Anzukko

I was so excited to try this place after seeing the great reviews and those delicious photos of the pan-​fried gyoza. Our hotel called and made reservations for us.
Unfortunately, I think it’s a bit overrated. Yes, they *look* great but I thought the gyozas’ flavor was average. Prices aren’t cheap, either. And allllll the patrons are tourists.
It was still good, but not this mind-​blowing experience that I thought it’d be from the reviews. :)

This place is amazing. We are visiting Japan from Australia and found the staff went out of their way to accommodate us.
The gyoza are amazing! You have to try their two specialty gyoza dishes, but the chive gyoza was also very good.
The restaurant is only very small and seats about 12 on a bar and 2x tables of 4. We arrived at 7:50 on a Tuesday night and waited about 25mins to be seated.
This is a must try place for a foodie on your trip to Kyoto. Pricing was reasonable — about 5000jpy for two with drinks.

Delicate, rich, and delicious gyoza. Rating 4.5 stars and would be five stars if they just raised their prices instead of a cover charge.
Anzukko delivers. We searched for the best gyoza options in Kyoto and picked Anzukko because of the cast iron cornstarch crust pictures on Unilocal.We made reservations for opening time (6:30pm) having heard they often run out of gyoza and that the shop can fill quickly with after work patrons.
We ordered their house gyoza, camembert cheese gyoza, and shrimp and chive pan fried dumplings. Tables are stocked with ground black pepper, chile oil, and soy sauce. They also gave us a small complimentary house potato salad, mayo based, similar in flavor to American potato salad.
The tetsunabe gyoza come with their cooked side flipped up, on a round cast iron pan, still sizzling hot. The cornstarch slurry crust was perfectly crispy and held all the dumplings together in a neat circle. The dumpling skin was delicate and provided a great chew and vessel to hold the juicy pork inside. The filling was a tasty mix of pork and chives and just lightly handled so the consistency wasn’t mush. Absolutely delicious. The house limits individuals to orders of eight gyoza, and two people to twelve. Choose wisely if you want to let them know you’re in a group of two!
The shrimp and chive dumplings had a nice crust on their skin (without a starch slurry crust). The filling had quarter pieces of shrimp with some pork and chives. Good flavor. Don’t be fooled by the menu picture with four dumplings, each order only includes two.
The cheese gyoza are novel and taste good. They had some chives too and come in orders of two.
The house charges 280 yen cover charge. Very odd.
Service was on par with counter service establishments, and they covered all our meal needs well.
Great spot for gyoza if you’re in Kyoto.

One of the best meals I’ve had in Japan! I took the set menu and every dish was amazing. The gyoza, both pan-​fried and steamed, was really good. And the staff was very kind. We were lucky and got a table at 18.45, but after us it was full. So call and make a reservation!

Instead of calling these gyoza’s, they should call them cancer dumplings. They were so burnt I wanted to kill myself and everyone around me. The woman in charge was extremely rude and dismissive. It was very tourist trappy; you can honestly get way better gyoza at various izakaya around kyoto and small gyoza shops. Also the lack of air conditioning had me sweating like a gypsy with a mortgage. Literally, my local gyoza shop can outdo these any day for a third of the price! As someone who has spent a great deal of time in Japan and eats like I’m trying to fill the screaming, gaping void within my heart, these were incredibly average and the experience was made worse by the service. The screaming has intensified. Like sisyphus I am bound to hell. It would’ve probably got 3 stars if not for the service and for the fact that woman REALLY GRINDS MY GEARS!

We tried to get a seat at Anzukko on a Friday night around 8pm, but were told the dumplings were sold out. We almost didn’t try again the next night but I’m so happy we did.
We got there a bit earlier, around 7pm, and were seated at the bar. The clientele was a mix of locals and foreign travelers but the experience felt very authentic.
A nice variety of beer, sake and cocktails and lots of izakaya type dishes along with their famous gyoza dumplings cooked to a crisp in a cast iron skillet. Sadly for those who don’t eat meat, ALL of their dumplings contain pork but lucky for my carnivore husband he got the whole order to himself and said they were delicious.
The tofu dishes were excellent and the fried rice was like nothing I’d ever had in the States and is definitely a yummy flavor I’ll never forget.

This little hole in the wall was amazing! Best dumplings ever! It’s super tiny inside; only enough sitting for about 15 persons in the whole restaurant. The staff was made up of two ladies who cooked, served and cleaned.

