When doing the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage, we decided to seek out delicious food at various locations, as long as it didn’t interfere with the pilgrimage! One of those places was Iroriya, a udon restaurant in Kochi that’s a favorite of the “Suiyō Dōdeshō” TV show crew.
Since we were partly inspired to come here after watching Suiyō Dōdeshō’s “Complete Visitation of the 88 Temples of Shikoku” episode, this was definitely a must-visit spot for us. Since we could stop by around lunchtime, we happily went!
Interior with Irori Hearth. Understated Menu
Under the guidance of my friend, the biggest Suiyō Dōdeshō fan among our group, we arrived at Iroriya.
Entering with two suspicious-looking pilgrims!
True to its name “Iroriya,” there are seats arranged around an irori hearth.
At lunchtime on a weekday, locals and tourists (presumably) were cheerfully eating udon together.
This is the menu. They apparently remake it every month, as it includes the year and month. You can already sense their dedication and effort at this point.
While we were wondering “What did Oizumi-san eat here?”…
The owner (presumably) came over smoothly and told us “Oizumi-san had this one” – the chilled bukkake tempura udon. A normal restaurant would display autographs and photos prominently announcing “Mr. ○○ visited us!” but this shop only subtly writes “How about the ~all toppings version?” Nothing more. How tastefully understated… (You wouldn’t notice unless told!) I love it!
The back page shows their commitment to ingredients and customer feedback. Besides udon, unagi eel and conger eel also seem to be specialties.
This would be the moment to say “Well then, I’ll have the chilled bukkake tempura udon…” but being contrarian and a Kyushu person who believes “udon is all about the broth!”, I chose the warm meat udon (with egg).
Delicious Meat Udon! Chilled Bukkake Tempura Packed with Tempura
Shortly after, the meat udon arrived. A wonderful aroma wafted over.
Their homemade noodles are made with care. Moderately chewy but not overpowering, they pair wonderfully with the broth! And the meat in the meat udon was incredibly tender and delicious. Possibly top-class among all I’ve had. They’re using quality meat…
My two friends had the chilled bukkake tempura. You can’t even see the udon!
Piled high with tempura. This looked delicious too.
Kochi’s Famous Ice Cream Too
Since we were here, we finished with Kochi’s famous ice cream. “Tasty if you lick it, yo!”
The product name was “Ryoma’s Sea.” Kochi Prefecture really promotes Ryoma throughout.
This Ryoma-san looks a bit grumpy…
The taste was more refreshing than I expected, like a milk sherbet.
Final Thoughts
It’s near Shimanto City, so it’s a bit far from central Kochi, but why not visit during your temple pilgrimage or when driving around Kochi? It’s a great restaurant!
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