Oshokuji Dokoro Asuka

If you want to explore a more homey and local side of Kyoto, head out to Oshokuji Dokoro Asuka. Tucked away on the main tourist road in Higashiyama, the family restaurant offers a wide range of meals for you to choose from, so it’d be comfortable to visit with a group of friends and share. Since the restaurant is frequently visited by both locals and tourists, it can take a bit of time waiting to be seated if you didn’t book in advance. The filling and tasty food here, while being qualified as professional, restaurant-level cuisine with beautiful presentation, can still somehow remind you of your mom’s cooking at home. They also have quite a big menu to choose from: teishoku (a set meal with rice, main course, and soup), donburi (rice bowls), udon noodles, and so on. The most popular option seems to be the Kyoto-style boiled tofu teishoku with vegetable tempura, letting you enjoy different textures at the same time: the soft and nutty taste of Kyoto tofu and the crunchy umami flavor of fried veggies.