It’s smashing good Gyoza. The pan fried is a must. We also liked the cheese and seafood options. Potato salad was amazing. The service is friendly with English menu option. The staff can speak a little English as well. Highly recommended…

Was very much looking forward to this meal. Loved the gyoza, different than what I’ve had before. I was most impressed by the accompaniments. There was a spaghetti bolognese looking dish, I was super offended to be served this in Japan, after I got over my disappointment I took a bite and instantly realized I’m dramatic and there was nothing to worry about because this dish was amazing and delicious– cold noodles with a ginger-​pork ragu and cucumber topping. I’ve never had anything like it, super unique and refreshing. The cook and waitress hustled the whole night, cooking, serving, cleaning, greeting guests, I was super impressed.

It was our first night in Kyoto so we were looking for something casual yet special. We found this place and decided to give it a try without much expectations. The result: AMAZING!!! Experience.
— Food: we were two people so we ordered a set for 2 persons. It is a looot of food and everything was extremely delicious. The waitress explained each dish with detail and gave us instructions of how to eat it! It is a MUST try!
— Drinks: my husband ordered one of the sake’s recommendations and was perfect! They gave us a small pot that can fill up to 4 little sake cups! It was a very good quality sake. I ordered a cocktail that was ok, nothing special. I realized I should have order sake as well!
— Service: the BEST part of the whole experience! The waitress was extremely nice and helpful considering that we don’t speak/​understand any Japanese. She also taught us how to pick a good sake. The chef came at the end to introduce herself. What a nice people!
— Price: we eat a lot of good quality food with drinks and an outstanding service for ¥ 6000 which is reasonably good!

V nice v good would recommend ¹²⁄₁₂ times.
The gyoza was super tasty and of good quality. Albeit the price was on the higher side for the average diner.
Even the noodles were also great.
Atmosphere was cosy and the staff were very accommodating. The hostess was particularly helpful and tried her very best to speak in English. She was very apologetic although we thought she spoke superb English.
Tried the cocktails which were well priced and quite decent too.
Recommended.

The food here was really good, and I really liked the atmosphere. We enjoyed everything we ordered, from the dumplings to the potato salad, to the sake.
Reservations are definitely recommended as it is a small place, but alas if you come by unannounced and they are full there is no shortage of other restaurants nearby.
Sometimes little things make a big impact, and for me it was the short wide handmade caraffe/​pitcher that they served my cold sake in. I really liked that, and maybe that little thing is what pushed me up from 4 stars to 5 stars.

Yum, dumplings!
This place was such a win, and the food was excellent. You can tell everything is made by hand and damn fresh. It’s upstairs and the staff couldn’t be friendlier. Ask for the English menu if you need it (or just come in confused and they’ll probably just hand it to you.)
We got some amazing dumplings here and everything was cheap and tasty. It’s not a spot you’ll find on your own but a spot to seek out for sure.

Anzukko es un restaurante muy acogedor, pequeño y con mucho encanto. El staff es súper amable y tienen menú en inglés, algo q se agradece mucho en Kyoto. Me encantan los dumplings y este lugar los hace deliciosos, pedimos el menú para dos personas y quedamos muy satisfechos. Si llegara a regresar solo pediría dumplings, los noodles muy ricos pero nada q ver con los dumpling q son la especialidad (todos los tipos valen la pena). Es un lugar para tomar drinks ricos, tienen diferentes cervezas y cócteles.

Walking down a Pontocho alley just North of our hotel after a somewhat lethargic day in Kyoto, we came upon Anzukko.
While Unilocal was not a very influential tool for most of my culinary wandering through Japan, I definitely have the site to think for this gem of a find!
Anzukko is marketed as a Gyoza Bar from the street. For those of you that are not familiar, Gyoza is the Japanese word for dumpling. Anzukko claims to be the only restaurant in all of Kyoto to serve baked Gyoza.
This small second floor quaint Izakaya (sake bar) features dim lighting, pleasant contemporary music and a long bar maned (or woman-​ed) by two talented chefs/​restauranteurs.
Just how good was the food? Well, I could have stomached five orders of the baked gyoza all to myself without a sliver of remorse. The Hiyayako (cold tofu appetizer), medley of dumplings and yakisoba which accompanied the baked gyoza were worth every yen.

