Gion Duck Noodles: A Unique Culinary Experience in Kyoto

This is my partner's favorite meal of our trip! We found Gion duck noodle off Instagram. Their menu is pretty cool, since it's strictly emojis with no English or Japanese. We found the restaurant in a seemingly random alley in Gion. That being said, there was a line and we had a short wait. We got their duck ramen, one with thigh and one with breast. The restaurant is pretty small, it only seats about 10-12 people (which explains the wait). We got our food pretty promptly, and the servers make the food in front of you. The dish was aesthetically pleasing; an unassuming bowl of noodles with clear broth, tasty looking duck, and pepper on the rim of the plate. The broth itself although light, had a lot of flavor. The duck was very moist and flavorful. The noodles had an excellent bite. Everything together, combined with the pepper, made for a delicious meal. The broth itself was more gamey than I anticipated, but the flavor itself was excellent. The ambiance was pretty awesome and the servers were extremely friendly, and they all spoke English. The interiors reminded me of a cool laboratory; both the food and the dining experience were awesome, and worked well together. I would definitely come again in my next visit to Kyoto.

Tucked away in a small side alley is an even tinier restaurant that only serves and specializes in duck ramen. If you never knew about this place, there would be no way to ever stumble upon this place. It was our first night in Kyoto and a group of us (7) decided to come and try this place out. When I say tiny, I mean tiny. The entire restaurant seats only 9, so it was pretty cool to have literally the entire place to ourselves. The wait was about 45 minutes or so but it wasn't a long wait by any means. Just like with any ramen spot, our order was taken before we ever made it inside, but once we were sat, our ramen was promptly placed in front of us. I've never had duck ramen so this was for sure a new experience. I was pleasantly surprised with the flavors of the soup and was happy to have been able to cross this off my list. The chefs and workers were all super friendly and helpful, especially considering the menu was only in emojis. Cool concept for sure!

Definitely one of the most unique restaurants I've been to in Japan. It's located in a tiny alley off the main Gion St, so it's easy to miss unless you notice a sign with just the duck and noodle emojis (the menu is also in emojis, but thankfully the waitress does explain the meanings lol). We waited 2 hours for this, and I have to admit it was worth the wait. This was one of the best things we had in Kyoto. The inside of the restaurant is tiny which explains why the line is always very long. Once you're inside, you can see the chefs working their magic and carefully crafting each dish. The perfectly cooked noodles were accompanied with a refreshing broth. The duck was the star of the day - it was so tender and flavorful especially when soaked in the broth. I definitely would've ordered more duck but was already full off the main dish. The staff was also so lovely, we chatted with a lady who came from France to do culinary training in Japan. Overall, I cannot recommend this place enough, it was an amazing experience.

Took roughly 30 min to come into this small establishment that possessed only 9 seats. Ordered while on the queue but the duck ramen was worth it, with an amazing broth. The tsukemen with either orange or cherry sauce had also a good base to dip in. Option was available for either breast or thigh meat.

Delicious duck ramen. It's in a very small alley way with a line split in two: one by the restaurant and the other one further down. As you get closer, a staff member will provide a menu, and ask how many in your party and for your order(s). We came before the rush so it was about a 30-45 min wait. It's a small spot with less than 10 seats. Food comes quickly and the staff explain each food element. The duck itself was delicious and the best part of the dish. The egg was also jammy and cooked perfectly. I felt as there could have been more depth to the broth and the noodles were good.

Kyoto, Gion. March 2024. This is a concept shop by the Motoki Matsunaga's Menroku Group who also have an additional Menroku duck ramen shop each in Kyoto and Osaka. The concept? The signage and menu are all emoji. You find the duck emoji to tell you you've come to the right alley. Walk down the narrow way and queue up - nice and tight, and quietly so you don't obstruct or bother the other businesses. If you're waiting in the alley someone will come out to explain the concept and menu, then take your order. Keep in mind, with ramen there is no dallying about what to order or eating. Keep the questions to a minimum, the conversations at a low volume until the food comes, then shut up, eat, pay, say thank you, and leave, so the other people suffering in line can have their turn. Inside you will find a minimalist concrete bunker with medium volume Japanese chill hip-hop music. 5 seats at the counter, 3 more seats facing the back wall - if they're feeling generous they may stuff another person in. The duck broth, Kisshu breed from Wakayama, is so clear and light, without fattiness, you might think it is not a ramen soup. You choose a medium, large, or extra large serving, whether you want breast or thigh or a combination. Included are kaiware sprouts, and some flower petals and numbing green sansho pepper powder on the rim. Options are, 3 or 6 extra slices of duck, an ajitama egg (get it if it is not already inclded), kikurage, mushrooms. They also have a tsukemen, thicker noodles with cherry or orange zest options. An extremely good sophisticated bowl. Those who are use to heavy salt and fat flavors in ramen will be disappointed. Cash or card accepted. English spoken by most of the young staff.

Duck ramen as a food category was one of our favorite new discoveries during our recent trip to Japan. Their humorous sign outside, a duck plus noodles, translates in any language. Gion Duck Noodle has great energy coming from their open kitchen, along with thoughtful service and good food. Gion Duck Noodle specializes in duck ramen or duck tsukeman (dipping noodles), and like a lot of ramen shops, you stand in line (for us about 20 minutes) in a small alley, and are ushered in to a tiny restaurant with a bar (about ten seats) and a handful of tables. The bar faces the open kitchen when the cooking and assembly takes place. We had a several orders of duck ramen soup, and an order of duck ramen with sauce (popular in summertime) and to a couple of our meals we added shaved black truffle. Absolutely delicious! It's a quality meal but it's also a bit of a quick hitter as they are trying to move tables to accommodate the long line of customers waiting outside.