Meditating on the meaning of life while eating tofu (Ryoanji Yudofu Umegaean)

The Ryoanji Goryonoshitacho (龍安寺 御陵ノ下町) is a Zen temple located in Kyoto, where it is famous for its rock garden. The garden itself is a famous tourist spot as the rocks big and small are laid out in a harmonious way giving you the peace of mind to meditate and find the meaning of life.

The rock garden is only a small piece of the site as you discover and manifest so many wonders as you walk around the temple. The silence of the surrounding forest calms each footstep as you pass by decade old trees. Each stone laid out on the grounds paves your way to raw nature where gardens grow controlled to look natural but not wild.

Kept hidden in this serene forest is a temple turned into a restaurant that sells tofu. Located in a Zen Buddhist temple, tofu's soft yet bland nature stays uniform to the character of the place.

The restaurant displays no name nor does it have a sign that shows its' existence, so a meticulous eye is required to find the place among the luscious trees.

Once inside, the waiter who speaks little to no English seats you in front of a small table as you make yourself sit cross legged on the tatami mat. The round table has a claypot for the hotpot to go on, sauce dispensers, bowls and chopsticks. But what really captivates you is the landscape garden outside. The garden is filled with smaller trees and bushes with even a running river encompassing the harmonies of Zen.

Wait for your tofu hotpot as you sit facing towards the garden that sticks to the Japanese philosophy of highlighting nature at its best form.

The cuisine

Japanese cuisine as we know, smoothens your palate, adds on subtle flavors to uplift the main dish to its prime. Tofu being the topic here, will be served shortly in a nabe (hot pot), and alongside the main dish, are side dishes that complement the softness of tofu. Picked vegetables in variety of flavors & colors stand out from the red dish, along with other seasoned sides.

The tofu nabe is not hindered by any strong flavors, herbs, or oil. Unlike a Southeast Asian dish where seasoning and herbs play an essential role, this nabe served a purpose to bring out the creaminess of the soy in the tofu, and the moist and soft texture of the dish. Along with the soup and some soya sauce to season, your lunch is harmoniously aligned to soothe your stomach to a warm summer's day.

Oh and don't forget to ask for a bottle of chilled Kirin beer to quench your thirst from this grilling weather outside.

The details

Address : Ryoanji Yudofu Umegaean
13 Ryoanji Goryonoshitacho, Ukyo Ward, Kyoto, 616-8001, Japan

Price Range : $$

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📷All photos without source mentioned are shot from my Samsung Galaxy S8

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Restaurant Information

Ryoanji Yudofu Umegaean

13 Ryoanji Goryonoshitacho, Ukyo Ward, Kyoto, 616-8001, Japan

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Meditating on the meaning of life while eating tofu (Ryoanji Yudofu Umegaean)
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