Issen Yoshoku

Found this place completely by chance, walking around looking for a restaurant open after 9 pm. They only serve one dish, but it was no issue asking for it without beef. The staff were welcoming and spoke English well. We were seated immediately and had our issen yoshoku within a few minutes. Not the fanciest food, but to get a hearty meal for 850 yen can't be beat. Put this one on your list to visit while in Kyoto

The place is original, with a lot of decorations everywhere! The people are really nice, I was so happy I could have the okonomiyaki vegetarian! It was delicious, I took 2! My mum took 2 with no meat, really good too! And we liked the ginger juice! This place offers only one dish and it's amazing! And you can see the chef cook!

When the place is full but there’s only one thing on the menu, it’s a safe bet that the food is very good. They serve a proto-Okonomiyaki that is more like a crispy crepe with various fillings- ginger, fish cake, etc. It’s more like a Japanese Ceviche. It’s cheap, and the food comes out fast. The beer is relatively pricey though.

A fun twist on okonomiyaki in Kyoto! It was really interesting to watch them assemble it! They have practically every ingredient you'd ever eat in Japanese cuisine (except, I think, no rice). And even though we had to wait a bit to get inside, it was delicious and well worth the wait! There are lots of different exhibits from the past, and while you wait for your order, you can examine everything in detail. It's truly like being in a museum www They also have own stamp, and if you are crazy about collecting them, feel free to use it ^^

This restaurant only has one main dish, Kyoto style okinomiyaki. You can get it vegetarian. There are also desserts, pickled cucumbers, and drinks. A quick walk from Kyoto Kawaramachi station and was not too busy late night.

This place serves great okonomiyaki. They have only one selection available but it was done very well! Try the matcha ice cream too

They have one item on the menu and it is SPECTACULAR. Ask them to cook/prepare it exactly as they have for generations and you will not be disappointed. Great service as well. Excellent English for the gaijins from our server as well. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! 11/10

Very pleasant place to be. With big group, only 1 dish (vegetarian possible). Really nice and tasty food. Chef came in later to ask how the food was. Also nice with kids.

They only have one main food item, with a few side dishes. It's only 800 yen. Drinks are a little pricier than some places but the food is so cheap. The dish itself is decent, and very strong in Worcestershire sauce.

Came here with a large group (9) and were able to all sit together. We had one japanese speaker in our group which helped with ordering. There is only one item on the menu and I would not recommend trying to modify outside of making it vegetarian. One okonomiyaki is definitely enough for two people. It's a cool restaurant with lots to look at.

This was easily one of the better meals we had in Kyoto! They only offer one dish and that is Kyoto style okonomiyaki. The restaurant is decorated with vintage Japanese, humorous but adorable decor perfect for photo opportunities! The staff is warm and welcoming and we were seated right away. I ordered a sake, which was very much needed at the end of the day and I needed something to melt the tension away! The sake portion was huge, easily 3 shot glass amounts since they have the sake cup in a wooden box and they over fill it into the box! The okonomiyaki, was super flavorful! Perfect amount of sauce, which was definitely not salty like the other reviews mentioned dating back before COVID. I'm glad I ordered it with all the toppings. My only regret is not ordering a second one!

Great food and came un-expecting and it turned out so good. 1st time had it and it's worth trying

After a long day of touring Kyoto's temples and shrines, I stumbled across this vibrant-looking traditional Japanese restaurant at the corner of Gion. Little did I know that the place was actually serving the legendary Issen Yoshoku that I've heard about all the way from NYC. Strategically located next to the intersection of Kawabata and Shijo Street, Issen Yoshoku doesn't have an English sign in front of the store. But you will easily spot this place, thanks to their big red Japanese lanterns and old posters, a funny figure of a boy being chased by a dog, as well as mini flags of countries around the world. If those are still not enough, most of the time there are customers lining up to watch the talented chef cooking the dish at their open-kitchen, right next to the entrance. There is also a small signboard bearing information about the dish, the ingredients, and not to forget: a pre-warning that you may want to eat some more afterwards. And believe me, the sign doesn't lie. So, what is Issen Yoshoku, anyway? It is similar to the famous Japanese dish, okonomiyaki. It is made from spring onion, beef, egg, ginger, dried shrimp, tempura batter, grilled fish paste, konjak jelly, dried bonito and, of course, flour. The best part is that each dish is prepared after ordering, so rest assured that you'd get your meal fresh from the kitchen. You can eat Issen Yoshoku while it's still piping hot or even after you leave it to cool-off at room temperature. As for me, I couldn't wait any longer, so I quickly dove into my meal and shamelessly finished one in less than 10 minutes! Rich in flavor, it was both tasty and fulfilling. And yes, addictive! I guess that's why most of its patrons often order some more to go, even after finishing one. The store proudly offers Issen Yoshoku as its one and only dish in the menu, for a price of ¥680. But trust me, it only takes one menu to keep you yearning for more!

