Japanese Noodle ISSUN BOUSHI — Restaurant in Kyoto

I had high hopes for this touristy ramen spot, but the queuing experience left much to be desired.

After reading the sign and purchasing our meal tickets, my friend and I returned to the line, only to see a Western couple who arrived after us head straight to an empty table. On top of that, The owner insisted they were next, citing their earlier ticket purchase, despite our prior presence in line.

What was particularly frustrating was being denied shelter inside the restaurant, even with available space, while it was raining and my group of nine, including hungry family members, waited outside.

It took nearly two hours from queuing to finishing our meal, with almost an hour spent just waiting. Though the owner did apologize for the delay, the overall service did not justify the long wait.

The ramen itself was average and didn’t make up for the poor experience. Management should reconsider their queuing and seating policies to ensure fairness and comfort for all patrons.

P.S: manage your expectation to dine-in here while you had an empty stomach. You will get half portion of egg for following the Instagram account, and free tiny portion of ice cream for posting...

Delicious ramen restaurant, excellent service, and clean/beautiful interior.

I was recommended to check out this restaurant by multiple locals in the area - a barista from Arabica, and a salesman at a jewelry shop. After finding them on the same street, I was greeted by the chef and his apprentice (?). Not only was the ramen delicious, the service was excellent and he took the time to explain things, including the contest he was having, despite not speaking English. I ended up winning a free bowel of ramen, which I now know is a big deal because there's only a 4% chance of winning! This was kindly explained to me by a young Japanese couple to my right, who used Google translate. I finished the meal with some free matcha ice cream. It was a superb meal.

I ended up going back to Arabica to give the "free ramen" coupon to the barista to thank her for her recommendation. After all, I wasn't sure when I'd be back in Kyoto again to enjoy another bowel of ramen at Issun Boshi. Hopefully sooner...

This place is hidden off the normal walking streets Kiyomizu, it’s so unassuming and low key you could easily walk pass this place. We came here right before 5pm before dinner rush started and there was literally no one there. We decided to get the snow crab ramen, and a clear broth ramen with the thin sliced ham that lined the bowl. This is truly an amazing experience, this is a counter sitting restaurant and you watch the chef cook your meal. It’s a cosy environment but when the crowd comes you can feel people sitting and waiting behind you. And once you finish, a new customer takes your seat, the system is down pat! Overall the experience is amazing, food is great and doesn’t leave you thirsty after the meal. They have a limited 100 bowl ramen each day but it gets sold out very quickly before dinner starts so do try that if you are here. The lady recommended us which item to order with a bit of Japanese and body language and this is a cash...