Tsujiya Umekoji Kita — Restaurant in Kyoto

I randomly found a highly-rated restaurant just 200 meters away from my hotel on Google Maps.

Before the dishes were served, a cheerful guy came over with a box of edamame, offering me a free handful — I could take as much as I wanted. It was quite fun! He seemed to be the only one there who spoke decent English, so he was the one answering most of my questions. This restaurant’s specialty is yakitori, mostly chicken. The tender pieces were very tender, the crispy ones were perfectly crispy, and the flavors were very satisfying.

The staff recommended a three-skewer yakitori platter, grilled rice balls, and grilled onions from Awaji Island. I had never tried grilled rice balls or grilled onions before, and I found them quite fascinating. The onion was huge and tasted sweet.

Besides that, the octopus side dish and the chicken gizzards were perfect with drinks. I was in a great mood, eating and drinking by myself. I ended up ordering several rounds of yakitori and drinks, and to my surprise, I spent 8,000 yen alone. I guess my appetite would be considered...

Fortunate find this place! I eat Japanese food every day back home so i know what’s what. And no need to search around in the hope you’ll find better because you won’t.

Fast, friendly, hyper efficient service. Had dinner on my first night at Umekoji and also last night - solo (36hrs ago). Very hospitable staff. Used QR code order first night then straight off menu (manual order) last night with absolutely no difference in service delivery. In-and-out in

Had the most amazing experience in this restaurant tonight. I would give 10 stars⭐️ for the service alone! They are the nicest and most accommodating crew! The girl behind the counter was so patient with me placing an order for take out on top of the orders we already had. My lack of Japanese knowledge seemed a problem but she did not show any sign of frustration. And the food! Oh my, everything was delicious...from the Edamame to the Tsukune with egg yolk! And surprisingly the French Fries were so tasty & fresh. My favorite was their Karaage, hands down! The price was just right, the ambiance really cool. A 5 minute walk from our hotel. Make a reservation if planning ahead. We got to sit at the bar & saw all the action! Now did I say the staff was...