MOTOI Gyoza

Highly recommended gyozas, with a particular authoral blend that is even incentivized to be paired with wine. We ordered an 8-piece portion of each: • The authoral blend, Papa's Gyoza, contains pork, prawn, cabbage, scallion, coriander, ginger and other spices; and • The traditional, pork, cabbage, scallion and spices version. They were deliciously crispy on the bottom and juicy on the inside. I personally still preferred the traditional blend. I think it took a while longer for us to receive our order, which is not common in gyoza restaurants. Service was really focused and not so friendly. Not the best gyoza or overall gyoza experience I had during the trip, but worth a visit. @gigicomidinhas

My friend recommended me to come here for Gyozas and they didn’t disappoint. I was not very hungry so I tried the Papa ones. I really liked how crispy they were and how well they combined with olive oil. It was also a pleasant surprise to see they used olive oil here as seasoning, which is rare in Japan. I wish I had ordered more. Most of the clientele is international, the service is a bit slow but friendly. Recommended if you like good gyozas.

Motoi Gyoza, Kyoto does gyoza right. Creative, delicious, and thoughtfully done. The Papa’s Signature with olive oil and salt is an absolute must, and the house hot sauce hits just right. Celery and wagyu gyoza are both standouts. Ravioli-style gyoza that pair perfectly with a cold beer. 🍺🥟

I am a huge fan of dumplings in all variety and eat them regularly. Motoi Gyoza is a solid 🥟 spot serving good gyoza to a primarily non-Japanese crowd. When I went for lunch on a Sunday, locals made up of roughly 10% of patrons. All of the waitstaff spoke English and responded in English even when I tried practicing some Japanese ☺️. My Japanese definitely needs work, but this signals that they’re well accustomed to catering to an English speaking crowd. As a solo diner I waited less than groups of 2+ because bar seating turned over a bit faster. I ordered the Papa gyoza, karaage, side of rice, and iced tea. Papa Gyoza (3.5/5) The gyoza had a nice thin wrapper, allowing more of the filling to come through. Thin wrappers, however, are less crispy than thicker ones because there’s less skin to brown. Because of that, the crispy gyoza wing was both smart and necessary. Despite pork being listed as the first ingredient, I couldn’t really taste it. The filling was very leek forward and had an earthy profile. The shrimp was mildly noticeable and, combined with the leek, created a rather soft texture overall. I felt more pork was needed to add bite and balance. Karaage (4.2/5) The karaage was served on a bed of greens with a citrus soy dressing on the bottom and topped with a tangy relish that seemed to include white and green onion. The acidity from the dressing and topping cut through the richness of the fried chicken very well. Dipped in a bit of their signature ponzu chili sauce, it paired excellently with rice. Overall, this dish was very enjoyable. Overall, the food was good and satisfying, and I especially loved the accompaniments like the yuzu chili sauce. I’d come back, especially to try their Motoi gyoza!

Searched for the best gyoza in Kyoto and saw this place. It's a short walk from Nishiki market. The vibes of the place is nice along with the friendly staff! We tried the Motoi and Papa's gyoza. I couldn't stop thinking about the olive oil with salt dip that paired so well with the Motoi gyoza!!! Their Papa's gyoza had a different dip and tasted as good!! I love how crunchy is it too. We ate 8 pieces each and still could not get enough. Worth going to if you're in Kyoto!

We came around 7 pm with 2 persons and waited around 30 min. (Expect to wait longer or split tables if you are with more than 4 persons) The wait was fine, prepare to stand or sit on the sidewalk outside. We had a seat at the bar and we had to order through a QR code on our phone. We ordered 2 beers and around 15 minutes later we got the wagyu gyoza and papa's gyoza. They explain what is the best combination to try. It was absolute the best gyoza we had! (And I can tell you we had alot!) On the way out they all say you goodbye, that's cute.

Nice Gyoza restaurant in Kyoto. The variety is limited but the gyozas are very tasty with a soft doughy and good dough to filling proportions. Be prepared to wait for a table… the line at the entrance can get quite long. It’s possible to ask for drinks at the bar while you wait though.

The best meal I’ve had since being in Japan. Would literally come back to Kyoto, for these alone. The wagyu beef option, was absolutely the standout. We went at about 11:45am and easily got a table. We had friends go back that evening because we hadn’t stopped talking about it.