Gyoza Hohei — Restaurant in Kyoto

Honestly it’s mid…. Super let down after a 1.5 hour queue. Only go if little to no wait. Please, I’m trying to prevent your time from being wasted.

The gyoza is mid. Like it’s good but the texture, flavor, presentation isn’t anything out of the ordinary. It’s just a little extra fried on the bottom, almost no flavor, and sauces were plain. It’s not worth a long queue. I could barely tell the difference between their two gyoza types… that’s how bland it was. Go somewhere else if the wait is long. 10-15 minutes wait? Sure I guess. 1.5 hour? No. We had 23 queued before us. They let people with numbers after us in before us because they complained about waiting. Crazy…. We had better gyoza at random half empty ramen joints during our Japan trip.

I’m convinced all the high reviews are people trying to cope after having to wait so long for mid food. Someone said “melts in your mouth” … it’s gyoza it’s not supposed to, that just means it’s a little underdone and that’s what it tasted like. If this is the best gyoza youve ever had, I feel sorry for you and shame on you for wasting peoples time. I honestly thought the gyoza from my city (DC USA) was comparable if not better. They make the gyoza in front of you for show… it actually just slows down service since they can just make in bulk beginning of the day vs making them as they are ordered. There is no difference in taste that way.

I would normally give 5 stars since the food and service was decent, but this place is so overrated I have to give 3 to try and save others… I was even hungry af after 1.5 and thought it was mid…. Usually everything tastes like gold at that point. I’m Asian and have eaten a thousands of gyozas and Japanese food. Just so disappointed.

Another place overhyped by foreigners who have no idea what they’re eating. Everyone in the room with us eating all looked so disappointed as well other than...

A mixed experience at this gyoza spot This restaurant came highly recommended by our tour guide, but unfortunately, it felt more like a tourist trap than a must-visit spot. While the gyozas were fresh and well-made, they didn’t quite live up to the hype. The flavors were nice but not particularly remarkable. We waited for an hour to be seated, which significantly dampened the experience. In our opinion, the wait simply wasn’t worth it. The main draw of this place seems to be its reasonably low prices, so if you happen to visit when there’s no queue, it might be worth stopping by. Otherwise, it’s better to skip. The menu is very limited, offering only two types of gyozas - both with pork and cabbage as the base, paired with either leek and garlic or ginger. It would have been great to see more variety, such as options with seafood, prawns, or vegetables. One highlight of our visit was being seated at the bar, where we could watch the chef prepare the gyozas. He was attentive and made us feel looked after, which contributed to the restaurant’s high reputation. Overall, while the service and pricing were commendable, the limited menu and long wait time didn’t make the experience...

Please reads before you go !

This restaurant is tiny, only sits about 10 people, when you arrive you pop your name on a list and then wait to be called. You cannot reserve beforehand and last night we waited 2 hours before we were called and seated. It was raining and there's no shelter. DONT MAKE THE MISTAKE OF LEAVING AND COMING BACK. Many people do this and miss their opening. They then have to wait again ! The staff are pleasant but English is limited.

The food : The menu has plain rice, a chicken broth, a clam broth, pork with beansprout, picked cucumbers, potato salad, garlic Gyoza and ginger Gyoza. Wine, beer, sake, cold drinks and tea are available. So the menu is limited. ALL THE FOOD IS DELICIOUS. The Gyoza is light and crispy, you can easily eat 2 to 4 plates for yourself. All the food comes out quickly and pipping hot. I can see why this restaurant is in the Michelin guide for its food. However, I'm not sure the waiting is worth the expedition.

P.s. You can stay in the restaurant for maximum 1 hour. However, this is fine as the food is not in courses and comes out...