Restaurant
Kikunoi Honten
A family-run kaiseki ryotei founded in 1912 in the Higashiyama hills, led by chef Yoshihiro Murata and holding three Michelin stars.
Omen Ginkakuji
The original branch of Omen, a Kyoto udon restaurant near Ginkaku-ji known for thick noodles dipped in a rich broth with seasonal vegetables and sesame.
At a glance
- Type
- Udon noodles
- Area
- Sakyo, Kyoto, Japan
- Price
- $$ · Mid-range
- Official site
- omen.co.jp
Good to know
- Non-smoking
- Counter and table seating
- Phone reservations
Why we recommend it
Omen has been making udon in Kyoto for more than half a century, and its original restaurant sits a few minutes' walk from Ginkaku-ji and the northern end of the Philosopher's Path. The business has since opened a second Kyoto branch in Pontocho and a restaurant in New York, but the Ginkakuji shop is the one most visitors make the trip for, a relaxed two-storey restaurant that is a natural lunch stop on a day in the eastern hills.
The house speciality, called omen like the restaurant, is a dipping dish. Thick, chewy white noodles are served alongside a bowl of slightly rich broth made with Hokkaido kombu and bonito, and a plate of seasonal vegetables, kinpira burdock and sesame. You add the vegetables and sesame to the broth to taste and dip the noodles as you eat. The noodles can be ordered hot or cold. The menu also includes tempura and a range of side dishes and rice dishes, and the seasonal vegetables change through the year.
Hours vary by day. On Monday to Wednesday the restaurant is open from 10:30 to 17:00, with last orders at 16:30, and on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and public holidays it serves lunch from 10:30 to 16:00 and dinner from 17:00 to 20:30. It usually closes on Thursdays and from 30 December to 2 January, and it publishes a calendar of special opening days. Reservations are taken by phone only, not by email or through booking agencies.
There are counter seats and tables on the ground floor and more tables upstairs, and the whole restaurant is non-smoking, so it works for groups and families as well as solo diners. Prices are moderate, and a meal takes under an hour. Lunchtime queues are common on busy days, so arriving soon after opening or in the mid-afternoon is a good idea.
The restaurant is on the street that runs west from Ginkaku-ji towards Shirakawa-dori, close to the Ginkakuji-michi bus stop. Combine it with a morning at Ginkaku-ji, then walk south along the Philosopher's Path to Honen-in, Eikan-do and Nanzen-ji. Tetsugaku-no-michi's cafés are also within easy reach for a coffee afterwards.
Omen Ginkakuji FAQs
What is omen udon?
Thick udon served with a rich dipping broth, seasonal vegetables, kinpira burdock and sesame that you add as you eat.
What are the opening hours?
Monday to Wednesday 10:30 to 17:00, and Friday to Sunday and holidays 10:30 to 16:00 and 17:00 to 20:30.
Is Omen Ginkakuji closed on any day?
It usually closes on Thursdays and from 30 December to 2 January.
Can you book?
Yes, by phone only. Email and agency bookings are not accepted.
Can you order the noodles hot or cold?
Yes. The udon can be served either way.
Is it good for groups?
Yes. There are tables on two floors as well as counter seats.
Is the restaurant non-smoking?
Yes. The whole restaurant is non-smoking.
What is nearby?
Ginkaku-ji and the start of the Philosopher's Path are a few minutes' walk away.