Kyo Chabana Minami Shinmachi Branch

It was around the spring of 2023 that I learned of the existence of Kyo Chabana, and it was at their Shin-Osaka branch that an article appeared on the Internet about “the okonomiyaki that Sarina Suzuki, a celebrity, stood in line to eat”. When I learned of the existence of the okonomiyaki with tomatoes that she was said to have eaten in that article, I made up my mind to go there someday and try it out. I made up my mind to visit the restaurant, but…

But as the name of the restaurant has “Kyo” in it, I did some research and found out that this restaurant originated in Kyoto. Then why don’t we just eat in Kyoto instead of going to Shin-Osaka? So, I decided to visit Kyo Chabana Minami-Shinmachi Branch on Shichijo Dori. If you are wondering like me, “What kind of okonomiyaki is this?”, please continue reading this article to the end…

More like a teppan-yaki tavern than an okonomiyaki restaurant… Kyo Chabana Minami Shinmachi Branch is like this…

Before going into my impressions of okonomiyaki with tomatoes, let me first briefly introduce what kind of restaurant Kyo Chabana Minami Shinmachi Branch is. According to the restaurant’s Tabelog information, it has a total of 60 seats. It is rather large for an okonomiyaki restaurant, and the atmosphere of the restaurant is more like an izakaya (Japanese-style pub). The main seating is at tables, but there are also about 8 counter seats available, so it is convenient for a single person like me or for use with a partner. If you sit at the counter, you can see the waiter cooking right in front of you, which makes you feel like you are getting a little bit more for your money.

I ordered a total of three dishes, including the remarkable “Okonomiyaki with Tomatoes”… How was it really at Kyo Chabana Minami-Shinmachi Branch?

Let me introduce all three dishes I ordered at Kyo Chaba Minami-Shinmachi Branch…

Tomato and yam tonpeiyaki

The first item on the menu is the Tomato and yam tonpeiyaki (priced at 790 yen plus tax). Unlike Dontaku Doyama’s tonpeiyaki, this dish uses thinly sliced belly meat, but the meat is covered with a large amount of tomato and yam, creating a visual that will melt the tongue just by imagining. The seasoning sauce is fruity and acidic, with just the right concentration to make me thirsty, so the beer tastes even better and the mug is emptied in no time.

Garlic Rice with Beef Sujikon

Next up is the Garlic Rice with Sujikon (priced at 790 yen + tax). Sujikon is Kobe’s soul food, and like the Nagata Honjoken’s Bokkake Yakisoba introduced previously, this is an arranged menu item that uses sujikon as an ingredient in garlic rice.

Fried rice served in a small skillet. The beef tendon is simmered to a thick consistency and melts on the tongue just like tonpeiyaki. The rice on the other hand is sprinkled with fried garlic, and the savory aroma wafts into the mouth and nose. These are topped with more of the rich sauce, and the texture is more like risotto than fried rice. This also seems to be better ordered as a snack rather than as a finishing dish.

Tomato Okonomiyaki with Spilled Mozzarella Cheese

And last but not least, I would like to introduce you to the target of this visit: tomato okonomiyaki. There are several types of this tomato okonomiyaki, and I order the top-of-the-line menu item, the overflowing mozzarella cheese (price: 1,390 yen + tax).

The name of the menu is absolutely true: the mozzarella cheese is melt-in-your-mouth. The taste was mainly sourness of tomato and fruity sauce, and I was disappointed that it was covered with the first tonpeiyaki, but that was my bad order, so I had no choice. However, the combination of this sourness, the richness of the mozzarella cheese, and the aroma of the shiso leaves topped on top, had a tremendous impact on the mouth, nose, and brain. It is certainly no surprise that this is an internet sensation.

On the other hand, this okonomiyaki consists almost entirely of shredded vegetables, which gives it a texture different from that of Osaka-style mixed okonomiyaki or Hiroshima-style layered okonomiyaki. The volume of the okonomiyaki is very generous, and I felt that the cheeseiness of the okonomiyaki was better than that of the fromage-yaki at Okonomiyaki Yukari, which I had last time in Osaka.

The bill was for the above three dishes, appetizers, and two medium mugs of beer. All in all, the bill was less than 5,000 yen, which I think is pretty good in terms of cost performance. I wouldn’t be surprised if this becomes popular even without the publicity effect of celebrities. I recommend that you call and make a reservation before visiting the restaurant, if possible, regardless of weekdays and weekends.

A total of seven affiliated restaurants in Osaka, Tokyo, and other cities… Access to Kyo　Chaba Minami Shinmachi Branch is a seven-minute walk from the nearest station, JR Kyoto Station.

Including the Minami Shinmachi Branch introduced in this article, Kyo Chaba has a total of seven affiliated restaurants in Kyoto, Osaka, Tokyo, and other cities. In addition to the tomato okonomiyaki introduced here, these branches offer innovative menu items such as “Avocado Black Fried Noodle” and “Tomato Fried Noodle”. Will tomato okonomiyaki become a new Kyoto specialty? If you are curious about it too, I hope you will give it a try at a restaurant near you.

Now, here are the details of the restaurant…