Yuki Gion

Yuki Gion is a izakaya located on Tominagamachi Kiridori, a street that attracts many tourists in Gion, Kyoto. Due in part to its location, the izakaya is always crowded with customers, and is so popular that reservations are said to be essential. When I actually passed by the place, I noticed that the staff was out touting for customers, which was a rare occurrence. I was surprised to see such a thing. Well…

This must be a must for sake lovers…Yuki Gion is such a restaurant… 

Yuki Gion is a popular izakaya established in 2009 as a directly operated store of the Okamura Honke, a brewery in Shiga Prefecture. The Okamura family is a sake brewery that was founded in 171, the first year of the Edo Era (1603-1868), after being ordered to brew sake by Ii Chief Minister of the Hikone domain. And at this Yuki Gion, they have a selection of sake centering on “Kinkame,” the Okamura family’s main brand, but I was surprised to see the drink menu at the bar. There are sake drinks that cost less than colas and other soft drinks. There is no reason not to order sake at this restaurant anymore, unless you are constitutionally incapable of drinking. And since it is cheaper than other izakaya, you can drink as much as you want without worrying about the bill.

And there is one more great thing about this bar… 

You can compare sake made with rice polishing from 100% to 20% in increments of 10%. If I had the time, I would want to try all of them one by one. But if I drank all of them, I would have to drink almost one bottle of sake, and have to be prepared for a hangover and collapse the next day…

Yuki Gion is certainly inexpensive, but what about the taste? I tried the sake made by a prestigious sake brewery that has been around since the Edo period and the snacks prepared by a prestigious ryotei (traditional Japanese restaurant)

Then, I knew I had to try the sake at Yuki Gion! So…

Strong and tasty original sake

First of all, I ordered a glass of “Strong and tasty original sake”. The price for this one glass is 400 yen (tax included). At Yuki Gion, soft drinks such as cola cost 418 yen per glass, so you can drink this sake for less than a cola.

When I took a sip, I thought it was quite dry… but after a few seconds, a huge sweetness flooded in. I think this is the first sake that gives me such a sensation. And, true to its name, it is very rich. I’m glad I ordered this one….

Freshly squeezed Raw Sake

The next sake I ordered was the Freshly squeezed Raw Sake . This one is a bit more expensive, at 450 yen per cup including tax. But it’s only 450 yen. And they pour the sake over the rim of the glass until the small plate below is full. I muttered to myself, “I wish they had poured the first glass I ordered earlier this far, too…” but the price was originally unbeatable compared to other izakaya… 

And this one had a strong sweetness from the very beginning! I felt the same with the previous one. Like the earlier one, this one also has a rich taste, so you can get quite a satisfying feeling with just one glass. I was very satisfied with these two glasses of sake. Isn’t that amazing?

By the way, snacks to go with these two drinks this time…

Appetizer

In addition to the daily appetizer (300 yen including tax)…

Fried chicken

Bite-sized fried chicken (780 yen including tax), which is easy for even women to eat and snack on. … 

Yuki Potato Salad 

Yuki Potato Salad (490 yen including tax) has a fruity sweet taste with the savory flavor of black pepper and the chewy texture of nuts… 

Cheese Handmade Dashi-maki Tamago 

The inside is filled with melted cheese and tastes just as you expect. Cheese Handmade Dashi-maki Tamago (550 yen including tax)”… 

Firefly Squid Pickled in Sea Salt 

The richness of the marinade with a refreshing citrus flavor is a must for drinkers… 

Lake Biwa Fried Branquillo 

The “Lake Biwa: fried brittlestar (580 yen including tax),” a dish with a delicate and refined taste, with more meat packed in than it looks… 

The bill, including sake, was less than 4,000 yen for the above five dishes plus one more. Isn’t that about the same price as a national chain izakaya in front of the station? The owner of the restaurant is said to have come from Tankuma, a prestigious ryotei restaurant in Kyoto, and I had no complaints about the taste of the food. It is no wonder that reservations are a must. I’m really glad I found a good restaurant…

Examples of other a la carte menu items at Yuki Gion (prices include tax) 

• Grilled Japanese beef steak & vegetables 3600 yen 
• Grilled lamb with Japanese pepper 1800 yen 
• Natural tuna sashimi 1600 yen 
• Deep-fried Japanese eel 980 yen 
• Grilled duck loin with salt 880 yen 
• Deep-fried tofu 580 yen 
• Ham cutlet 480 yen

Very easy to use for drinking alone… Access to Yuki Gion is a 5-minute walk from the nearest station, Gion Shijo Station on the Keihan Railway line. 

Now, Yuki Gion has two floors of seating, the first floor is all counter seating, and there is room for about 20 people in total. Since there are so many counter seats, I think this restaurant is very easy to use for drinking alone. In fact, there are quite a few lone customers like me. Some people leave the restaurant after a heavy drink, while others have a light drink and go to the second bar after picking up a few things… If you are alone, there is a good chance that you can quickly slip in when the counter is empty, and I would rather recommend this restaurant to people who drink alone.

Here are the details of the restaurant…