Yukou — Restaurant in Kyoto

I had the Shio Ramen in the standard version with Chashu pork, and it was a truly beautiful dish from the very beginning. The presentation was excellent, carefully arranged and visually appealing. The broth had an exceptionally clear and pure color, something I rarely see in ramen. It immediately gave the impression of precision and quality.

In terms of flavor, the broth was rich, smooth, and perfectly balanced. The saltiness could have been just a touch stronger for my personal taste, but even so, it was wonderfully harmonious and full of depth. The texture of the broth was also spot on, not too oily, not too light, just the right consistency. Everything about it felt refined and well executed.

The noodles were soft and had an ideal consistency. They held the broth nicely and complemented the overall flavor perfectly. The Chashu pork was outstanding. Tender, flavorful, and beautifully prepared. It really stood out as one of the highlights of the dish. Alongside the Chashu were a few other toppings, including what seemed to be bamboo shoots, which added a nice variation in texture. Everything worked well together, making it a truly enjoyable bowl of ramen.

The ambiance was warm and welcoming, with a cozy wooden interior and a classic counter seating setup. It felt intimate and authentic. The staff was incredibly friendly, attentive, and efficient. The menu was available in both Japanese and English, and everything was clearly illustrated with pictures, which made ordering easy and pleasant.

Overall, it was a truly delicious ramen experience, refined, flavorful, and visually beautiful. The only small detail that could be improved would be a slightly stronger salt level in the broth. Otherwise, everything from the food to the service and atmosphere was excellent. A highly recommended place to visit if...

接客最悪、2度と行きません。

カウンター7席、向かい座席4席。 先客一名の中入店。 店内の端に居た店員から「奥の席どうぞ」と促されるもどこを指すのかもわからず、カウンターの向かい席へ着席。 すると直ぐ様、「カウンターへ座ってください！」と怒号。 言われた通り席を移動するも訳が分からずしばらく唖然としました。 店内奥のお手洗いに移動すると、先客一名が着席されていた更に奥に座席があり、「奥の席」の意味をやっと理解しました。

しかし、はっきり言って客側の視界では、手前に他のお客さんがいると完全に死角です。 そもそも店員が指定する座席の近場へ居るなら「こちらへどうぞ」と指示するのが正当ではないでしょうか。 普段働いている従業員とはじめて来店する客の思考を混同するのは接客業としては最低です。 またたかが10数席捌くだけで店内で騒ぎだでるのは他のお客さんにさぞ迷惑でしょう。 会計時も何怒っているのか、終始不機嫌で気分は最悪でした。 おそらくこのスタッフは接客は念頭になく、流れ作業の様に業務をこなす事を優秀な人材だと勘違いし、自身の何が悪いのかは理解できていないタイプでしょう。 ホスピタリティと無縁の最も接客に不向きなタイプです。

外国人相手に商売してるので多少の接客の悪さは仕方と言えますが、コンサル業を生業にしている身から言えばアルバイトの教育を強化しなければ、はっきり言って接客がきっかけで潰れます。

The service was terrible, I will never go there again.

7 seats at the counter, 4 seats opposite. There was one customer ahead of me when I entered the restaurant. The staff member at the end of the restaurant urged me to take a seat at the back, but I didn't know which one he meant, so I sat down at the seat opposite the counter. He immediately yelled, "Sit at the counter!" I moved to my seat as instructed, but was stunned for a while, not understanding what was going on. I moved to the restroom at the back of the restaurant, and found a seat even further back where the other customer was sitting, and finally understood what "the seat at the back" meant.

However, to be honest, from the customer's perspective, if there is another customer in front of you, it is a complete blind spot. In the first place, if you are close to the seat designated by the staff member, wouldn't it be fair to tell them to "please take it this way"? Confusing the thinking of regular staff with that of customers visiting for the first time is the worst in the customer service industry. Also, making a fuss in the restaurant just to serve a dozen or so customers must have been a nuisance to the other customers.

Even when it was time to pay the bill, he was in a bad mood from start to finish and I didn't know what he was angry about.

I suppose a little bit of poor customer service is to be expected since they are doing business with foreigners, but as someone who makes a living as a consultant, I can honestly say that if they don't strengthen the training of their part-time employees, customer service will be the thing that puts them out...

[Disclaimer: written by a tourist, I am not Japanese, so my review will be coloured by a foreigner’s lens]

Good basic ramen for a quick stop. I appreciated that they had a seafood clam broth and a shoyu broth instead of the more common tonkotsu broth.

We had the clam and the “Black” ramen (broth seasoned with soy sauce) and both were good. The noodles are excellent - firm but chewy. The egg was somewhat cold on the inside which was disappointing.

Overall, a good place for a quick bowl of ramen without a wait. We paid JPY880 for each bowl.

Service was warm and excellent. They have an English menu available. For dinner, the menu is only ramen but there is an expanded lunch menu which includes fried rice and gyoza (we only went...