Shirukou

At Shirukou, one appealing choice is the Rikyu bento with white miso soup, whose topping you can select. The bento comes with five small side dishes, rice and Kyoto-style white miso soup. One lunchtime diner described grilled fish, simmered vegetables, sesame tofu, vegetable sides and seasoned rice. Another mentioned boiled egg, simmered bracken, Saikyo-style grilled fish, chicken, vinegared greens, pickles and seasoned rice. The exact selection seems to vary, but the bento lets you sample several dishes and enjoy them with rice and soup right to the end.

The soup is offered with tofu as the standard choice, or with toppings such as grated yam and yuba (tofu skin). One diner who chose grated yam found that its silky texture paired well with the gentle sweetness of the white miso. Choose another topping if you want the soup to take centre stage, or stick with tofu to start with the classic version. The choice can give the same bento a different feel.

For a leisurely evening meal, you can add à la carte dishes to your bento. The menu includes dengaku-style grilled wheat gluten, duck breast and tender-simmered octopus, alongside drinks such as draft beer, plum wine and a whisky highball. A lunchtime visit with sake has also been reported, so you can make the bento the focus or add dishes and a drink.

At lunchtime, the bento and white miso soup are the draw; in the evening, à la carte dishes offer another option. The restaurant is described as having a calm atmosphere and being suitable for dining alone.