This is the Kyoto version of "okonomiyaki." I was here 13 years ago and I didn't recall the food being this bad. This was basically a Japanese version of a savory crepe. It was filled with quite a lot of ingredients. The ingredients themselves and the crepe didn't bother me. What made it really bad was how much sauce was used. The entire crepe was drenched in sauce. It made it extremely difficult to consume because it was so salty! The sauce was also overbearing and I couldn't really taste what was actually in the crepe. I would have given this restaurant a 1-star if it wasn't for the decor and ambiance of the place. This was such a cool restaurant due to the decor, both inside and outside. Even before I went this time, I was able to recall clearly what the restaurant looked like from my previous visit. This was how good of an impression, and a lasting one, this restaurant made in my mind. If you're in the Gion area and wanted to get a local snack, I'd recommend coming here. I'd also suggest just getting one to share if you're travelling with one other person.

Im still not entirely sure what Issen Yoshoku is.... but I found it oddly delicious. It had been a travel day, we had just gotten to our hotel room and were resting up a bit. Using this handy Yelp app on my phone, my wife and I were searching for something to eat (as usual, because Im almost convinced its damn near impossible to have a bad meal in Japan), Next thing I know were sitting in this restaurant eating Japanese seafood crepes. Its the only thing on the menu so its hard to screw up. The crepes (okonomiyaki) came with : scallions, egg, shrimp, beef, seaweed, grilled fish paste, tempura, worcestershire sauce, and some kind of sweet sauce. Sweet, sour, spicy... my taste buds didn't know what was going on, but I did enjoy it. Among all the toys, mannequins, and odd statues I came to the conclusion that this is some odd tourist trap. Who knows if I will ever come across this anomaly again, but I am glad I did.

I saw this place in a guide about Kyoto, so I had it bookmarked to try. My friend humored me, and we found the place. We each got one of these, and this is one of the very very few meals in Japan that I actually regret. It wasn't that it was terrible or anything...but it was SO SALTY that I almost couldn't stomach it. Had to inhale water to get this thing down. They also demanded payment pretty much right when we got our food, which was very interesting. I thought it was kind of rude and weird. Why couldn't we have paid when we finished eating? Or even when we first walked in? Anyway, I would spend your money elsewhere. Walk down the street to Nishiki market and buy some snacks instead.

Loved the ambiance of the place and the design of the interior of the place. Price: since there is only one item in the menu the price per order is ¥730. Food: Consists of a crepe with the following ingredients, Green onion (tons of it) Egg Sakura shrimp (barely) Red ginger Japanese wagyu beef (that I couldn't spot at all) Seasoned konnyaku Grilled fish paste Tempura Flour(within the crepe) Worcester sauce Seawood Conclusion: Food wise the place is barely a selection I would ever honestly go for, it is ok to probably try once but wouldn't recommend it overall.

This cute restaurant definitely caught our eyes with the funny statue out front. We love okonomiyaki. It was awesome trying this style of okonomiyaki. They are also able to provide a vegan option when requested. It was affordable and the staff was so friendly. We also shared one because we were still full from other street food but really wanted to try it. It definitely exceeded our expectationts!! Mmm!! Oishi

Landed at this place on a Sunday night as a last resort. It's like a Japanese Crepe with a variety of ingredients that I wasn't able to document. It was just okay, but of course we weren't necessarily looking for it either. I'd say it's more of a heavy snack than a meal. Too much of the same taste and can get boring fast if you're a foodie. Unfortunately, this is all they serve and the only way to make it different is to leave certain ingredients out. I'd pass on it unless you're in a bind.

My friends and I hungrily stumbled upon this cute little shop, hoping to find solace from the cold winter weather. The store itself is brightly lit and decorated with multiple geisha mannequins. Walking in, we discovered that the shop only offers one main dinner item - its renowned okonomiyaki. The okonomiyaki is filled with chopped up soba, Devils tongue plant, beef, preserved shrimp, egg, scallion, ginger, and wrapped up in a tempura batter shell. Pros: -Heated interior. Super comfortable in the winter! -Very affordable at ¥680 a pop, compared to its expensive neighbors -Tempura batter shell is nice and crispy -Lots of interesting textures in the filling - jelly, meats, crunchy scallions -Very filling meal -Lots of seating -Quick service - took about less than 10 minutes for 7 orders of okonomiyaki -Paying before the meal is served (you can leave anytime after you finish your meal without waiting around for the check) Cons: -Okonomiyaki was drenched in a little too much sauce, masking its natural flavors

Street food Okonomiyaki You pick your toppings/ingredients and they will make it for you right away. Lots of tourists visiting this place. It's decorated wit lots of different artistic pics so people are always taking pictures. You can see the person making the okonomiyaki as well preparing more than 10 at a time. Taste wise I would rather just go to a restaurant specializing in okonomiyaki.

