Upon arriving in Kyoto Arashiyama, it was already well past lunchtime. On the way from Kyoto Station to Arashiyama, I searched for a place to eat and discovered a famous soba restaurant in Arashiyama.
Considering its proximity to Arashiyama Park, I thought it would be a good idea to have a meal at this restaurant.
“A Restaurant with a View of the Katsura River in Arashiyama”
This restaurant is particularly famous because it offers a view of the Katsura River. While the taste of the food is good, the restaurant stands out for providing a place to dine while overlooking the Katsura River, which flows through the center of Arashiyama.
Of course, to secure a spot with this view, it’s necessary to make a reservation in advance. If you visit without a reservation, you may have to wait in line, as it is always crowded. Even though I visited during a time well past lunch, I had to wait for about 10 minutes before being able to have my meal.
“On the Day of Ordering Tempura Dishes”
Yoshimura offers a variety of menu options, with the Arashiyama dish and tempura dishes being among the most representative. When you order one of these, you receive soba along with another dish. For soba, you can choose between cold and hot noodles.
On this day, as the weather was hot, I ordered cold noodles. The prices are as follows:
- Arashiyama Dish: 1,482 yen
- Tempura Dish: 1,750 yen
When I ordered the tempura dish, I was served a portion of soba, a half portion of crushed buckwheat noodles, and a mixed vegetable and tempura rice bowl. In total, three main dishes were presented.
“A Meal with Two Types of Buckwheat Noodles”
As shown above, two types of buckwheat noodles were served. One is a type to be mixed before eating, and the other is soba to be dipped in the provided soy sauce. This restaurant has the advantage of allowing you to taste both.
Towards the end of the meal, the staff brought something to the table. When asked, they said it was “soba water.” It could be described as water used to cook soba, and in our language, it could be called “noodle water.” It is meant to be dipped into the remaining sauce and eaten with soba.
Although I initially thought that mixing it with the salty sauce might not taste good, I followed their suggestion and found it to have a taste similar to Korean starch syrup.
Noodle water is sometimes served with red pepper, and depending on preference, you can try adding red pepper and drinking it. I also tried the version with red pepper, but it didn’t suit my taste, so I opted for the original version without adding anything.
“Couldn’t Secure a Seat with a View of the Katsura River, but…”
Since I visited spontaneously without a reservation, I couldn’t secure a seat with a view of the Katsura River. However, as you can easily enjoy the river view by going outside, it wasn’t a significant issue.
It was a meaningful place where I could try new food in a new location.
“Japan Kyoto Arashiyama, Yoshimura”
- Address: Japan, 〒616-8385 Kyōto-fu, Kyōto-shi, Ukyō-ku, Sagatenryūji Susukinobabachō, 嵐山渡月橋北詰め西二軒目
- Phone: +81 75-863-5700
- Website: http://www.yoshimura-gr.com/soba/
- Business Hours: 11:00 – 17:00