Downtown Kyoto - Kyoto - page 139

traditional Kyoto sweets. Just point at what looks good and they'll wrap it up nicely for
you. There's no English sign; look for the traditional Kyoto exterior and the sweets in the
window. It's closed on the third Wednesday of the month.

TOMIZUSHI¥¥
OFFLINE MAP
( とみ寿司 ; 231-3628; Nakagyō-ku, Shinkyōgoku-dōri, Shijō agaru, Nakano-chō 578-5; dinner ¥3000;
5pm-midnight, closed Thu; 5min walk from Kawaramachi Station, Hankyū line) For good sushi in lively
surroundings, try Tomizushi, where you can rub elbows with your neighbours at a long
marble counter and watch as some of the fastest sushi chefs in the land do their thing. Go
early or be prepared to wait in a queue. It's near the Shijō-Kawaramachi crossing; look for
the lantern and the black-and-white signs.

| SUSHI

ZU ZU¥¥
OFFLINE MAP
( 厨厨 ; 231-0736; Nakagyō-ku, Pontochō, Takoyakushi agaru, Nishi gawa; dinner ¥3000-4000; 6pm-2am,
to midnight Sun, closed Tue; 5min walk from Kawaramachi Station, Hankyū line) This Pontochō izakaya is
a fun place to eat. The best bet when ordering is to ask the waiter for a recommendation.
The fare is sort of nouveau Japanese, with menu items such as shrimp with tofu and chick-
en with plum sauce. Look for the white stucco exterior and black bars on the windows.

| IZAKAYA

MUKADE-YA¥¥
OFFLINE MAP
( 百足屋 ; 256-7039; Nakagyō-ku, Shinmachi-dōri-Nishikikōji; lunch/dinner from ¥3150/5250; 11am-2pm
& 5-9pm, closed Wed; 5min walk from Shijō Station, Karasuma subway line) Mukade-ya is an atmo-
spheric restaurant located in an exquisite machiya west of Karasuma-dōri. For lunch try
the special bentō (box meal): two rounds (five small dishes each) of delectable obanzai
(Kyoto-style home cooking) fare. Kaiseki courses start at ¥5250.

| JAPANESE

MERRY ISLAND CAFÉ¥¥
OFFLINE MAP
( メリーアイランド カフェ ; 213-0214; Oike agaru, Kiyamachi-dōri, Nakagyō-ku; lunch from ¥1050;
11.30am-11pm; ; 5min walk from Kyoto-Shiyakusho-mae Station, Tōzai subway line) This popular
restaurant strives to recreate the atmosphere of a tropical resort. The menu is mukokuseki
(without nationality) and most of what is on offer is pretty tasty. It does a good risotto and
occasionally offers a nice piece of Japanese steak. In warm weather the front doors are
opened and the place takes on the air of a pavement cafe (and it doesn't hurt that it's loc-
ated on one of the prettiest streets in Kyoto).

| INTERNATIONAL

SHIZENHA RESTAURANT OBANZAI¥¥
OFFLINE MAP

| OBANZAI