Weird and wacky place, for tourists only, I hope. They serve only one thing, take it or leave it. But they'll modify for allergies "and so on", as the sign says. The one thing they serve is a scallion crepe filled with lots of gooey stuff. Hard to pick up, harder to eat with chopsticks, but tasty. Or "yammy".

The origin of the Okonomiyaki -- the famous Osaka dish comes from here. It's easily to relate these two and how it evolved to the modern Okonomiyaki, everything starts from somewhere simple and cheap and affordable for everyone at a certain era. It is however a little bit salty, but definitely worth to give it a try. We also shared a green tea and it tasted more like matcha, which I love too! The restaurant is in mid-size, lots of seatings and the servers are quite efficient. Lots of tourists come over for the food. As for the mannequins, stories are told that they were part of the marketing campaign "Eat with Beauties", I personally found it interesting since Kyoto is also famous for Geishas. There are also illustrations on wood blocks of men and women making out hanging on the wall, which I also found interesting consider Hanamikoji is near by. These illustration told stories of how people entertain/get more education of bump and grind back in the days when no one talks about sex in public. It's very common among Asian counties and you will find similar stuff in Ancient Chinese culture too. Overall I feel Issen Yoshoku is nice place to try out and can be shared by friends just to get a taste of it. It's also super affordable. 2016003

Old ladies making something fresh from scratch in the middle of the night is always a winning combination. Therefore, a must try for me in any culture. This restaurant sells one item, okonomiyaki, or I should say something similar, yet different from the Osaka classic most people know. It has been rumored that the Osaka version derived its origins from this exact location. The main difference is this version seemed more like a folded over crepe (omelette style) than a pancake. Another major departure would be the lack of cabbage, instead replaced with scallions. Lastly, the sauce on top is a bit sweeter than most I have experienced. As for the decor, the geisha mannequins were certainly the most interesting part of the interior design, along with sex art all over the walls. For a bunch of really old people running this joint, they certainly don't take things too seriously. I wanna give this place a half star for its cool decorations, but ultimately the food has to do most of the talking. In this case, it was good, but nothing I have to have again. It was however a nice one time experience.

There is one item on the menu - Kyoto style okonomiyaki. Really good and on the sweeter side. Inside has had jelly and no cabbage. I requested one okonomiyaki without any beef. Reasonable price for 680 yen. The restaurant decor was interesting as it has lots of geishas to pose with. Cash only. We had to pay for the bill when we received our food.

Little dive joint in Kyoto with only one thing on the menu - okonomiyaki. I can't really tell what's inside but I know there was egg, chopped up soba, and much more deliciousness. And if course, beer. Plus your dinner table date is a plastic model, and the wall has old sexual woodblock drawings...

The decor is really nice and they have big tables for large groups. That's probably the only good thing about this tourist trap. The servers were really really rude to us. We ordered two to share and they kept insisting that it we should order one per person in our group of 5. The food had too much sauce and was really salty. And when the waitress brought it out she placed it in front of my dad and repeated one per person. We asked about wifi to another waitress and she ignored us. The green tea was extremely sweet. Maybe there was a miscommunication when we asked for hot tea. The sake was good. Overall these premade japanese crepes were overpriced and too saucy. I would avoid at all cost as this was the biggest disappointment in all the food we had in Kyoto and Tokyo

I've never tried this type of Okonomiyaki, but it's average. Nothing much to remember about, as they only served one type/flavor. If you're wondering where to find bizarre things in Kyoto, this would be one of the places I suppose. There are life sized dolls sitting at each table, for a purpose I know not of. Creepy as it may sound, it doesn't beat the wall of... weird (ancient?) Japanese porn(?). No offense to Japanese culture, but I only wish I could understand you better (or not, in this aspect).

The snack version of Okonomiyaki. Not my favourite, but it was interesting because of the Konnyaku jelly and balance of other ingredients. Unfortunately, the green onions were a bit overwhelming. Side benefits are that it's open late, and they do the cooking right in front of the shop. Great choice after a night walk in Gion. BONUS: Matcha ice cream. Order it. I don't know why, but it's amazing here. Intense flavour with a bit of bitterness at the end.

