Kyoto Obuya Kyoto Station Branch

Kyoto Obuya Kyoto Station Branch, a specialty shop for Kyoto dashi chazuke (tea-infused rice porridge) run by a long-established fishmonger founded in 1927 at the Kyoto Central Wholesale Market, is located inside Kyoto Isetan Eat Paradise, right outside the west exit of JR Kyoto Station. Originally operating near Nishiki Market as “Nishiki Obuyaya” since January 2020, the shop relocated to the JR Kyoto Station premises on August 31, 2022, rebranding under its new name. Even during its Nishiki Obuyaya days, it was a popular spot, and despite the move, it remains a bustling establishment with constant lines.

Curious about what the Kyoto dashi chazuke from this long-established fish shop would be like, I decided to give it a try and visited Kyoto Obuya Kyoto Station Branch on a certain weekend evening. Since the place is right next to the JR Kyoto Station ticket gate, I was prepared for some waiting time and a line…

The estimated waiting time at Kyoto Obaya Kyoto Station Branch is over 30 minutes… but on this day, a miracle happened!  

I arrived at Kyoto Obaya Kyoto Station Branch at around 6:00 p.m. on a certain holiday. Across from the store is Hashitate, a restaurant produced by Kyoto’s famous ryotei restaurant Wakuden, and along the passageway between the two restaurants, more than 20 customers were lined up in a single file. The system is to get a ticket from the ticket machine at the front of the restaurant and then line up at the back of the queue. The screen displayed “15 groups waiting.” With only 9 L-shaped counter seats and 3 tables for 4 people, a wait time of over 30 minutes seemed inevitable under normal circumstances.  

But on this day, a miracle happened. About 5–6 minutes after I joined the end of the line, the person in front of me asked, “Aren’t they calling you?” Amazingly, the “single customer privilege” kicked in so quickly. It turned out that everyone in front of me had registered in groups of two or more, and I was the only one who could fill the single empty counter seat. I placed my order and paid at the register first, then sat down at the empty counter seat…

As expected from a long-established fishmonger! But… How was the premium menu item at Kyoto Obaya Kyoto Station Branch, the Obuya’s luxurious chazuke?

Let me introduce the premium menu item I ordered at Kyoto Obaya Kyoto Station Branch on that day, the Obuya’s luxurious chazuke. After waiting about 10 minutes, the ochazuke was brought to my table looking like this…   

The rice and toppings are served separately. The toppings, arranged clockwise from the top, include shrimp, scallops, tuna, salmon, octopus, squid, and in the center, perilla leaves, sea urchin, and salmon roe, totaling nine varieties. The condiments include chopped seaweed, shaved bonito flakes, white sesame seeds, and rice crackers. Additionally, a small bowl of pickled vegetables is included, all for a total price of 1,990 yen (tax included). By the way, the amount of rice can be chosen from three sizes—small (130g), medium (180g), and large (230g)—for free. Of course, I chose the large size.

First, let’s arrange the toppings on top of the rice… Hmm, my presentation skills are really poor. But this looks more like a seafood bowl than dashi chazuke, doesn’t it? I feel like pouring soy sauce over it and scooping it all up at once.

But then it wouldn’t be dashi chazuke anymore, so I’ll pour about half of the dashi broth over it first…

Let’s take a bite… The seafood toppings are of the quality you’d expect from a long-established fish shop. The rice is cooked using rice sourced from a Kyoto rice wholesaler that has been in business for nearly 100 years, giving it a light and elegant texture. The dashi broth is a light-flavored base made from bonito and kelp. Each component is flawless on its own. However, after taking that first bite, I thought, “Oh, I made a mistake ordering this…” I think this is purely a matter of personal preference, but I regretted thinking, “This should really be eaten as a seafood bowl…”  

After taking that first bite, I added all the condiments and poured the entire amount of broth over it, but unfortunately, for me, the “seafood ingredients in a semi-cooked state due to the broth’s heat” did not surpass a seafood bowl. The sea urchin melts from the heat of the broth, after all… After finishing this dashi chazuke, I vowed to myself that the next time I visit the restaurant, I would order dashi chazuke with ingredients other than sashimi. However, of course, this Obuya’s luxurious chazuke is by no means “bad,” so please rest assured…

Other dashi chazuke menu items at Kyoto Obuya Kyoto Station Branch (prices include tax)

• Eel and conger eel: 1,800 yen
• Shrimp platter: 1,500 yen
• Sea bream with sesame sauce: 1,300 yen
• Salmon Platter 1,200 yen  
• Scallop and Mentaiko Butter Soy Sauce 1,200 yen  
• Pickled Tuna and Green Onion Grated Yam 1,100 yen  

Kelp and Plum 880 yen

The second store, Shijo Karasuma Branch, opened on August 1, 2025! Kyoto Obaya Kyoto Station Branch is a 1-minute walk from the west exit of JR Kyoto Station.

Kyoto Obaya opened its second store, Shijo Karasuma Branch, on August 1, 2025. Now you can enjoy the popular Kyoto dashi chazuke again near the original Nishiki Market. The Shijo Karasuma Branch offers a total of 10 menu items, surpassing the Kyoto Station Branch. Be sure to try the dashi chazuke that is only available at the Shijo Karasuma Branch.

Here are the store details…