Best-yet gyoza at the Bear Fertilizer Restaurant

Every day here really is an adventure, in multiple dimensions.  Even something as simple as going out to get some lunch, have a bit of a walk round on a nice day and stop by the supermarket on the way home (which was my intention this afternoon, since I was getting nowhere fast with the work I was supposed to be doing) ended up turning into: discovering the tastiest gyoza I think I've had in Kyoto so far, at a restaurant which gave me some interesting language challenges; discovering a new route home from Kitayama, which may involve less-painful hills than either of the other current alternatives; and finally getting round to obtaining a loyalty card for my local supermarket, which necessitated some unanticipated form-filling-fun!  For now, here's the gyoza report.

My plan was to find some lunch on Kitayama, check out the Botanical Gardens and then head back via Takaragaike; I decided to go via Kamigamo and head down on the river, then wander along Kitayama to see what caught my eye.  The steak, pasta and bakery places weren't quite what I was after, but opposite the entrance to the Gardens I spotted this little ramen joint.

It just so happens that 肥 was amongst my 50 Heisig kanji for the day!  I like going to places I can partly read the name of; somewhat less encouraging was the fact that according to Heisig, this one means "fertiliser". Still, in combination with the second character that was too complicated for me to recognise, I hoped it would be tastier than that sounded, and it was.

Also, the first character in the top line looked like something I ought to recognise, combining elements all of which I know (mu-radical, flesh, two spoons and flames), but I didn't. Looking it up on Imiwa told me it meant bear.  Bear Ramen?  Oh yes.  Except in combination with "hon" (book) which is sometimes pronounced "moto", it reads "Kumamoto".  So this is Kumamoto-style ramen, I guess!


I'm getting better at virtually-no-English menus, and could distinguish the ramen things from the rice things from the other things, even if I wasn't sure what they all were.  The pictures were vaguely helpful but what sold me on my final choice was the "very spicy" on the "to-ma karai raamen".  It turns out "to-ma" means tomato; I was able to watch the chef prepare my bowl of ramen right in front of me, cooking the noodles quickly in a big vat of constantly boiling water, topping them with chunks of juicy pork that were then blowtorched to char and crisp the edges, and finally topping with fresh tomato.

This was nicely spicy as promised, the soup rich and tasty with plenty of finely chopped negi, the noodles with a good bite and the pork toothsome and tender.  The gyoza, though, were really worth writing about: probably the best I've had in Kyoto so far, notwithstanding the fame of Ippudo and that place on Kiyamachi that tops the Tripadvisor rankings.  The wrappers were robust enough to be simultaneously crisp and chewy without the slightest hint of doughiness; the amount of flavoursome filling was just right to provide a balanced mouthful; and they held together well across two or three sauce-soused bites.  A++, would eat again!  In fact, will probably eat again very soon; I'd go back just for the gyoza...

A New Year's sunrise at Kurama-Dera

It was after 1am by the time I got home on New Year's Eve, having taken the subway and then a taxi. The temptation, when the alarm went off around 5:30am, to turn it off and sleep in was strong, but I resisted and got up, dressed and out to nearby Kyoto-Seikadai-Mae station to get the train up to Kurama.

It was eerily still and quiet at the station and I had a moment of doubt as to whether the train would really arrive. Were they really running before 6am on New Year's Day? I was much encouraged when it did come and was full of people -- this idea of going up to Kurama-Dera for the New Year sunrise must have something in it.

It was still dark when we got out of the station, but lamps beside the stairs showed the way to the temple.

As we climbed, the first misty half-light of dawn began to show.

When I reached the top of the mountain, the sun was still a faint glow behind the eastern mountains.








We stood against the railing, looking out towards the east, waiting for the sun.

Finally, the first rays of the sun climbed above the horizon.

We stood in front of the temple, bathed in the light of a new year.

The priests had very thoughtfully lit a fire in the temple yard so we could warm ourselves.

Even the temple guardians seemed to be welcoming the sun.

With the new day well begun, I headed back down the mountain.

Kurama-dera has toilets for deer...

... and for rabbits!

In the light of day, there were plenty of things to see on the way down!

There are no photos of Kurama Onsen, but I arrived at 9am, waited outside until 10am by which time I was thoroughly chilled, and then luxuriated in the delightful warmth of the rotemburo (outdoor hot spring pool) for a good hour.

After that it was time for lunch: mountain vegetable soba noodles, with 7 types of wild vegetables.










The tengu is a famous feature of Kurama -- in fact, the towel I bought at the onsen (it was 200yen for a small towel you can keep, or 400yen to rent a big bath towel) was dyed with a tengu face. I was puzzled as I hadn't seen a tengu in the village. It turns out he was at the station; I'd walked right past him in the dark.

Finally, a quirky way of telling new-year fortunes: by 12-year zodiac... and blood type!