Kyoto was our next stop on the trip and it was just a ~30 min train ride away from Osaka.
Kyoto is known for their shrines and so we made it a point to visit at least one while we were in the city.
Day 5: Kyoto
We didn’t waste any time and went straight to the Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto.
The shrine is dedicated to the God of Rice, and is famous for its thousands of Torii gates. Truly an amazing sight to witness in person.
After the shrine, we took a walk around the city.
Bel’s Gap pants oddly reminds me of the Torii gates…
Taking a quick tea break in the Gion district. We sat down to a cup of traditional matcha green tea and a sweet bean dessert.
I found a lot of good reviews about a “burnt ramen” at Gogyo and wanted to try it for myself.
The broth is cooked to 300 degrees which gives it a smoky earthy taste and also gives it the “burnt” look. The ramen was actually really good and satisfying and I’m glad I tried it!
Day 6: Kyoto (continued)
After the ramen we headed out to the Golden Pavilion.
The iconic gold temple was really beautiful up close and so were the surrounding grounds.
On our way back, we ended up getting lost and taking the wrong bus.
Randomly, we ended up in front of a bunny shrine. What are the chances? We both wrote a prayer card and attached it to the wall. Hopefully they come true!
The food in Kyoto was some of the best I’ve ever had.
Even at a conveyer belt (sushi boat) type restaurant inside a train station, the sushi was absolutely amazing. We decided on a quick snack here after seeing a long line out the door – that’s always a good sign!
More amazing deliciousness! We didn’t get anything here, but the desserts looked stunning!
Ippudo was another ramen joint on my list of must eat places in Kyoto.
The tonkotsu broth was heavenly and the gyoza was out of this world. Yes, I could eat ramen just about everyday if I could! Between this place and the burnt ramen Gogyo, I think I’d give Ippudo the slight edge here, but they were both very tasty!
To be quite honest, I could probably spend my entire time in Kyoto eating.
There was amazing and intricately detailed food around every corner. Even department stores had whole floors dedicated to food vendors.
