Kyoto Yakiniku enen Shijo Kawaramachi — Restaurant in Kyoto

On the evening of April 1st, two of us visited the Yakiniku enen restaurant in Shijo Kawaramachi, Kyoto. Despite having enjoyed several trips to the Kanto area in the past without any issues, this visit was disappointing and extinguished my enthusiasm for shopping in Japan. First off, although the restaurant is located in a somewhat hidden location, we managed to find and thanks to Google Maps and our reservation made in advance. However, the experience that followed was underwhelming. A waitress, who spoke the best English, immediately emphasized upon seating that each person had to order a drink, with the cheapest being oolong tea priced at 380 yen, which felt pressuring. Despite ordering both iced and hot oolong tea as per our needs, our attempts to get refills were repeatedly ignored. Furthermore, despite the restaurant not being busy, the speed of service was incredibly slow, and it appeared that there was a noticeable disparity in the service provided to different customers. Regarding the environment, the indoor BBQ area without proper smoke extractors felt like camping outdoors, surrounded by smoke. Although the taste was acceptable, it still fell short compared to Korean BBQs in the Bay Area. In the end, although we paid 11,000 yen, the experience did not meet our expectations. The friendly farewell at checkout did leave us with a slightly positive impression, but overall, the dining experience was...

A friend and I were visiting Kyoto and were craving Korean BBQ. We found this place via google maps and it was very highly rated. I don't see 4.9 star Korean BBQ places often, so we thought we would give it a chance.

The atmosphere is what catches people's eyes at first. All of the table settings are what you would expect to see while camping, complete with camping chairs and foldable tables. It promotes a more relaxed, but festive air. They have menus in English and Japanese, and some of the staff speak Korean as well. After looking at their English menu, they had three different recommended sets. We went with the #2 recommended set, which consisted of pork belly, chopped chicken, beef, vegetables (with free refills), a choice of soup, fried chicken, Korean style sushi balls, and ice cream. The fried chicken and ice cream were both very tasty. The portions were generous and we did not walk away hungry.

Towards the end of the meal, one of the workers approached us and asked us nicely to write a review. I was going to write one anyway, but it all made sense now why the rating was so high. I don't particularly agree with soliciting customers for reviews, as it gives the customer a slight bias and pressure and can unevenly skew a restaurant's rating. I give it a solid 4.4. The service was great, shoutout to Chanho. I would...

We had an absolutely wonderful time here! The menu boasts an impressive variety of steak options, each more tempting than the last—perfect for meat lovers. For those looking to mix things up, the scallops were a delightful surprise; I highly recommend ordering several, as they’re a standout for seafood fans. We also enjoyed exploring the vegetable plates, which added a fresh balance to our meal.

What makes this place truly special is the interactive cooking experience. You get to grill your meat and veggies right at your table, exactly to your liking, and it’s surprisingly easy—even for first-timers. It adds such a fun, hands-on element to the meal.

The staff deserves special praise—they were fantastic, responding instantly to the table bell with warmth and efficiency, making us feel so well taken care of.

Thank you for an amazing experience! We’re already planning to return during our trip—can’t wait to try more...