Kiyomizu-dera Street Food, Reviewed: Japanese Commenters Crown the ¥250 Cucumber
清水寺の食べ歩きを正直レビュー：日本人が一番推したのは250円のきゅうりだった
Under an honest review of the food stalls on the approach to Kyoto's Kiyomizu-dera, the item Japanese commenters crowned wasn't matcha or a photogenic parfait — it was a chilled, lightly pickled cucumber on a stick: the top cucumber comment alone drew 3,787 likes, and locals admit they pay for one even with cucumbers growing in their own garden. A crane-shaped dorayaki ran second at 3,938 likes, praised for being adorable and honestly priced. On cost the thread split — one visitor paid "about 60% of what I braced for," another shrugged that half the stalls sit at "this had better be good" prices. And a couple of commenters quietly point somewhere calmer instead.
“Honestly, the funniest part is that the cucumber is the most-praised thing here.”
きゅうりが1番褒められてるのほんまにおもろい
Scroll while you watch
What locals said (excerpted from 342)
- @手水舎-k1r👍 3,787
Chilled cucumber tastes even better when it's hot out. There's something weirdly addictive about it.
冷やしきゅうりは暑い時は更に美味しく感じるよね。妙な魅力がある
- @はぎ-e4e👍 1,413
Chilled cucumber is so simple, but somehow you always end up craving one.
冷やしきゅうりってシンプルだけどなんか食べたくなるよね
- @赤くなった人👍 285
I eat Yamashita's chilled cucumbers all the time, so seeing them get the praise makes me happy.
やましたの冷やしきゅうりよく食べるから褒められてるの嬉しい
- @さおり-g6k👍 22
Kiyomizu cucumbers in summer really are that good. I've got cucumbers growing in my own garden at home, and I still end up paying good money for one…
夏場の清水のキュウリは上手いのよ。 家に帰れば庭にキュウリ成ってるのに高いお金出して買っちゃう…。
- @sakeire👍 3,938
The tsuru-dora is way too cute.
鶴どら可愛すぎだろ
- @生まれ変わるなら戦国時代👍 75
The tsuru-dora is honest in both looks and price.
鶴どら見た目も値段も良心的すぎる。
- @畑中則仁👍 3
I was surprised — it came to about 60% of what I'd expected. In Tokyo each of these would be ¥200–350 more. Glad I live in Kansai.
思ってた金額の６割程度だからビックリした。東京ならばあと￥200から￥350高いから、関西に住んでて良かった
- @SANDO_SANDO👍 4
This guy really is your classic rich person, doing a food walk in Kyoto. …¥250 for a single cucumber, huh.
典型的なお金持ちなんだよなぁ 京都に行って食べ歩きするの、 きゅうり1本250円か…
- @kageshuri5934👍 1
About half of these were at "this had better be good…" prices.
半分位は「おいしくなかったら許せねぇ…」っていう価格だったな…
- @user-sy4vn7jl6d👍 150
It makes me so happy to see Kyoto get this much praise…! Also, I wish more people knew that genuinely good tea isn't all that bitter.
京都いっぱい褒められて嬉しい…! 実は良いお茶は苦みは強くないってこと広まってほしい
- @ラク_珞👍 2
I'm going to Kyoto in October and had my eye on the skewered wagashi, but I can't do mixed jelly, so this saved me — I was about to buy one, eat just the top and bottom, and hand the rest to a friend. Thank you.
10月京都行く予定で串和菓子気になってたけど、ミックスゼリー個人的に苦手だから助かった…危うく上と下だけ食べて友達にあげるところだった…ありがとうございます。
- @user-fj2vr3kz4w👍 8
I used to work part-time in Kiyomizu! At the fish-cake stall that shows up partway through, the potato-butter and the shrimp ones are the picks.
清水でバイトしてました！途中で出てきた練り物のお店はじゃがバタとエビのやつがおすすめ
- @Tama_6996👍 3
Their pickles are great too — whenever I'm in Kyoto I go buy the shiso-daikon. I'm basically a repeat customer.
そこの漬物めっちゃ美味しいから好き 京都に行ったら大葉大根とか買いに行っちゃうくらいリピートしてる
- @amaebikanimiso👍 2
I went to the very first shop on a trip this month! A little pricey, but they make it fresh in front of you after you order, and the fruit-topped smoothie was perfect for this time of year!!
1番最初のお店今月旅行でいきました！うれしい！ちょっとお高めだけどオーダー受けてから目の前で作ってくれるし、果実のったスムージーが今の時期にぴったりすぎた！！
Where locals go instead
- @テラスケくん👍 8
Sweets like these are nice, but what I love most is walking from Keage Station toward Nanzen-ji early in the morning.
こういうスイーツもいいけど、朝の早い時間に蹴上駅から南禅寺にかけてを歩くのが1番好きなんだ。
- @akatuki_2000👍 1
By the way, the matcha tearoom inside Kyoto Gyoen is wonderful.
京都御苑の中にあるお抹茶屋さんすごく美味しいですよ
Places named in this article
- Kyo Otsukemono-dokoro Yamashita京・お漬物処やましたSannenzaka, Kiyomizu-dera approach
The chilled-cucumber pickle shop a 285-like commenter named as their regular buy — and their shiso-daikon pickles got a repeat-customer endorsement too.
- Gekka Bijin月下美人Ninenzaka
Takeout sweets stand from the video — a commenter was delighted to finally learn its name.
Named in the source comments — hours, prices, and openings change, so check each map listing before you go.
FAQ
- What should I eat on the Kiyomizu-dera approach?
- Going by the comment section, the two standouts are the chilled cucumber on a stick — sold at pickle shops like Yamashita on Sannenzaka, and the single most-praised item in the thread (3,787 likes) — and the crane-shaped "tsuru-dora" dorayaki (3,938 likes), which commenters called adorable and fairly priced. A former Kiyomizu part-timer also vouched for the potato-butter and shrimp items at a fish-cake stall along the slope.
- Is street food around Kiyomizu-dera expensive?
- Commenters disagreed. One visitor said the total came to roughly 60% of what they'd expected and reckoned Tokyo would charge ¥200–350 more per item; others noted a single cucumber runs about ¥250 and that half the stalls sit at "this had better be good" prices — all as of the comments, so check prices on the spot.
- Is good matcha supposed to taste bitter?
- No — a 150-like comment from a Kyoto fan makes the point directly: genuinely good tea isn't strongly bitter. If a matcha drink tastes harsh, that's not proof of quality. A useful calibration before you pay tourist-street prices for anything matcha-flavored.
- How do I escape the crowds near Kiyomizu-dera?
- One commenter's favorite move: skip the sweets crowds entirely and walk from Keage Station toward Nanzen-ji early in the morning. Another local tip from the thread is the matcha tearoom inside the Kyoto Imperial Palace park (Kyoto Gyoen) — quiet, and well away from the Higashiyama crush.
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