Chao Chao Gyoza - Shijo Kawaramachi

Exellent gyoza shop, specialized in tiny gyozas served together. There are also bigger and more seasoned versions, such as with ginger or garlic. We ordered the ultimate individual combo, encompassing 16 of the mini Chao Chao gyoza, 3 normal sized (I chose the ginger ones) and a side dish (I picked edamame). The regular sized were good, but the Chao Chao version was phenomenal! In addition, the staff is really friendly and outgoing. The shop is small and simple, but comfortable. Definitely recommend it! As far as I know, they have two locations in Kyoto, one in Tokyo and the headquarters are in Osaka. @gigicomidinhas

Despite being a famous place in the social media, chao chao really delivered. The food was simply great and service was quick. We had to wait about 20min in the line, since we got there fairly early when the restaurant was opening, which was totally worth. By the time we left a huge line was formed outside. The gyozas are really tasteful. The traditional pork gyoza was one of the best we had in our life's. I recommend trying the other types as well including the off menu options (there are many) and the shrimp versions.the gyozas are small and delicate. We probably ate about 10-14 units each (no rice).

I was expecting Chao Chao to be average at best given the social media hype, but this place really delivers. The food was simply delicious and service is really fast (once you get a table of course!) We waited for about 25-30 minutes for a table. Tried the chao chao gyoza, ginger pork gyoza, mashed potato gyoza, vegetable gyoza and the chocolate gyoza. Everything was so good. Honestly, for vegetarians, this is a superb option because the gyozas don’t feel like a compromise. The chocolate gyoza was so good that we ordered it twice!

We had Chao Chao Gyoza for post-lunch snack before heading over to Nishiki Market. It's located maybe 5-10 min away from the middle of the market. When my fiancée and I arrived, there were 2 to 3 groups ahead of us already forming a line (as the resto had yet to open for lunch) and we quickly slotted in. 15-20 min later, a hefty line had developed behind us just like that! Thankfully, because we were near the front of the line, we managed to get seated when the resto opened up for the day (at the bar counter). Since it was technically a post-lunch snack, we didn't go nuts. We ordered 4 unique types of gyoza to try. The original, okonomiyaki, curry and kurobata pork. Original gyoza (x8): 8 dumplings in one order. The skin was very thin and crispy. The filling was also seasoned very well however, a couple of the gyozas had exploded when they arrived at the table. The original gyoza were skinnier and not as large as the size of the specialty gyozas Curry gyoza (x4): The speciality gyozas were a little larger in size and each order came with 4 dumplings as opposed to 8. The curry gyoza was rather pedestrian imo. The curry sauce on top didn't really taste like curry but rather, a sambal paste, and the raw onion just added some crunch which I didn't really understand. Okonomiyaki gyoza (x4): This one might've been my fave actually. Who knew that dressing gyozas like okonomiyaki would pair well together? The bonito flake actually added an additional layer of umami to the pork filling as I was chewing and the kewpie mayo and green onion balanced out the sweetness of the sauce. Would definitely order this again on a return visit. Kurobata pork (x3): Probably our least fave. Biting in, all I got was a burst of grease and fat (because of the fatty nature of kurobata pork). I love a juicy dumpling but this was just fat that had melted off from the kurobata pork and sat inside the dumpling. The meat was also more pasty and mushy inside this dumpling. Would pass for next time. The resto provides 2 diff dipping sauces at the tables and counter for diners. One was a sesame based sauce. The other was classic, chinese black vinegar. Service could have been a bit better (they were extremely busy and there was a massive waiting line outside). We had asked for extra napkins and water refill and were glanced at multiple times but kinda ignored. The pricing is great! Cheap, affordable, delicious snack. Would return again if passing by in the area and line wasn't long.

Not worth queuing for and entirely skippable, particularly if you are Asian or otherwise used to excellent dumplings. Arrived around 5:30pm and waited 5min for a table. Service was quick but was disappointed by the small portions, high prices and inconsistency. The prawn gyozas and the boiled ginger pork gyozas were good. The best selling pork gyozas, cucumbers and quail eggs were decent but not amazing. The soup was packet instant noodle soup and tasted terrible. The vegan yoba ie tofu sheet gyoza was also terrible - dry and lacking in flavour. Overall every dishes were a bit salty and had room for improvement, and all of the fried gyozas were slightly oily. Total added up to around 3,800 yen.

we arrived right at opening and were seated immediately. the pork gyoza was absolutely incredible. I’ve never had anything like it before! We ordered the two-person set menu, which was definitely worth it for us. The service was great, and we were so glad we came early because the line was already out the door by the time we left.

Awesome gyozas at a very reasonable price. I ordered the kurobuta pork, chicken & mozzarella, and the chocolate ones with vanilla ice cream - all were great but I liked the chicken & mozzarella and chocolate most. The gyozas are not big, but each piece is priced at < 1USD, so it is very reasonable. You can also try a larger variety 😊 Wish I had been hungrier and could order more! The staff were also very friendly and cheerful. I went at about 5.30pm and there was already a short line forming, so reach there early

Most popular gyoza place in town so had to hit it. This was our second attempt to get a table, was there at 1:45 pm but still ended up waiting for 20 mins after that opened for a table so expect long waits. The staff was very kind, welcoming and interactive. We had a table full of gyozas covering their main dishes and a few vegan ones. I personally enjoyed the chili mayo. Is it the best gyoza I've had? Definitively not, but worth checking off your list.