奈良 オモテナシ食堂 — Restaurant in Nara

AMAZING. This is such a hidden gem; I'll come back here for sure to try more.

Initially, it seemed like just a small shop, but my family and I were blown away when we got the food; it was seriously good, and the portion size was generous. If you like fried chicken, I'd recommend the fried yakitori. It's different from normal yakitori; just incredible. It was so good we ordered a second round of food.

For the deliciousness of the meal, we were shocked at its price of only about 1500-2000 yen for a set meal.

Hard to believe all the food is only made by 1 person.

In addition, staff are friendly and helpful, offering to help us take photos. The atmosphere feels down-to-earth and not touristy at all; the shop was full of local Japanese people and the shop's decor was austere and traditional.

Gotta say, I'll have to go again sometime.

Also, I was so busy eating I forgot to take...

I visited the restaurant with a close friend. The place was quite popular among international tourists, and we had to wait about 30 minutes after writing our names down. The interior was bright and spacious, and we were seated at a small table for two.

I ordered the marinated sea bream lunch. While the presentation—with its colorful side dishes—was visually appealing, the overall portion size was rather small. For the price, the meal felt underwhelming, especially the main dish, which didn’t offer good value. The tables were also quite cramped, making it unsuitable for those with bigger appetites, such as men or students.

What made the experience especially unpleasant was witnessing a group—presumably a Chinese family—at the terrace in the back, who began eating strawberries they had brought from elsewhere before placing an order. They even asked for and were given bowls by the staff. This kind of behavior blatantly disregards basic dining etiquette in Japan, yet the staff said nothing and continued serving them as if it were normal.

Allowing such behavior to go unchecked not only creates a negative atmosphere for other customers but also risks spreading the impression that this establishment allows food to be brought in from outside. This could ultimately damage the restaurant’s reputation and even impact other responsible businesses in the area.

While appearances and popularity with tourists are important, so too is upholding standards of behavior and hospitality. As the owner, I urge you to take a firmer stance in addressing these issues. I sincerely hope to see improvements going...

Absolute banger, I was given the English menu and was instantly identified as a foreigner but that's completely fine. I had the "chicken thigh with green onions and salt sauce set meal" and a green onion fluffy omelette, the chicken was fried and had green onion and garlic oil poured on top of it, the fried layer on the chicken was light while crunchy, the oil blended amazingly with the Chicken, the rice was cooked with perfect hydration, and wasn't too sticky, the meal was overall hearty and to top it all off there is only one chef and they produce amazing quality food...