Ginger Pork Set Meal at Meshisando
Visited: February 22, 2026 (Sun)
Leaving Ryoan-ji, the evening light had softened a little.
The quiet of the rock garden was still lingering inside me.
It was a strange place — voices could be heard, yet there were almost no other sounds.
With that feeling still in the air, I walked toward the small shopping street.
I noticed a tiny handmade udon shop with an “Open” sign.
I thought I would have something light before heading back.
As I entered, an elderly woman said,
“Rice dishes are finished. We can still make udon.”
So I ordered kamo nanban.
After a while, a loud voice came from the back of the shop.
A man in the kitchen was scolding the woman in a harsh tone.
Apparently it was already closing time.
I was the only customer.
Until the udon arrived, the voice continued.
I remember the taste.
But what stayed with me was something else.
When I left the shop, I thought to myself:
I don’t want to end the day like this.
Let’s redo dinner in Kyoto.
So I walked toward the Randen station.
From Ryoan-ji Station, I boarded the Randen tram.
I changed trains at Katabiranotsuji — the transfer was a little confusing.
The final stop was Shijo-Omiya.
Randen Ryoan-ji Station.
From this small station, the tram slowly carries you back toward the city.
From there, I walked to Hankyu Karasuma Station.
Kyoto in the evening felt calmer.
Instead of the restaurants with long tourist lines,
I looked for a place where local people were going in.
That is how I found Meshisando.
Muramachi Himono Shokudo “Meshisando.”
In the Kyoto night, the warm light of a simple diner.
Inside, the staff were all young.
It felt like a sports club atmosphere —
like senior students teaching new members.
Bright, energetic, and friendly.
The restaurant seemed to specialize in fish dishes.
But after a long day of walking,
my body wanted meat instead of fish.
So I chose the ginger pork set meal.
Ginger pork set meal.
At the end of a long day of walking, a simple taste that gently restores the body.
Soon the plate arrived, carrying a sweet-savory aroma.
The scent of ginger wrapped around the pork.
A slightly strong sauce.
It was the kind of flavor that makes white rice disappear quickly.
Kyoto cuisine is usually a world of dashi.
Quiet. Delicate.
But ginger pork is different.
It is straightforward.
Pork.
Soy sauce.
Ginger.
A taste that stands on its own.
The Kyoto meal I had at lunch restored my heart.
And the ginger pork set meal at night restored my tired body.
In Kyoto,
quiet refined cuisine
and simple set meals
both exist naturally.
Both are part of the taste of this city.
If I had not been writing this blog,
I might never have come to Ryoan-ji.
And I would never have entered this restaurant.
My day in Kyoto began with a golden temple,
passed through a silent garden,
and ended with a ginger pork set meal
at Muramachi Himono Shokudo Meshisando.
Today I walked a lot, and ate well.
Battery recharged.
Time to return to everyday life.
👉 Related article:
🚉Ryoanji Rock Garden — A Garden Where Sound Disappears