Gion Shimogawara Hisago

When searching online for a restaurant in Kyoto where delicious oyakodon is served, Gion Shimogawara Hisago, located in Higashiyama Yasui, always comes up at the top of the list. Founded in 1930, it is a simple “soba noodle shop in town” that deserves to be called a long-established restaurant in Kyoto. When I hear that the oyakodon at an ordinary buckwheat noodle restaurant is “excellent,” I feel like “I want to go eat there” even more than at other restaurants. Is it just me, or does it make you want to go eat it even more than at other restaurants?

So I went to Gion Shimogawara Hisago one summer day during lunch time to try their oyakodon, which is one of the most popular oyakodon in Kyoto, a city that is very picky about taste. It had been a long time since I had eaten oyakodon myself, so I was even more excited than usual about this visit…

There is a covered waiting area, so you don’t have to worry about rainy or sunny days! Here’s what the waiting time situation was like one weekend day at Gion Shimogawara Hisago…

I arrived at Gion Shimogawara Hisago at around 11:00 on a certain weekend. At the time 30 minutes before opening, there were 3 customers in front of me. From here to the opening of the restaurant, there were 15 customers, including me, in the 30 minutes waiting time. Hisago has a total of 28 seats (6 tables for 2 persons and 4 tables for 4 persons), so everyone who was waiting in line at this point was the first in line to enter the restaurant. I was thinking at the time, “There aren’t as many customers as I thought…,” but the restaurant quickly filled up within a few minutes, and by the time I left, there were many customers waiting in line at the storefront.

Next to Gion Shimogawara Hisago, there is a waiting area for customers like this. The space is large enough for one car to park, and was probably previously used to park the store’s sales cars and the cars of suppliers. Benches are placed along the wall of this space and can seat about 20 people if they are packed in without any empty space. The benches are covered with a roof, so they can keep out the rain and direct sunlight in the summer, which we, the customers, really appreciate.

A regular top-ranked restaurant in Kyoto! How was the oyakodon at Gion Shimogawara Hisago?

I ordered the famous oyakodon at Gion Shimogawara Hisago (1100 yen including tax), which is always ranked as one of the top oyakodon in Kyoto. The standard price includes a large portion for an additional 190 yen, so I ordered a large portion without hesitation…

After about 10 minutes of waiting, the bowl of oyakodon arrived in front of me. Just by looking at it, one can tell that the egg is in a soft and fluffy state. And above all, the aroma of the soup stock wafting from the bowl is indescribable…

The richness and sweetness of the half-boiled egg together with the broth made from kelp and kelp, spread on the tongue gradually. The texture of this dish is very similar to that of oyakodon at Maruki, a popular oyakodon restaurant in Nishiki Market, but Hisago‘s oyakodon is more lightly seasoned and light, so it goes down your throat easily even during the hot summer season.

The beaten egg is filled with a dice-sized piece of chicken meat, and the chicken meat has just the right amount of heat while maintaining just the right amount of elasticity. When chewing, the juices from the inside of the chicken meat will gradually come out and mix with the flavor of the half-boiled beaten egg, which deepens the taste and makes the chopsticks unstoppable.

On the other hand, the white rice underneath the beaten egg was cooked a little hard. Perhaps it was just a coincidence this time, but the soup stock of the oyakodon was not too much, so the bottom of the rice was usually white rice. After all, one of the pleasures of such a bowl of rice is to eat rice that has soaked up the broth, isn’t it? I had no complaints about the taste and volume of the oyakodon at Gion Shimogawara Hisago, but that was my only regret. Perhaps it would have been better if I had ordered a normal portion instead of a large portion of oyakodon.

Examples of other menu items at Gion Shimogawara Hisago (prices include tax)

• Tamago-don: 920 yen
• Kinugasa-don: 960 yen
• Tenpura-don (tempura bowl): 1,480 yen
• Kizami kitsune udon: 670 yen
• Keiran udon: 750 yen
• Small Zaru-soba: 770 yen
• Seiro soba 880 yen

Another specialty of Gion Shimogawara Hisago is its green tea soba noodles made with 100% matcha green tea… To get to Gion Shimogawara Hisago, take the 206 city bus bound for Kitaoji Bus Terminal from JR Kyoto Station, get off at Higashiyama Yasui bus stop, and walk for 3 minutes.

Gion Shimogawara Hisago is known not only for its oyakodon but also for its specialty, soba noodles made with 100% Uji green tea and dyed green. It is also a good addition to the menu when you are not satisfied with oyakodon. Especially during the hot and humid summer heat, it is also recommended to calm your body down by slurping Hisago’s chasoba.

Now, here are the details of the restaurant…

It takes 15 minutes on foot from Gion-Shijo Station on the Keihan Electric Railway Line.