Date visited: September 23, 2026 (Wednesday, national holiday)
Once again, I’m a dinner-hunting zombie.
Wandering around…
My feet and stomach are both reaching their limits.
What finally came to my rescue?
That’s a Lot of Walking
I’d been exploring Mount Hiei since morning.
I visited Todo, Saito, and Yokawa.
After descending the mountain, I continued to Hiyoshi Taisha Shrine and Saikyoji Temple.
All that remained was to have dinner and head home.
By now, I was definitely hungry.
Chinese Food, Hmm…
Back near JR Hieizan-Sakamoto Station,
I spotted a Chinese restaurant.
Tonko Chinese Restaurant.
It caught my attention.
But at that moment,
I still felt as though I was visiting Kyoto.
Since I’d come all this way,
I wanted a dinner that felt like Kyoto.
…Chinese food, huh?
Maybe I’ll look around a little more.
So I walked past.
Not knowing I’d be coming back later.
Yakitori! Found It!
After walking a little farther,
I found a yakitori restaurant.
There were people inside.
Yes!
Looks like I can eat here.
I stepped inside.
But—
It wasn’t open for business yet.
What?
The people inside were staff members training for the upcoming opening.
I’d seen people inside,
so I’d assumed the restaurant was already operating.
The grand opening was about a week away.
…Too bad.
“There Aren’t Many Places to Eat Around Here”
I chatted briefly with someone at the restaurant.
Apparently, there aren’t many restaurants in the area.
They told me that younger people often go to other towns to eat.
Then they said,
“Please come back once we’re open!”
That was kind of them.
But—
“I don’t live around here…”
I’d only come to walk around Mount Hiei for the day.
I had no plans to return a week later.
Well then.
What am I going to do about dinner?
…Wait. There Was One.
I remembered something.
Near the station,
there was a Chinese restaurant.
The very place
I’d walked past earlier.
…
Let’s go back.
The dinner-hunting zombie
retraced her steps.
This Time, I’m Going In
Back to Tonko Chinese Restaurant.
When I’d first seen it from outside,
I’d wondered if it might be a slightly upscale Chinese restaurant.
That was my first impression.
Inside,
many of the tables had “Reserved” signs.
An elderly couple was already waiting.
They didn’t seem to have a reservation either.
Neither did I.
Before long,
the couple and I were shown to seats at the counter.
And just like that,
the small counter was full.
Maybe I’d arrived at just the right moment.
Without a reservation,
there might be a bit of a wait depending on the time.
First, a Beer
Once I sat down,
I was asked what I’d like to drink.
I’d walked a lot today.
Draft beer — ¥680.
Let’s start with one.
Finally, I could sit down.
And it looked like I’d actually get some dinner.
The dinner-hunting zombie
was slowly coming back to life.
A Calm Chinese Restaurant
Looking around,
I noticed that many of the customers were a little older.
Perhaps they were locals.
Some were enjoying small dishes,
taking their time over drinks and conversation.
Rather than a lively, bustling neighborhood Chinese restaurant,
it had a calm atmosphere where people could enjoy a leisurely meal.
Now then.
What should I order?
Rice Topped with Mixed Ingredients in Savory Sauce
I chose
Rice Topped with Mixed Ingredients in Savory Sauce — ¥850.
A warm, thick sauce
filled with a variety of ingredients.
One bite.
Delicious.
I’ve always preferred lightly seasoned food.
The flavor was gentle.
But there were so many different ingredients.
First, some vegetables.
Then a piece of meat.
The textures changed, too.
With every bite,
something was a little different.
I really like this.
After a whole day of walking,
warm rice topped with savory sauce.
Very satisfying.
【Food Radar | Rice Topped with Mixed Ingredients in Savory Sauce】
Satisfaction: ★★★★★
The gentle seasoning allowed me to enjoy
the different flavors and textures of the ingredients.
This was my favorite dish of the evening.
Let’s Get Some Protein, Too
I wanted a little more protein.
So I ordered another dish.
Chicken with Lemon Sauce — ¥1,400.
When the plate arrived,
I thought,
Huh?
A smaller portion than I’d expected.
This dish also had a gentle flavor.
I like lightly seasoned food.
But because chicken was the main ingredient,
there wasn’t as much variety in flavor as in the rice dish.
As I continued eating,
I began to feel that something was missing.
Even with similarly gentle seasoning,
the level of satisfaction can be quite different from one dish to another.
Tonight’s Dinner
Rice Topped with Mixed Ingredients in Savory Sauce — ¥850
Chicken with Lemon Sauce — ¥1,400
Draft beer — ¥680
Total: ¥2,930
The Chinese restaurant I’d spotted first
and then walked right past.
In the end,
this was the place that rescued me.
Especially
the rice topped with mixed ingredients.
Satisfied.
I’m glad I came back.
📍 Google Maps here👇
Google Maps: Tonko
🌐 Official website here👇
Official website: Tonko
By the Way…
Why had I walked past this restaurant in the first place?
Since I’d come all the way to Kyoto, I wanted a Kyoto-style dinner.
That was my thinking.
But a few days later,
while checking the map again to write this article—
Hmm?
…
Wait. This was Shiga Prefecture.
I was looking for a Kyoto-style dinner,
walked past a Chinese restaurant in Shiga,
became a dinner-hunting zombie,
and eventually returned to that very restaurant.
…
I should have gone in the first time.
A Leisurely Dinner, Then Home
In the end,
I enjoyed my meal at a relaxed pace.
My stomach was satisfied.
Time to head home from Hieizan-Sakamoto Station.
On the Special Rapid Service train,
I got a seat.
What a relief.
I’d walked around Mount Hiei,
visited Hiyoshi Taisha and Saikyoji Temple,
and wandered around even more in search of dinner.
By the time I finally got home,
my step count had reached
28,833 steps.
That’s a lot of walking.
And—
I have work tomorrow.
Time to say goodbye to my heavenly world.
Once again,
I’m grateful to my body for putting up with all my unreasonable demands today.
Back to everyday life.
Read about the rest of this day’s journey here.
👉【🚉 Stopover Journey| My First Visit to Mount Hiei: You Still Walk This Much After Taking the Cable Car?】
👉【🚉Stopover Journey| Down from Mount Hiei, but Still Walking? Hiyoshi Taisha to Saikyoji 】
👉 Related illustrations here
(Free to use)
▶︎ 🎨View illustration page