UNO RAMEN -Sanjo- Vegan & Gluten-Free SUSHI — Restaurant in Kyoto

We made a reservation for 6pm. We arrived and people were eating, the atmosphere felt nice and the place looked cute. However no server came to greet us for five minutes, one server looked at me but gave no indication he was going to say hello. Another member of staff came in behind us and we thought she was a customer because she didn’t even acknowledge us or say to anyone else there’s a customer in the entrance, she just walked past us into the kitchen. They then seemed confused that we had a reservation but we finally managed to get a seat. It took an hour to get just some water for the table, another hour to get the first three sides of our mandatory pre-ordered set meal as we made a reservation. We ended up asking for the ramen to go as the service was so slow. We would definitely have been there for three hours if not, other couples who had also made reservations reported being there for as long. One pair had only order two ramens and were there that long! Around us, walk in groups seemed to eat and be served quickly, whilst pre-orders were left begging to be finished. One couple actually asked if they could leave without finishing their preordered set as they were so fed up. Meanwhile dishes piled up on our table, with a server only taking them when the manager prompted them. I felt sorry for him! The restaurant felt like a one man show. Slow service is a common complaint - but they’ve done nothing to solve it. A long line formed outside when we left having not finished our meal, we told them about their sister restaurant (soy milk ramen) which is just as good food but a whole lot quicker. I would recommend going to the original and avoiding this one, even though the original is in a laundrette and...

After a rough couple of days navigating gluten-free dining in Kyoto (soy sauce is everywhere!), I stumbled upon UNO RAMEN -Sanjo- Vegan & Gluten-Free SUSHI & IZAKAYA, and it absolutely changed the game.

From the moment I walked in, I was struck by the elegant simplicity of the space. Guests place their shoes into charmingly decorated cubbies, and the care that goes into every detail is apparent—even the chefs contribute to cleaning the space, which speaks volumes about their pride and respect for the experience. The traditional-style seating includes a sunken floor under the table, with soft mats and cozy blankets, and the sliding doors are adorned with colorful maple leaf designs that create a serene, welcoming ambiance.

Now… the food. Wow.

I ordered the most expensive ramen on the menu—a soy milk–based dish for just 3,200 yen—and I would pay double for it without hesitation. A clever and harmonious mix of greens, taro, and mochi elevated this bowl to something divine. But what truly brought me to tears (yes, really) were the dumplings: crispy fried gyoza and tender steamed shumai. I haven’t had anything like that in years since being gluten-free, and every bite was a nostalgic, flavor-packed revelation.

I finished with a cup of mint tea that was the perfect end to an extraordinary meal.

This wasn’t just my best gluten-free meal in Kyoto—it was one of the most thoughtful and satisfying meals I’ve had anywhere. A must-visit for gluten-free travelers and food lovers...

Don’t understand any of the 4 and 5 star reviews, they seem to be from tourists who have never experienced good ramen in Japan. The noodles here are subpar, mainly because the menu is trying to approximate traditional sushi and ramen - and doing it poorly.

It’s one thing to decide to make your ramen vegan and gluten free by innovating new flavors, textures, and tastes, it’s a completely different one to try and replicate tonkotsu broth and sushi without the ingredients that give those foods their unique flavors and texture. What you end up with is a restaurant that is serving pretty subpar food, kind of like how “impossible” meat replacements look like the real thing but fall short in many important ways.

Maybe people are okay with that, but this restaurant is also charging pretty expensive prices - ¥3000+ for a bowl - which makes it pretty disappointing.

Ten minutes after seating two of the tables next to us were still not cleared; the menu was not sufficiently descriptive as to the content of the ramen bowls (a lot of what appeared in the pictures wasn’t described); the food was subpar in particular the “homemade” tofu which didn’t have enough coagulant and so ended up a watery mess and with a bitter metallic taste. It’s got a cute aesthetic for a restaurant, but boy, is...