Oyachai

Oyachai’s generous lunch plate is a tempting choice when you want to try several vegetable sides in one meal. Visitors say the contents change each week: one day, the main was fried chicken with sweet-and-sour sweet potato; another, a menchi-katsu—a Japanese breaded minced-meat cutlet—with plenty of cabbage. One diner recalled that even two jumbo cutlets felt light enough to finish, and that the crisp texture of the kiriboshi daikon and tuna salad stood out. Another lunch included curry-seasoned fried mackerel, marinated vegetables, quiche and salad with house-made dressing, followed by koji-miso soup and ten-grain rice.

The menu features vegetable quiche, carrot râpée, salad with house-made dressing, and salads made with kiriboshi daikon or hijiki seaweed. There is plenty to enjoy among the sides as well as the main dish. The lunch plate is 1,350 yen; the takeaway bento is 1,100 yen and does not include miso soup or salad.

For dessert, try house-made cheesecake served with vanilla ice cream, or a mixed-berry and vanilla ice-cream parfait topped with a half slice of cheesecake. Drinks include lattes made with Kyoto matcha or hojicha, whisked to order with a tea whisk and available hot or iced. Some visitors have appreciated the relaxed feel of the tatami seating and the custom of removing shoes before entering, making Oyachai a place to linger after lunch.