The Tofukuji area is home to a hidden, detached restaurant and other beloved local spots
This delightful restaurant is tucked away in a quiet residential area, and its classic dishes are truly exceptional. Here, you’ll find unique dining spots that truly shine.
A renowned local restaurant in a residential neighbourhood, famous for its beautifully crisp tonkatsu
‘Tonkatsu Ganchi’
Tucked away in a residential area near Tofukuji, this small tonkatsu restaurant with a counter has been a local favourite for 30 years. The tonkatsu, coated in a mix of rice flour and coarse breadcrumbs, is fried to a deep golden-brown, giving it a wonderfully crunchy texture. The Kagoshima (鹿児島) pork, sourced from a long-time butcher, is thick, sweet, and juicy, with the loin cut being remarkably non-greasy.
Instead of the usual cabbage, the side dishes are a unique trio of pea sprouts, broccoli, and bean sprouts. The set meal, including the white miso pork soup and firm-cooked rice, highlights the excellent choices of owner-chef Nakano Toshikazu (中野聡一).
Tonkatsu Ganchi (とんかつがんち)
Address: 13-14 Goyono-tsujicho, Sennyuji, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto
Phone: 075-551-9029
Hours: 11:00 – 13:30 (last order), 17:00 – 19:30 (last order)
Closed: Sundays, with some irregular closures.
A popular pancake place, loved by the locals for over 50 years
Baikodo
The Tofukuji area has surprisingly few quiet cafes. If you need a break and something to eat, this Showa (昭和) -era nostalgic sweet shop is the perfect place. For nearly 70 years, it’s been cherished by local students and residents in the Imakumano (今熊野) shopping arcade.
The pancakes, which have been a hit since her father’s time, are now made by the second-generation owner, Hiraoka Chikako (平岡千賀子). The batter is mixed to order and cooked slowly on a large copper plate, resulting in a pancake that is crisp on the outside and wonderfully fluffy inside. In the summer, their seasonal shaved ice is very popular.
Baikodo (梅香堂)
Address: 6 Imakumano Hozacho, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto
Phone: 075-561-3256
Hours: 10:00 – 18:00 (17:30 last order)
Closed: Tuesdays. For updates on opening days, check their X (formerly Twitter) account @baikoudo
Handmade soba and a soba kaiseki meal brimming with seasonal Kyoto vegetables
Soba Saryo Sawasho
Right: ‘Handmade Ni-hachi Soba (二八そば)’ made from buckwheat flour sourced from Ochiai Katsuo (落合勝雄) ‘s farm in Hokkaido.
For a more leisurely dining experience, head to this restaurant for a ‘creative soba kaiseki (そば会席)’ meal, served in what was once the guesthouse of a former trading merchant. ‘Sawasho (澤正)’ holds the registered trademark for ‘soba bouro’ (buckwheat shortbread), which they continue to bake by hand.
The third-generation owner, Sawada Shozo (澤田正三), creates a course centred around soba and freshly picked vegetables from Yamashina (山科). Sawada was a student of Omura Shige (大村しげ), a gourmet essayist who was instrumental in popularising Kyoto’s obanzai (traditional side dishes) throughout Japan. The monthly courses, which have been popular for 20 years, are a feast for both the eyes and the palate, featuring a ‘hassun (八寸)’ platter of seasonal vegetables and a beautiful bowl of ‘onbachi’, a type of soba served in a thickened ‘an’ sauce.
Right: The ‘kobachi (小鉢),’ a small dish of unique soba served in a cut-glass bowl. The sesame sauce soba offers a fresh texture and flavour.
Note: Only kaiseki courses are available for both lunch and dinner
Soba Saryo Sawasho (そば茶寮 澤正)
Address: 33-22 Kengumacho, Imakumano, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto
Phone: 075-561-4786 (reservations accepted)
Hours: 12:00 – 14:30 (last entry), 18:00 – 19:30 (last entry, maximum 5 groups)
Closed: Wednesdays in odd-numbered months, Tuesdays in even-numbered months (open on public holidays). Reservations are required.
Official Website：https://sawasho.jp/
Photography: Ito Makoto (伊藤 信)
Text: Kawamura Yuko (川村有布子)
*This article is a reproduction of a feature from WARAKU Magazine (April/May 2023 issue). *Opening days and hours listed may have changed. Please check the latest information before visiting.
This article is translated from https://intojapanwaraku.com/travel/238532/
