Nara, Japan｜Kamameshi Shizuka Kouen-ten志津香

This was one of the most raved about rice pot to try in Nara. Personally, it's a very light dish compared to the usual rich flavors used in Japanese restaurants. I like the rice and the authenticity of the place. The queue however is crazy and I'd avoid it if I were to come with children. I spent 2 hours in line when I reach at opening time. Your best bet is to come after lunch hour (around 2pm) and you can wait for a shorter period.

This place sure didn’t disappoint, food was simple and comforting, it would have been even better if the weather is colder! Service was also very nice They open at 11 and we arrived at 1030 to queue, (we were the second group) by the time we were done at 1145, there were probably 30+ people queuing outside. Goodness knows when those people will get seated.

While the opening time is 11am, I would suggest dropping by 15 minutes early. There was already a queue and the staff will hand out table number cards and menus. Before entering, the staff will also take your orders. I had the Nara 7-type Kamemeshi set B (¥2000). Set B comes with simmered dishes, fruit, soup and pickles. I liked how fresh the ingredients were like the shrimp and crabmeat. The unagi was well marinated too. For the simmered dishes, the slice of eggplant was sweet and had a bit of umami that made me excited by this well executed dish. Overall, the kamemeshi here is one of the better ones I've had in Japan and they've been around for several years now.