In Kyoto, drinking alone is a big thing for both men and women. You can eat whatever you like at your own pace, and also make new friends who are also there by themselves. This blog will be introducing good sushi and soba noodle restaurant for drinking by yourself.
Soba Dokoro Sasaya (蕎麦處 笹屋)
Intersection at Shijo Karasuma is packed with salary men and office lady. When the sun sets, let’s head to South of the intersection. When you turn left at the first intersection, turn right straight away into a small alley way. It seems nothing like a place for restaurant, but at the back of this alley, there’s a place just right for drinking by yourself and enjoying soba noodle.
It’s called Soba Dokoro Sasaya. It will appear in front of you when you start getting worried if there’s really a restaurant here.
These’s hidden restaurants will have your expectation up high. You walk through the curtain and sit on the bar. Feels like you’re in a hori-gotatsu (A low table with a heater underneath the table to keep warm, over a hole in the floor). I arrived at the place around 9pm, but there was still many customers. I had a glance at the menu and realised there’s a lot of Izakaya style dishes with the classic Seiro Soba (Basket Strained Soba noodle) and Zaru Soba (Strained Soba noodle). I ordered a beer to start off.
I ordered a bottle of Heartland. It’s weird to order a beer at a Japanese Soba restaurant, but you won’t feel that way in this one. The reason behind that is the tall antique clock, the music in the bacground and few others with somewhat Western feeling towards it. It might be the owner’s taste.
I took a little bite of the octopus sashimi before the Soba noodle. Whilst I was eating the octopus, it felt like I became a machine of some sort. Sitting down and eating, and listening to my favourite radio, just like the old dude sitting down reading the newspaper betting on the horses. Cheers to Radiko, an app / website that allowed people to listen to their favourite radio station anywhere in japan. Well, I actually didn’t cheer by myself. Otherwise I’d look like a weird guy.
I finished my beer, so I went on to Nigori Sake (Unrefined Sake). Alcohol percentage is quiet high, but it goes down really smooth. I’m quietly going crazy for the Soba noodle coming after this. Feeling just like people going onto the field for a game.
I ordered a Seiro Soba. This noddle they use is called Juuwari Soba. It’s a type of soba noodle that does not use any thickener and uses 100% flour. It requires a top quality Soba chef to make this noodle. Dip a little bit of the noodle into the sauce and sip it with a loud noise. This moment! This moment is the best. You crave for more after finish eating soba noodle because it’s so good that you finish it in a second!
Finish off the night with Sobayu (Water left after boiling the soba noodle. You pour the sobayu into the sauce and drink it. Traditional way to finish off eating Soba noodle.)
Open : 11:30 ~ 14:00 / 17:30 ~ 24:00 (L.O. 23:00)
Close : Sundays
Map : Google Map
Website : Tabelog
Hide (英（ひで）)
There’s a Tachigui Sushi shop (Sushi shop where there’s no chairs. You eat standing up) in one corner of Nishiki Food Street that has been around for 400 years. Eating sushi in this Nishiki Food Street where there’s millions of delicious meat, seafood, Takoyaki, etc is just too stylish. Having sushi and sipping on Japanese Sake is luxury. So I visited Hide.
Firstly, I quenched my thirst with Heartland. Even though it was still May, it was surprisingly hot so the beer went down really well. Gosh, it so good. Keep on coming.
After having the beer my body was ready to eat, so I ordered crab miso and Saba Sushi (Mackeral Sushi). I was so so so happy with the amount of crab miso I got. A mountain. My expectation towards the food coming has risen even more.
I ordered Japanese Sake after the beer. From all this famous selections like Dassai, I chose Sawaya Matsumoto. It’s a sake brewed in Fushimi, Kyoto, and has a sharp after taste. The Yamada Nishiki stands out really well.
Ordered some relish in between. Main dish comes at the end is my spirit.
Had some Tuna belly and Cockle shell. Very nice. Of course its nice. The fatty part of Tuna and the clean taste of the Sake goes really well.
A man who used to be a photographer was talking to the waiter. He was quiet drunk which made him go loud once in a while. He sometimes got reproaced by his wife, and you could see how well they get along with eachother. After having a good chat with the man about how to develop a reel of film, I finished off with having tuna thin roll and Snapper with Konbu. Gochisou sama deshita (A phrase usually said after having a meal).
Open : Mon ~ Fri Lunch 12:00 ~ 15:30 / Dinner 18:00 ~ 21:00 / Sat, Sun, Public Holiday 12:00 ~ 20:00
Close : Wednesdays
Map : Google Map
Website : Tabelog
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