed. The staff cooked me a gluten free Buta Kimchi Don in a seperate area to the rest of the restuarant and it was delicious. The older staff lady even brought me the kimchi container to check the ingredients. Also highly recommend the okonomiyaki japanese special that my partner had - light and fluffy texture and you can cook it yourself. The staff will look after you to ensure you don't burn it. Highly recommend this place for tasty food...

We entered this place 4 years ago by accident and it was one of the coolest places I went to in Kyoto. After visiting Kinkaku-ji we wandered around, saw this place and entered, not knowing what they were offering. This was the first time I tried okonomiyaki and I absolutely loved it. You make it yourself with help from the owners and staff who were all very friendly and helpful! I would recommend this place to anyone who's ever close to it! Delicious and fun!

Edit: just got back here this week! Still as great as ever! Thank you for...