Kyoto, Japan｜Honke Owariya Main Branch

APRIL 2023 There was already quite a long queue before the restaurant open but I was able to get the first round of seats as they have a lot of tables. Staffs were attentive and food did not take long to arrive. The cold soba was refreshing and I like how the soba in the hot broth was not too soft. The sauce in the tempura rice bowl was very tasty; not your standard tendon sauce. Tempura was light and crisp and the prawns were big. Very satisfying meal.

Wonderful noodles and great condiments! We were in at 11:30 after a five minute wait, and were seated in a nice quiet room. Can't say enough good things!

I am writing this post as I am eating a bowl of tempura udon from my former favorite restaurant. I was sad because I was thinking about the experience I had at Honke Owariya. I was sad because I now know I'll never enjoy a bowl of soba/ udon like I did before. Now all udon/ soba at any place will taste bland, greasy, or unsatisfactory. That's how good these bowls were to me. They were both light and full of umami. The broth was just perfect. The tempura was fried to perfection and very light. The marinated fish was sweet and savory. All in all, it was a memorable experience for me. We went to Honke Owariya twice during our trip to Kyoto. The first time we went, it was just a little before the opening time so the line was short and the wait was ok. The second time we went was a little after 11 A.M (11:10 maybe?) And we have to wait for 45 minutes. So I do recommend coming early!