Pilgrimage to Kyoto’s super-popular Tori-iwa Restaurant – the perfect combo of chicken and egg custard, a family-friendly must-try

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A deep-dive travel map of Kyoto. If you found this article helpful, please give some encouragement.Tori-iwa is what many Taiwanese consider the most delicious oyakodon. Before visiting Tori-iwa, I had eaten oyakodon at a family-style Japanese restaurant in Nishijin, which I thought was the most delicious version of the dish at the time. I also believed that Tori-iwa, which I hadn’t visited yet, would surely surpass it.

That chance encounter with the Nishijin home-cooked meal spot still haunts me fondly, but later I could hardly find that shop again—it seemed as if it had opened just for us that day, then vanished like a dreamlike cafeteria. Eventually, we finally made it to the famous Tori-iwa. Knowing it was well-known, we arrived at Nishijin around noon, walked past Chion-in-dori, passed by Hatsune Hachimangu associated with Minamoto no Yoshitsune, and quickly found Tori-iwa.

The exterior of Tori-iwa is a traditional machiya townhouse, full of Kyoto charm, with a wooden signboard displaying the name “Tori-iwa.” Even before entering, we saw three Japanese men just finishing their meals and leaving. The entrance sign read “oyakodon.” It also had a note indicating it was available only at lunchtime.

But unexpectedly, as soon as we opened the door, we found a long queue of people waiting—truly a famous spot, and among them were Taiwanese too, so we had no choice but to join the wait, which lasted about twenty minutes.

The machiya building of Tori-iwa seems to be connected, with front and back sections joined together, and a fairly large courtyard in between. Walking inside the house felt long and narrow, but the courtyard gave a very pleasant vibe. The dining area is on the second floor, and the staff led us upstairs, where we realized the interior space and seating were actually quite limited.

We sat down, and listening to the accents of the diners around us, I was genuinely surprised to find that over half the people in the space seemed to be Taiwanese. Sitting next to us were a Taiwanese couple and two Japanese people. The staff brought tea, and since we had only ordered oyakodon, they simply asked how many servings we wanted and went to prepare it.

Next, I noticed the Japanese diners eating very attentively, then I looked toward the noisy chatter, where there was a whole table of Taiwanese people—about ten of them—who had actually finished eating but were still talking loudly inside the restaurant. They were discussing where to buy cheap cosmetics, which made me feel a bit uncomfortable. Even more uncomfortable was the fact that didn’t they realize there were few seats and many people waiting outside? I saw Japanese diners who had finished eating leaving one after another, but they just stayed, chatting loudly. I felt a twinge of shame, and my wife and I silently agreed not to say a word. The oyakodon arrived shortly after. The portion wasn’t large, but the ceramic bowl it was served in was very elegant and beautiful. When I opened the lid, tender chicken and a layer of egg custard covered the top of the bowl, with a raw egg placed right in the center—it was quite lovely.Mixing the raw egg with the rest of the dish turned out to be really delicious.

But those inconsiderate and loud Taiwanese travelers made me just want to bury my head and eat quickly, hoping to finish and leave ASAP. Later, before we finished our meal, those Taiwanese people finally left.

I wonder if they felt embarrassed when they went out and saw all those people waiting in line. Seeing them reminded me of a news story I’d read before about a Tokyo cafeteria that refused entry to Taiwanese people because they often made reservations and didn’t show up or didn’t cancel, or when they did dine, they stayed chatting inside and wouldn’t leave. This lack of empathy and consideration from some Taiwanese travelers really ends up affecting even the well-mannered ones.

Taiwanese travelers still have a lot of room for improvement. Actually, it’s not that difficult to be a well-mannered traveler—just a bit more thoughtfulness for others goes a long way.

Nishijin 0? Kimono shop
Kyoto City, Kamigyo Ward, Gojo-dori, Chion-in-dori West Entrance, South Side
Phone: (075) 441-4004
Business Hours: 11:30 AM to 9:00 PM
Closed on Tuesdays

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