Gion Kanaya — Restaurant in Kyoto

It’s a nice gem hidden a narrow alley way. The concept of eel over noodle, instead of eel over rice, might be common in Japan, but it is new to me, and I think it worked out quite well. The people at the place are super friendly. I asked for hot water for my mom, which is not on the menu, and the guy promptly boiled some over the stove. I also asked for extra-soft noodles for my mom, and the chef asked my mom to test-taste twice to ensure that the noodles were to her liking. I ordered the premium double-eel option all for myself, and needless to say, the portion was huge, and the eel quality was great. The sauce is a bit on the salty side, which is not surprising, knowing that the Japanese palette tends to be on the salty side (or there wouldn’t be the “low sodium” option for most ramen places in the US). I did let the chef know that since I saw most of the customers were Chinese tourists, maybe he could consider reducing the saltiness and adding a bit more honey to the sauce. In hindsight though, I think a better option might be to actually prepare two sauces and test both on some customers to see if they make a difference. I’m an engineer who always prefers A/B testing after all. I hope I didn’t offend the chef with my suggestion😅. Overall, I really enjoyed the wonderful food and exceptional hospitality, and the price is quite...

Truly a hidden gem! I loved the intimate setting where you are seated at the counter, and there is just a limited number of seats so it felt quite special and intimate. The staff are respectful and friendly to interact with. Finding this quiet place has made my experience of Kyoto so much better.

This restaurant's specialty is unagi (eel) noodles, so that is the main dish along with a few sides and a range of drinks. They have an English menu and explain how to eat it. The price is very reasonable, and you can decide how many grams of (homemade) noodles you want to eat. The unagi and soba were very well made, and went well with the soup and seasoning.

To get here, you walk through a narrow alleyway/path next to another popular restaurant. It's quite a peaceful environment. Please take your shoes off at the door and be mindful of their opening and closing hours.

This restaurant only opened a couple months ago and I hope this business flourishes through focusing on making their speciality dish well and the experience/service comfortable...

Found this place on Google and thought it looked interesting. Location wise, it's a fun way to explore kyoto as you have to pass through a barrow pathway to get to the restaurant itself. Staff was very friendly and welcoming too. As for the food, it was really really good. My wife, who doesn't like eel, demolished her portion and had to steal some of mine. I ordered a while eel and large noodles but it was not enough. The eel was nothing I've had before, lightly crisp on the outside, soft on the inside, and the sweetness of the sauces hit you before you get to the tender and light texture of the eel itself. We honestly left craving for more, I would have gotten 2 eels of I'd known it was that good!! Really a must eat for those who like japanese eel. Oh I nearly forgot about the noodles, chewy and so so good as well. They give you a bowl of soup to dip the noodles in, and it added so much more flavour. Even now a few days later I still think that I would like that eel again. I'll be...