Honke Owariya Soba
THE OLDEST RESTAURANT IN ALL OF KYOTO
Honke Owariya is the oldest restaurant in all of Kyoto (and quite possibly Japan itself). Founded in 1465, its humble origins began as a local sweets/confectionary shop & one of the main soba manufacturers. With the end of WW2 - it became known more as a soba restaurant. The original confectionery store is located on Karasuma-dori, the next street over from the restaurant.
It is also from where Japan’s Imperial royal family receives their soba over their years.. The restaurant also has strong ties to several famed temples in Kyoto from the Edo Period, such as Kennin-ji, Shokoku-ji and Myoshin-ji.
Honke Owariya is the main flagship store (ie. the honten) still housed in a stunningly beautiful traditional Japanese home where the first floor has the main table-seating area and a tea room. The second floor has tatami dining areas with low tables, and cozy little alcoves for those who wish a more private meal.
DELICIOUS HOURAI SOBA
Renown for the freshness & umami of their dashi & buckwheat soba noodles; it’s said that the secret of it’s success lies with using their private ‘freshest’ Kyoto spring well to make everything. So precious is this water, that they will not open a restaurant in another city (for eg. the water in Tokyo is different to Kyoto, so it would not give the same result).
When they opened two other Kyoto branches, it was only on the condition that they drill their own well for the Shijo Teramachi branch however no well could be dug for Takashimaya Department Store, so everything is made at the honten each day & transported over.
Their signature dish, horai-soba (hourai), with its eight toppings: shiitake mushrooms, nori (seaweed), sliced egg, sesame seeds, wasabi, leeks, shrimp tempura, & grated daikon are eaten with five stacked trays of soba with a soup base & a variety of condiments, each to the preference of one’s own taste. It's so fun!
ARIKO INAOKA (CURRENT FAMILY HEAD)
For over 550 years, the same family has been at the helm of Honke Owariya, and in a rare case for Japan, the current owner & sixteenth generation family head (十六代目) is Ariko Inaoka who succeeded her father & her grandfather.
Traditionally, its always the son (or a husband who marries in & takes the surname) who becomes the current family head.
I was so pleasantly surprised and happy to hear that against a stereotypical tradition, that this iconic restaurant has a female family head who is also a well known creative.
Born in 1975, Inaoka-san is also a photographer, best known for her long-term project of photographing a pair of Icelandic twins over the course of multiple summers from 2009 - 2017. She went to high school in San Diego and graduated from Parsons School of Design in 1999.
TIPS:
it is only open for lunch from 11AM - 3PM, Tuesdays are closed. NO RESERVATIONS, just show up and try your luck, however I found each time I’ve gone - either when it just opens, or later in the afternoon, at the most I’ve only waited 15mins. People do move through quite quickly.
If the main branch is too far for you, they have opened up locations in Shijo area & Takashimaya department store (but I’ve always gone to the main original store - it’s just soooo pretty!)
NEARBY KYOTO ACCOMMODATION (places I’ve stayed within ~30mins walk)
Oakwood Hotel Oike Kyoto (~8mins)
Hotel Resol Trinity Kyoto (~9mins)
Candeo Hotels Kyoto Karasuma Rokkaku (~10mins)
Hotel Resol Kyoto Kawaramachi Sanjo (~18mins)
Kyoisuke Hokomachi (~16min)
Kyoisuke Otonari (~16min)
Mimaru Suites Kyoto Shijo (~21mins)
Hotel Resol Kyoto Shijo Muromachi (~22mins)
Wayfarer Kyoto Shijo (~25mins)
Kyo no Ie: Noboru House (~25mins)
WEBSITE: HONKE OWARIYA SOBA | INSTAGRAM: @HONKEOWARIYA
