Okaru

Okaru sits on a side lane in Gion and stays open late into the night, which has made it a regular stop for the maiko and geiko returning from ozashiki engagements, as well as locals looking for something warm after a long evening. The udon is straightforward, comforting, and correctly made, nothing unusual about it beyond the location and the hours. The low-lit interior and wooden fittings create an atmosphere that is hard to find elsewhere in Kyoto's tourist-heavy center. A bowl of kitsune udon here at 11pm is genuinely memorable.