Kyoto Guide

Menus

All of the menus below should be applicable to the vast majority of restaurants. The most common dishes available are listed below. Once you've been somewhere a few times and become comfortable, it's easy to be more adventurous. Asking the staff " osusume wa nandesuka?", what do you recommend? will usually get you something nice. Becoming a regular somewhere is the best way to get a good meal and let's face it, you're probably going to be fairly recognisable.

Okonomiyaki お好み焼き

Japanese	English	Description
ミックス	mikkusu	Just as it says a mixture of meat, seafood and cabbage. A good one to start with.
豚 (ぶた) ブタ	buta	Pork
海老 (えび)　エビ	ebi	Prawn
いか　イカ	ika	Squid
もちチーズ　モチチーズ	mochi cheese	Cheese and rice cake
海鮮 (かいせん)　カイセン	kaisen	Seafood
キムチ	kimuchi	Kimuchi (spicy Korean pickle)
広島焼き	hiroshimayaki	Basically a mixed one with a fried egg
ねぎ焼き　ネギ焼き	negiyaki	Lots of spring onions
モダン焼き	modanyaki	Okonomiyaki and soba together
焼きそば　ヤキソバ	yakisoba	Fried noodles with various fillings
牛すじ　牛スジ	gyuusuji	Beef gristle stewed in Soy and sugar.
オムそば　オムソバ	omusoba	Yakisoba wrapped in an omelet

Soba/Udon 蕎麦（そば）/饂飩（うどん）

Japanese	English	Description
*ざる　ザル	zaru	Cold noodles with dipping sauce, good in summer
*天ざる　天ザル	tenzaru	As above with tenpura on the side.
*山かけ　とろろ	yamakake tororo	Grated yam potato on noodles. Can be hot or cold.
*かけ	kake	Simple noodle dish usually the cheapest.
*きつね　キツネ	kitsune	Hot noodles topped with deep fried tofu
*月見	tsukimi	Hot noodles with a poached egg
*山菜　さんさい	sansai	Noodles with mountain vegetables
カレーうどん	kareudon	Udon in a curry sauce
*天ぷら　てんぷら	tenpura	Hot noodles topped with tenpura prawn and veg
にしんそば	nishinsoba	Kyoto speciality with a herring on top
ーどん	-don	What comes before the don is put on rice and served with a soy sauced based sauce

*These varieties can be both soba or udon.

Yakiniku 焼肉

Japanese	English	Description
タン	tan	Tongue, surprisingly good
カルビ	karubi	The meat between the ribs
ロース	rousu	Near the shoulder
バラ	bara	Around the sides
豚とろ　豚トロ	tontoro	Pork meat
ハラミ	harami	A less fatty cut
ホルモン	horumon	Similar to tripe
骨付きカルビ	honetsukikarubi	Beef still on the rib
海老　エビ	ebi	Prawn
帆立　ホタテ	hotate	Scallop
とうもろこし	toumorokoshi	Sweetcorn
野菜盛り合わせ	yasai moriawase	An assortment of vegetables that can be grilled
ビビンバ	bibinnba	Korean rice dish
ユッケ	yukke	Raw beef in sauce with a raw egg on top

* Please note many of these can be either in just plain salt or with a sauce. If the staff ask you " shio ka tare" they are asking "salt or sauce".

Yakitori 焼き鳥

Japanese	English	Description
ねぎま　ネギマ	negima	Chicken and spring onion
手羽先　てばさき	tebasaki	Chicken wing
もも　モモ	momo	Thigh meat
皮　かわ　カワ	kawa	skin
なんこつ　ナンコツ	nankotsu	Chicken grizzle, better than it sounds
レバー	lebaa	liver
つくね　ツクネ	tsukune	Chicken patties
盛り合わせ	moriawase	A mixture of everything
むね　ムネ	mune	Breast meat
しそ巻き	shisomaki	Grilled with a plum sauce

* The above are again usually available with both a soy sauced based sauce "tare"or with salt "shio". Most places offer salads and other dishes as well.

Ramen ラーメン

Japanese	English	Description
ラーメン	ramen	Normal ramen (of that shop)
チャーシューメン	charshumen	Normal ramen with extra pork
冷麺　レイメン	reimen	A cold version of ramen eaten in summer
餃子　ギョーザ	gyoza	Chinese dumplings fried
ご飯　ライス	gohan raisu	White rice
炒飯　チャーハン	chahan	Fried rice
大盛	oomori	Extra large portion of noodles