Ichirin

Choose a dish for the evening from the obanzai lined up along the counter. One diner enjoyed simmered grilled aubergine and spaghetti salad with sweet-potato shochu and soda—a relaxed, izakaya-style way to spend the evening over a drink and a few small plates. That day, the counter reportedly held around ten varieties of obanzai; another diner wrote about trying the six dishes available on their visit. The selection seems to change from day to day, so picking a few that catch your eye is an easy way to start the meal.

Alongside small plates such as simmered grilled aubergine and spaghetti salad, diners have singled out dashimaki (rolled omelette), grilled fish, yudofu (hot tofu) and nikujaga (meat and potatoes). The handwritten menu and the dishes on the counter offer options ranging from light bites to more substantial plates. One diner praised the dashimaki for its smooth texture. Other menu choices include doteyaki, kasujiru, tonpei, grilled udon and onigiri. Whether you want to graze on a few dishes or stay for a final bite, there is room to choose according to your appetite.

Diners looking for beef have also mentioned enjoying sukiyaki and gyunabe. These offer an alternative to building a meal around several small obanzai dishes.

Visitors’ accounts also describe an easygoing atmosphere, with conversation between the owners and regular customers. The restaurant is presented as suitable for both solo diners and groups, and offers a dinner menu and reservations. For an evening of small plates and drinks in Gion, Ichirin lets you shape the meal around what you feel like eating.