The Kobe sukiyaki burger at Chikarayama. Each burger comes with a side of sweet potato chips. (Jeremy Stillwagner/Stars and Stripes)
Chikarayama, tucked into on a small shopping street in Kyoto, is a great stop for lunch.
The small restaurant’s lunchtime specialty is wagyu burgers, piled high with meat and fresh toppings.
The menu is small with a selection of only six burgers, but the quality is high and the atmosphere is welcoming.
Meat lovers may want to consider trying the Kobe sukiyaki burger, even though pricey at 5,200 yen, or $32, for a lunch set. It consists of wagyu beef patties topped with Kobe beef strips, cheese, onion, sukiyaki sauce and an egg yolk. Cheaper sukiyaki burger sets forgo the Kobe beef strips.
If sukiyaki burgers aren’t your thing, Chikarayama offers more traditional burgers that come with lettuce, tomato and other toppings depending on the burger you order.
Even more toppings are available at an additional charge.
No matter which burger you choose, each set comes with sweet potato chips and a non-alcoholic drink.
After you place your order, you’ll have to wait around 10 minutes for your food, but don’t start digging in as soon as it gets to your table.
Your waiter or waitress will ask if it’s OK to take a picture with you, and if you accept, they’ll take a selfie with you and your group and print it out for you to take home.
Unfortunately, you only get one photo per table, so you may have to draw straws to decide who gets to keep it.
The entrance to Chikarayama in Kyoto, Japan. The restaurant specializes in wagyu hamburgers during lunch hours before transitioning to a more traditional sukiyaki menu for dinner hours. (Jeremy Stillwagner/Stars and Stripes)
During dinner hours the restaurant pivots from burgers to regular sukiyaki and other foods typical for an izakaya.
Chikarayama can seat 66 people and is great for groups of two to four.
The menus are offered in both Japanese and English and the waitstaff have a decent command of the language.
Wagyu Sukiyaki Chikarayama
Location: 17-2 Ishibashicho, Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto, 604-8036
Directions: From Sanjo Station, take exit 7. Cross the bridge and continue straight for about 5 minutes. Cross the street at the T-intersection and enter the Sanjo Meitangai. Walk straight for another minute and the restaurant will be on the right.
Hours: Open daily from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for lunch and 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. for dinner.
Prices: 2,900 yen, or $17.98, to 38,500 yen
Dress: Casual
Information: Online: chikayado.jp/sukiyakisanjo