Is tasty yet a budget meal compare others at this downtown area. Filling wif rich ingredients, can request to omit beef or any ingredient that dont want. Although its tasty, just feel a bit salty when its come near to the end of bite..... But still a worth, Thumbs up!

tried this place out of curiosity because of all the dolls and decor they have. it tasted like takoyaki but in a crepe form. overall it was okay.

This is Kyoto style okynomiaki. Wasn't for me but something to try if you are in Gion. We prefer takoyaki balls but I'm happy we tried this. Note at night it is very crowded and there is a long wait.

NO! I usually love okonomiyaki, but this one seems like a hot mess. I know it's cheap, but do not consume unless very inebriated. It's worth paying a little more for something else. The okonomiyaki I had seemed very hastily thrown together. None of the ingredients were mixed, leaving randomly clumps of everything. It was already salty, and was drowning in sauce, which only made it worse. I have no basis for comparison as I didn't go to any other okonomiyaki places in Kyoto, but I really don't recommend this one. The Matcha Ice Cream is pretty good, though, especially for removing the taste of all that salt.

I really enjoyed the crispy skin and the tasty vegetables with the wonderful sauce.. the ruining egg yolk is a special touch that really blends all the taste into different layers. Very different from the traditional okonomoyaki pancake taste

Very tasty and great atmosphere! They do one dish here and they do it very well. Excellent flavor combination!

Cool spot. They have only one item (okonomiyaki with their specific recipe) but will leave out items. I got mine without egg. There was a wide range of stuff in here and the flavors worked well together. Loved the crispy batter! Quick service, cheap, filling but not too heavy. Great meal! And as others have mentioned, interesting place to walk around as well.

Was fun to try for the novelty but food was just okay. The random Japanese mannequins sitting by the tables are hilarious. If you've never tried okonomiyaki, give it a try here. Just keep expectations low (think drunk food).

Issen Yoshoku looks like an Okonomiyaki, but it doesn't contain cabbages but minced green onions, devil's tongue plant, chopped beaf, red ginger, and softly baked sunny-side up. It was sold at only 1 Sen (Sen means currency unit in old days) as a children's snack. Its sauce is special! Hot and sweet. Very simple, but satisfying your another belly. Probably you will burst into laughter when you look at a boy's pants bitten and slipped off by a wild dog. Of course they are mannequins. It is very humorous sight! Around the entrance counter mannequins wearing uniforms of Kimono are displayed like real staff members. I mistook a human staff member as a mannequin. Both of them are dressed in the same costume. The real staff member grilled Issen Yoshoku, which smelled tasty and stimulated my empty stomach. I heard its rumor and I wanted to try one. I was astonished by its retro outstanding as if I made a trip to the late Taisho or the early Showa era. Inside has also nostalgic atmosphere. Old posters, votive picture tables, and pictures are put on the walls. Mannequins in Kimono sat down on the chair. Except Issen Yoshoku (650 yen), cider called Ramune, beer, Hiyashiame (sweet cold drink made from candy), nostalgic menus are lined up. Reasonable price. When I feel hungry, I drop in freely to meet my heart and stomach.

Probably one of the worst things I have ever eaten. Soupy mess, fishy in flavor and salty with bits of ginger. Did not enjoy it one bit. I threw it out after a bite. Worst 680 yen I've ever spent.

The waitress provided a menu and when you opened it it was literally a photo of one thing, Their Okonomiyaki. Definitely a great snack. The sauce is really overpowering and it was really the only flavour i can taste. This place is great with the eclectic decor. You have a mannequin at each table. It's definitely a trip for your taste buds and eyes

Had this place bookmarked while I was in Kyoto for some reason. There is only one food item so you'd expect it to be pretty good right? Wrong. It was really sauce heavy taste wise. Staff asked for payment right when I got my food. First I've seen in Japan. Even in the United States I have time before paying. Definitely not worth the ¥680. Rather go crazy in a conbini with that money.

They are serving up an unique Okonomiyaki. Okonomiyaki is one of the unpretentious foods in Japan,and especially it is well-known for its taste. Sometimes we make this at home too. They originally offered thin unsweetened cake made with topping of green onion. Now the ingredients consist of meat, cabbages, green onion, konnyaku, red ginger! We have tons of that and keep in They are located in precinct of Gion, where it is known as one of the best tourist spot in Kyoto. There are famous shrines, souvenir shops, Japanese restaurants, and others nearby. It's good to drop in as a snack during walking around.

Okanamiyaki is quite nice here, unique and worth trying. They only have one item on the menu though, so you will either like it or not.