Finally checked this place out after having lived in Kyoto for several years and was unfortunately disappointed, at least when compared to other places serving gyoza around the city.
The positive: The presentation and crispiness of the gyoza. That’s a personal preference of course, but i always secretly wish other places would cook them like this. On the other hand, the flavor of the gyoza themselves somehow reminded me of okonomiyaki, with chunky pieces of cabbage inside. Some people may like them exactly for that reason, just not me, and apparently not the 1 japanese person who reviewed this place. I can’t speak to the rest of the food. My impression upon looking at the customers is that Anzukko somehow got on a roll as THE place to go for gyoza on Unilocal,and all the more power to it, but it wouldn’t be my personal recommendation (below.) Good selection of drinks though, as any bar should have i suppose.
The negative: Everything is overpriced. Perhaps it’s their attempt to turn gyoza into a classy affair, but the bill came to 3300 for 2 people which consisted of a single plate of gyoza shared between the 2 of us, and 1 drink each. i’m fairly certain several other expats here would see it as a ripoff.
My recommendation: Check out Chaochao gyoza just a few minutes walk away along kiyamachi. As far as i remember they have a set which includes a set of 12 small gyoza, a beer, and a side dish for 1000 yen or so. Much more fun and lively atmosphere too, with some cool people running the place, just a bit packed from time to time. «Senmonten» is another cool little place if you venture into Gion. They’re both reasonably priced, full of Japanese people (if eating like/​with the locals is your goal), and have a decent range of gyoza. Neither claims to be a fancy gyoza bar, just good food and drinks.

One of the cutest places I’ve ever eaten in.
Do you like Chinese dumplings? If so, this is the place for you next time you’re visiting Kyoto. Super friendly staff in this little upstairs resultant. You can sit at on of the few tables, or better yet at the bar. There you will be served great Chinese dishes done in a uniquely Japanese way. Amazing dumplings, potato salad and unique cheese plates.
The owners speak English and with talk you through your order, so don’t be afraid and try this place out!

Persevere up the dark stairs. When we visited, there was a sign hanging on the door handle saying «yes, we are open!»
The staff are very friendly and there was a woman who spoke good English. The menu is available in English, too. We went for a set menu of about five types of gyoza and some yakisoba to share between two.
The dumplings were all awesome: Paper-​thin skins with just enough chewiness to the fried ones. The woman was really helpful and enthusiastic, telling us which dumplings should be dipped in sauce and which were better off naked. The tsetunabe gyoza were the star of the show — just — if only because of the awesome presentation: real pot stickers complete with the cast iron pan. We ordered some tori karaage as an extra, which was also great — juicy and crisp on the outside. The meal was rounded off by a dish of yakisoba. Who knew this simple dish could be so tasty?
The bill was very reasonable (around ¥5000) with a glass of the recommended sake and two Cokes. It was such great service and the food: oishidesu! If only we had a few more days before returning to Tokyo, we’d visit again before we leave.

So good. FYI much smaller portions than I assumed by pictures on Unilocal.You’ll end up ordering a lot more dumplings than you think, also cause they’re so freaking good. Try the whole menu while you’re at it.

In a quiet unambiguous alley, on the second floor of a super thin building, sits the most amazing baked gyoza house.
When you first walk inside, the space is tight, with a long bar pre-​set and ready for service (There are also a couple of small tables for bigger groups). You’re greeted with a warm smile from your host and then handed a very simple menu in both Japanese and English.
We started with the Jyako green salad and poached egg starter. Pause here for a moment and imagine your mouth is in heaven. An egg cooked to perfection semi-​translucent with a runny yolk, some would say a perfect 63 degrees, but I doubt our host would subscribe to that western egg elitism!
The freshness of the green salad combines with the creaminess of the egg to create a bitter sweet sensation in your mouth. All I can say is droooool. We could have stopped here and the night would be a success. Alas that was just the starter, the star of the show was still to arrive.
Enter the baked gyoza, hot from the oven in a cast iron baking dish, rustic and beautiful at the same time, my style of cooking! Eight little morsels of deliciousness, ready to be dipped into the special chili soy sauce, each one bringing you joy from the taste and sadness knowing you have one less to enjoy!
Next time you’re in Kyoto, Anzukko is a must. Climb the stairway to gyoza heaven!

Après des premiers Gyosas japonais sur Tokyo (Cat street), ceux-​ci sont encore un cran au dessus. Je recommande ceux aux yuzu.
L’ambiance y est cosy, chaleureuse et un brun bobo à en croire la deco et la musique. Le restaurant se trouve au deuxième étage d’un immeuble d’une petite ruelle perpendiculaire et né peut contenir que 15 – 20 personnes.
Compter 400.¥ pour 2 pièces et 2000 ¥ pour le repas avec boisson.

Wow, what a special find in Kyoto. Tucked away on the second floor half way down a random side street are the best dumplings you will ever have. Seriously.
The whole restaurant seats about 20 people max and it’s just one woman in the kitchen taking care of the entire place. Her son (?) helps out cleaning dishes and taking orders, but really it’s a one woman show.
I’d go through everything we had, but the bottom line is that I loved every bite of everything. Fried /​baked gyoza are the go-​to with the steamed coming in a close second. Also the rice pasta dishes are to die for as well.
For you Americans reading this, they do speak a little English and they have a picture menu to help you through the ordering. We actually ran into several foreigners each time we stopped in. Maybe they read the same article I did.
If I ever come back to Japan, I will go out of my way to come back here.