Gion Ntedon — Restaurant in Kyoto

This place is a real hidden gem I actually found thanks to Instagram. It's tucked away quite a bit, well off the main street, so it definitely felt like a destination.

Honestly, the exterior was totally unassuming, and when we got there, the room was empty—just the staff. It didn't look very promising at first.

But the Tendon (tempura over rice) was fantastic. The tempura was expertly done; the batter was genuinely light and crisp, perfectly fried, and not oily at all. They also make the dish unique by serving it with matcha rice, and they offer great custom spices like Kyoto matcha powder and yuzu pepper. They also provide you with the ochazuke at the end.

Both the staff and the manager were super friendly and attentive the whole time. If you appreciate finding high-quality Japanese food where you least expect it, I highly recommend seeking...

What a lovely place!

I had a vegan tempura set and it was so pretty! (The photo I took doesn't do it justice...) The fresh ingredients were placed beautifully and came with matcha rice, and also a dashi stock created with mushrooms in front of you. It also comes with matcha salt, a yuzu powder, and shichimi which I believe (if my spotty command of Japanese serves me correctly) were made by the restaurant themselves. The wasabi was great too!

The staff were kind and attentive (both the chef and assistant) - very welcoming! And the place itself was beautiful, very calming, like a cafe.

Location was a bit hard to find on Google maps as the postal code led me to inside a temple instead haha!

But other than that really a hidden gem! :)...

Off the beaten path and so worth the side trip. Gino Ntedon popped up as a recommendation and wie are so delighted we took it. We had a great craft IPA and plum beer. We also tried the tempura and rice set menu and it did not disappoint. Our waitress was delightful and very patient with our language barrier. She even gave a demonstration of the origami cranes she had been making. Take the time to find this little gem and you will...