kyoto coffee & eats.
similar to tokyo, we only did one dinner reservation in kyoto and just played the rest of it by ear. these are some of the awesome spots we enjoyed. coffee first, of course!
Weekenders Coffee
in the back corner of a parking lot, was weekenders coffee - an adorable coffee shop with a little japanese garden and moss-covered awning that serves one of the best cups of coffee we had in japan.
Vermillion Coffee
we stumbled upon vermillion coffee after exploring fushimi inari shrine for a few hours, and it was a lovely respite.
% Arabica Coffee
our longest wait for coffee was at % arabica in arashiyama, but it was worth the wait. i really love that japan has so many tiny, adorable, beautifully designed coffee shops.
Omen Nippon
omen lunchset.
a good friend recommended we go to omen for their udon noodles, and the set meal with tempura, dipping sauce, veggies and sabazushi was aaaaaaaa-mazing. this was a meal i could eat every. single. day.
omen closeup.
sabazushi.
Wasai Taka
appetizers.
kyoto style chilled tofu.
after a long day of walking around, we were exhausted and starving, but everything i had previously researched as a possibility was packed. we passed by wasai taka and it looked like a quiet local hangout, and it was, and it was perfect. the food was surprisingly good and i would go back in a heartbeat.
assortment of sashimi with grind-your-own wasabi.
bottarga green tea soba noodles.
crossbreed duck with fried kyoto vegetables.
Chao Chao Gyoza & Other Street Food
gyoza signs.
gyoza machines.
we waited in line to try the gyoza at this spot that is considered one of the best. they have quite an efficient operation, with specialized gyoza machines. they have huge assortment of flavors, but we stuck with the pork and shrimp varieties.
chao chao pork gyoza.
shrimp gyoza.
and of course, who can forget all the tasty, tasty street food. my favorite part of visiting temples and shrines is the street food that inevitably surrounds it!
