I came across Gyu Ho on Chubby Hubby’s blog when I was researching restaurants in Kyoto back in 2017. His write-up of the restaurant and food was very positive. Located in the suburbs of Kyoto, Gyu Ho is not easily accessible by public transport. We went there and back by taxi.
Gyu Ho is a tiny, rustic place that seats about 10 persons. A charcoal grill and an L-shaped counter take up most of the space in the restaurant. We were fortunate to have two geishas dining with us that evening.
The chef is an affable chap and spoke to us in passable English. He asked us what we would like to eat and our response was ‘omakase’. I think there is an ala carte option based on what the other customers were eating. Being our first visit, we didn’t know what was available and was more than happy to let the chef decide.
The first course was a simple appetiser of cucumber with miso paste. The miso paste was delicious.
The next course was dish of sweet onions with an ume sauce. How do the Japanese make simple vegetables so delicious?
This beef tartare with a a raw egg yolk and nagaimo all mixed up was YUMMERS! Reminds me of the Korean yukhoe which I love to eat.
Back to a simple sautéed moyashi which was crunchy and sweet.
This was an interesting dish pairing sea-grapes (which I have never eaten before), cow tripe and sea-urchin in a ponzu sauce. The pairing sounds exotic but the flavours went very well together.
I love gyutan. So this was a plate of heaven for me.
More gyutan, meant an extended stay in food heaven for me. This unique gyoza dish was delicious.
This was fabulous – lightly grilled crab that was succulent and sweet.
By this stage of the meal, I was feeling quite stuffed but managed to put away these sticks of tender juicy beef. The meat melted in my mouth.
Besides gyutan, ox-tail is my other favourite part of the cow. Love all the gelatinous bits mixed with the meat.
Another round of delicious melt-in-your-mouth beef that had been slow-roasted over the grill.
By this point, I was nearly in a food coma. This bowl of chilled Korean-style noodles was so refreshing, it woke me up. This goes into my list as one of the most delicious things I have eaten.
Sweet crunchy corn which was totally wasted on my corn-hating husband.
The final encore of the meal – a crusty grilled cheese and mushroom sandwich. It wasn’t an ending that I expected but it closed off the meal on a high note. Every course was delightful and delicious. If I had to pick a favourite, it would be the cold noodles.
Would I pay Gyu Ho another visit? Yes, I would. And I will bring along a huge bottle of sake or white wine purchased from Takashimaya in downtown Kyoto.
Gyu Ho
Address: 22-4 Ichijoji Akanomiyacho, Sakyo Ward, Kyoto, 606-8182, Japan
Phone: +81 75-723-2424
