Dinner and Drinks @ Happy Stand Bar, Pontocho, Kyoto

No visit to Kyoto is complete without a drink from the famed and historic alley ways of Pontocho (先斗町). This district is known to be a hanamachi (花街) , which literally translates to flower street.

One of the many alleyways of Pontocho. 

Known to be a hotbed for geisha and maiko, and of sophisticated culture and the elite, there are some places where you can get really good food that is more wallet friendly and still exciting. Provided, if you know where to look. Happy Stand Bar is one of those places. And when I looked at the menu I was really happy indeed. Entrees and drinks below ¥700? Count me in!

Front desk. 

As the name already forewarned, this is a standing bar, which means no seats at the counters and tables. Do note that this sort of get up is very common in the country. What is not common, is that you are allowed to scribble on the table with what ever message you like. Provided that the pens have ink though.

He comes the buzz!

And without much hesitation, I called for a shot of Akakirishima (赤霧島)  , a premium shochu which was sold surprisingly cheap here at ¥480 a shot to start of the night. I always loved the Kirishima brand of shochu, and the Kurokirishima was the one beverage that introduced me to the wonderful world of Japanese liquor. The red version is its more sophisticated cousin.No guessing that "aka" means red.  Tart, dry yet slightly floral, this elixir would go amazing with some  munchies. And the munchies came soon after. They do have wine and craft beers if you are not into sake or shochu. But then why though? You are in Japan!

A perfect pairing

The first one was a house recommendation, boiled pork with miso. Pretty basic, but with pork this fresh and this good, basic was the best way to go. The miso paste that came along was sweet and slightly tangy. And the fat to meat ratio was just perfect. Slightly juicy and a perfect partner with the shochu. Great grub at ¥480.

Golden balls of fire. 

Next up was another recommendation of prawn croquettes. At first glance, the look more like deep fried meatballs. But the inside was more sinister and many times tastier. Loaded with prawn bits and melded together with bechemel sauce, the croquettes were a real decadent treat. The prawns were very fresh and as such, had a great buoyancy to them. The crust was golden brown and fried perfectly.

Look at that delicious lava inside!

A combination of crunchy and springy. With a topping of home made marinara sauce, this was an absolute winner, and another great pairing with my second shot of Akakirishima. And ¥580 for some restaurant quality grub? What a steal!

Spicier than it looks. 

Needing a bit more sustenance and something with more zing, I ordered one of their seasonal specials which was spicy fried chicken. And surprisingly it was very spicy. As it was not in the menu, I could not really recall how much it was , but I would think it would be around the ¥600 mark. Still, it was very fragrant, and reminded me of Korean fried chicken in terms of flavour.

Seems like I have made some new friends!

As I went on a Monday, the place is more quiet than Friday nights and the weekends. However, the staff had their fullest attention on me, which was pretty nice. Japanese hospitality at its finest! Located strategically in a center of a T junction, it is more modest that most of the shops here. Most tourists would just have a walk through and not really explore the food here, which I find to be a shame, as this fancy part of town has alot to offer.

Another snapshot of the inside. 

Sure there are okonomiyaki shops and ramen places if you want cheaper options, but then so is the rest of Japan. So why not go somewhere more special? You are after all on vacation.  Long story short, this is another highly recommended spot to get some drinks and grub. And if you are keen in dropping by, the address is as follows:


2 126, Ishiyacho, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto, 604-8002, Japan

Front of the house