Friendly and Efficient: Kyoto Japanese Cuisine

I went to Kyoto Japanese Cuisine (10128-109 Street) for a farewell lunch this afternoon with my workmates. In order to bypass the oft-busy lunchtime crowd, we not only elected to start our meal early (11:30am), but we also pre-ordered our food the day before.

We arrived fashionably late - quarter to noon - to a table already set, with filled glasses and bowls of Miso soup waiting. The restaurant itself is tasteful, with clean decor and muted colors. The chairs were slightly awkward though - made of metal and rather clunky, they weren't all that comfortable to sit in or shift.

But before we even had the opportunity to really get settled, the waitress came by to deliver our individual bento boxes, which all but one of my coworkers had opted for. As I typically order all-in-one rice bowls, this was my first experience with a bento box. With carefully partitioned food à la a TV dinner, and separate bowls for rice, bean sprouts, and dipping sauce, it was an extremely novel - bordering on OCD - way of consuming a meal. And at $8.95 - it is a great deal. The tempura was light and not greasy while the chicken slightly crispy and tender. The beef, however, left something to be desired - slightly cold, and chewier than I had liked, I suppose it could have been a byproduct of our tardiness. But with the rice and salad, the box was a nicely rounded meal.

Because we had to be in and out in an hour, I didn't have time to really enjoy the atmosphere of Kyoto. It may be worth a return trip.

Sushi bar

Place setting and Miso soup

Bento Box with beef, chicken, and tempura