Nishiki Market
Viral Street Market with tons of food stalls and small shops
Intro – This is one of the cornerstone tourist traps of Kyoto. It was way more crowded than I imagined and way fewer food options than I expected. But was it worth the hype?
Ambiance – A small alleyway-like street filled with tourists and vendors
What we ordered
- Wagyu Skewers – I didn’t get the name of the shop or a picture of the place, but it was the only large sit-down shop with meat behind glass. This was the first item we got at the market and it was the best item we had there. It was about USD 10 for some high-quality Wagyu though not A5. It was seasoned with a great amount of salt. The sear was not too hard but the cook on the meat was perfect. The meat was a great balance between fatty and meaty. It does run a little stringy and dry but still decently tender. They probably use some sort of trimmings because the cut wasn’t specified but still the best bite of the market. Rating 8.6/10
- Curry Pan – This was from a shop that specialized in selling sesame seed products but also curry pan. I love Japanese curry so I had to get one. This one was unique because it was covered in sesame seeds. The texture was great, being crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. The curry was mild and the seeds on the outside provided a creamy nuttiness. The dough seemed like it was fried so it was almost like a savory doughnut. I wish there was more curry flavor but the salt levels were still good here. Rating 7.6/10
- Gyoza – From a shop on the Michelin Guide, these were great gyozas. I didn’t have much in Japan but these were my favorite on this trip. The wrapper was not too thin and had a good amount of chew. The crisp on the bottom was light and airy. The filling was exactly what I looked for in a gyoza, which was a salient pork flavor with a background of aromatics and cabbage. Super juicy and flavorful. Rating 8.3/10
- Takoyaki – These were really disappointing. The exterior was soft, not crunchy, and the dough needed more salt. The piece of octopus on the inside was average. The mayo and takoyaki sauce on top was not enough to save it. I appreciated the amount of green onions. Rating 6.6/10
- Shrimp Tempura – It was a picture-perfect tempura. The coating was not as lacy and airy as some tempura you would find. I did appreciate the salt levels on the outer coating but the shrimp didn’t really stand out. It wasn’t overcooked but the coating was greasy and didn’t allow the shrimp’s sweetness to stand out. Rating 6.4/10
- Fried Chicken Cutlet with tartar sauce – We didn’t get a lot of protein yet so I wanted something to fill me up. This was an average, if not below average cutlet. It was pretty dry along the edges, and definitely overcooked. I’m a sucker for tartar sauce though so it definitely saved the chicken a bit. Nothing special but a good deal for something filling. Rating 6.8/10
- Cremia Soft Serve – My oh my. This was one of the items I longed for before coming to Japan. And it delivered. Made with Hokkaido milk, it tasted like most of the sweetness from the ice cream came from the natural sweetness of high-quality milk. It was incredibly creamy and not too heavy on the palate. The short cookie cone was light and crispy and had a beautiful level of sweetness as well halfway through the cone because your tongue gets used to the sweetness levels and longs for a bit more. This was the best soft serve of my life. Rating 8.0/10
Conclusion – This was for sure a tourist trap. Everything was overpriced and not of the best quality, except for the Wagyu Skewers. The only items worth going here for were the Wagyu Skewers and the Cremia soft serve, both of which are available in many shops all over Japan. This was a good one-time stop but we probably wouldn’t ever come back.
Overall Rating 7.2/10