Nadai Sukiyaki Kimura

Don’t you get the impression that eating sukiyaki at a restaurant is super expensive? You picture a high-end traditional Japanese restaurant with a private room, where a waitress takes care of every little detail… It’s not exactly the kind of thing that makes you think, “Hey, let’s go out for sukiyaki for lunch!” But what if there were a place where you could enjoy an authentic sukiyaki lunch at izakaya prices? Would that change your mind? If your answer is “YES,” then I strongly recommend you keep reading this article all the way to the end…

Among Kyoto’s many renowned restaurants, this one undoubtedly ranks among the top for its retro charm… Nadai Sukiyaki Kimura is a restarant like this…

Nadai Sukiyaki Kimura, the restaurant featured here, was founded in 1928 in Teramachi Shijo, Kyoto, and has remained dedicated exclusively to sukiyaki for nearly 100 years. The restaurant is located a short walk north along Teramachi Kyogoku Shopping Street from Shijo Street. It exudes an overwhelmingly retro vibe that makes it stand out completely from the surrounding shops, giving it a presence that cuts through the shopping street. The first floor serves as the entrance; you take off your shoes and climb the stairs to the dining area. There is a shoe attendant at the entrance, preserving a system reminiscent of high-end restaurants from long ago—in a sense, it retains a cultural heritage feel.

As I ascend to the second floor, the sweet aroma of beef fat gradually fills the air, further heightening my anticipation for the sukiyaki. The general seating area on the second floor is far more spacious than you could ever imagine from the outside. With a total of 250 seats—combining general seating and banquet rooms—it has the atmosphere of a Showa-era training camp with a large tatami room. It truly feels as though time has stood still here, carrying this restaurant all the way into the Reiwa era. Even among Kyoto’s many renowned restaurants, many of which are century-old establishments, I believe this restaurant’s retro charm is undoubtedly top-tier.

It’s nice to dig into sukiyaki all together with a big group… So, how was the Wagyu Sirloin Sukiyaki at Nadai Sukiyaki Kimura?

Now, the menu at Nadai Sukiyaki Kimura offers only two options: the Wagyu Regular Cut Set (3,100 yen, tax included) and the Wagyu Sirloin Sukiyaki Set (3,300 yen, tax included). Even though they’re called “sets,” they include a full assortment of ingredients—meat, vegetables, konjac, tofu, and more—so the price is essentially the same as ordering sukiyaki à la carte. Please note that rice and drinks must be ordered separately.

Since there’s only a 200-yen difference in price between these two sukiyaki courses, I chose the Wagyu Sirloin Sukiyaki Set without hesitation. Adding rice brought the total to 3,500 yen (tax included)…

Here, I’ll share one of the reasons why the sukiyaki at Nadai Sukiyaki Kimura is so affordable. As you can see in the image above, all the sukiyaki here is self-service. At high-end sukiyaki restaurants, the waitresses cook the meat for you and serve it in perfect condition, but here, the quality of your sukiyaki depends entirely on you. You’ll need to be careful not to let the pot burn, but rest assured that as long as you follow this recipe, you should be able to make delicious sukiyaki without any major issues.

So, let’s get started. As the recipe says, first spread the beef fat evenly across the pan, then arrange the ingredients other than the meat. Place a slice of beef on top, and finally sprinkle with sugar…

Pour the broth in from the edge of the pan and simmer the ingredients. Once the sugar has dissolved, reduce the heat, push the meat to the side of the pan, and add the wheat bran and Japanese parsley. It’s ready when the wheat bran has absorbed enough broth. Dip the meat and vegetables in beaten egg… Oh, wait—I almost forgot the rice.

When rice is added to the sukiyaki set, you’ll receive rice in a traditional wooden box along with pickles. It just wouldn’t be the same without these. The rice portion is exactly one bowlful, which is just right for women. For me, though, it’s nowhere near enough, so a second helping is a must.

Now then, with that out of the way, let’s dig in… They say they carefully select and source meat from domestic Japanese Black cows, so the quality goes without saying. It’s incredibly tender, with a great balance of lean meat and fat… While this is a reasonably priced sukiyaki, they’ve spared no expense when it comes to the star of the show: the meat. But it’s not just the meat—the vegetables are delicious too. The vegetables retain a crisp texture while fully soaking up the broth and beef fat. Enjoy them straight from the pot, or dip them in beaten egg and eat them with white rice… Lately, I’ve started thinking, “It would be really nice to gather a big group, like at a training camp, and eat sukiyaki all together…”

Wagyu sukiyaki is a real bargain during weekday lunchtime… Nadai Sukiyaki Kimura is a 2-minute walk from the nearest station, Kyoto Kawaramachi Station on the Hankyu Kyoto Line.

So, after enjoying the wagyu sukiyaki at Nadai Sukiyaki Kimura, it was time to pay the bill. But then came the biggest surprise of the day. Just as I was about to head down the stairs to leave…

I spotted a small sign like this on the landing. Limited to weekdays from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM, Wagyu sukiyaki (served with rice and pickles) is 2,200 yen (tax included)… The meat is probably the standard grade, but getting it for 1,000 yen off the regular price is a killer deal, isn’t it? When I saw this, I honestly regretted it so much—I thought, “I should have come on a weekday…” So, if you can adjust your schedule, I highly recommend visiting for lunch on a weekday.

Now, here are the restaurant details…