"You will regret it if you don't try Mikoan"   My Rating
3 qrsqrt	Posted on: Monday, November 16, 2009
	Review: My wife and I are not adventurous. We are spoiled on chain restaurants and large table service establishments. When we were evaluating our options for Kyoto and saw Mikoan near the top of the list we wanted to try it, but had to spend about half an hour to muster the courage to walk down some random alley and into what others have described as a woman's home. Having just returned from Mikoan I will tell you this: do not be timid, do not back out when you see the alley entrance. Open that door, let them pull out a stool for you at the bar and have one of the best vegan meals in Japan for an incredibly low price. At only 1000 yen the dinner set is a mixture of random, assorted delicious dishes. The owner/chef seems to cook up whatever she is in the mood to make, and all of it is amazing. On top of that she is very friendly, the whole atmosphere is welcoming, and there were other guests when we arrived including a cool couple from the UK and two businessmen from China. The older woman previously described who may be the chef's mother was also at the bar chatting up her friend, who had a tiny cat nestled up to her. This may or may not have been Hana (no sign of Toro, unfortunately). So don't worry about feeling uncomfortable. Turn south from Shijo dori onto Teramachi dori, walk past the AM/PM, look for the red awning and the tiny doorway and head down that alley. You won't regret giving it a try.   Pros: HUGE quantity * DELICIOUS options * LOW price Cons: - * - * -
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"nice little pace"   My Rating
5 RfromYoko	Posted on: Friday, October 02, 2009
	Review: This is a good place to get dinner if you only have 2 people in your group. Get the dinner set, and be amazed at the variety of dishes you are given. Overall, it's a great value.   Pros: healthy food * good variety in set * Cons: * *
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"Mainly Vegan"   My Rating
7 Jessqi	Posted on: Sunday, June 14, 2009
	Review: This is in response to an earlier post. Actually their food is mainly vegan. It you want non-vegan food in your dinner set you have to request it. They do have some cheese toast I think but mainly their food is vegan. The menu is in Japanese but you can't go wrong with the dinner set. The sets vary. Three of us went there and all ordered the dinner set and all got a different and sizable set of small delicious seasonal organic Japanese dishes. Bring a good appetite and some cat love. The cats are up by the counter so people terrible concerned with having pets around food may not like this.   Pros: Delicious * Fun * Cons: * *
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"Wonderful experience"   My Rating
10 HannahP96	Posted on: Sunday, February 01, 2009
	Review: We went to Mikoan more to meet the cats we'd read about than anything, and were delighted that we also had a terrific dinner. The restaurant was at the end of a very narrow alley, but HappyCow's directions were perfect. The restaurant is homey and cluttered with knickknacks, and you sit at a bar facing the woman preparing the food. My husband and I ordered the veg set meal, and in an amazingly short time we each had a huge tray of dishes set in front of us. Aside from the soup, we each had totally different dishes, so we shared everything. So tasty and healthy! Salads, pickled vegetables, gluten chunks, hot vegetables... my husband liked the soup so much that he ordered an additional bowl. We were also thrilled to meet cats Toro and Hana. Toro is a chubby guy, and Hana is a sleek, outgoing charmer. At some point an older woman came in (the mother of the cook?) and sat down. We asked the cook how much the cute cat fabric tissue-holders cost that were sitting on the bar, and she had the older woman bring over her sewing basket and show us the different components that she was in the process of making to show us that they were handmade. The meal was a terrific value so we were happy to support them by buying a cat tissue-cozy (for tiny packs of tissues). Definitely a must-do when you're in Kyoto!   Pros: Terrific food * Homey, eclectic decor * Cats!!! Cons: * *
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"Great Place!"   My Rating
27 westcorner sville	Posted on: Tuesday, April 29, 2008
	Review: I loved this place--Japanese food in a vegetarian (possibly vegan) form. They have a lunch set for 850 yen (on weekends when they're open for lunch) and dinner set for 1000 yen. They give you several dishes with the lunch/dinner sets, and if there are 2 of you eating there, they'll give both of you some different stuff so you can share and try out more different dishes. They have a mixture of fake-meat dishes and vegetable dishes. Portion sizes were actually pretty good. If you don't want the lunch/dinner set, you can opt for the Japanese vegetable curry for 800 yen. Note this is a bit hard to find the first time--keep your eyes open to a small sign placed on the street towards that small alley--it's probably only about 30 meters past the AM/PM (and on the right).   Pros: good food * friendly staff * reasonable prices Cons: slightly hard to find--but worth it * *
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"Worth the search"   My Rating
1 vegalita	Posted on: Sunday, March 23, 2008
	Review: A very unique experience, Mikoan appears to be located in someone's home. The alleyway leading to Mikoan is a bit intimidating, but don't let it scare you away. The food is delicious, and freshly prepared right in front of you! You get a lot for what you pay, which isn't very much. No English menu, but the server/cook can tell you the specials in English.   Pros: atmosphere * large portions * low price Cons: no english menu * a little hard to find *
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"Unusual but good food"   My Rating
10 innermoonl ight	Posted on: Friday, March 07, 2008
	Review: This little place is pretty hard to find, but worth looking for. You walk in and it feels a little bit like you're in somone's font room that they converted into a bar! There are pots and pans and little decorations all over the place, but it's very cosy. The lady owner/chef is very welcoming and friendly, so don't be afraid if it's very quiet when you first walk in! She must be used to getting the odd gaijin or two, so she knew to serve us the dinner set (1000 yen good value!) and kindly gave us a selection of everything so that we could share and try it all. We got a bowl of delicious and soft (bwon/wholegrain?) rice, a bowl of vegetable miso soup and four smaller dishes all for the 1000 yen price, and also a cup of tea/coffee! There are two cute cats, so if cats aren't your thing then perhaps don't go here (there are cat decorations all over the place). I would reccommend (if you can manage some japanese or negotiate in english with the owner) the potato salad, this fried substitute chicken, the salsa/spicy salad thing, and another dish of substitute meat in a cold sticky sauce with vegetables. The only downside to getting given a bit of everything is that there were a couple of dishes we didnt like so much, the ones I've mentioned are the most tasty :) Overall lovely homecooked food and interesting bohemian atmosphere - unusual for japan!   Pros: Friendly staff * Delicious and good value * Cons: Somewhat unusual atmosphere * Japanese menu *
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"Best veggie bargain in kyoto"   My Rating
2 loisg	Posted on: Thursday, December 06, 2007
	Review: Mikoan is our favorite Kyoto restaurant. Though we live in San Francisco, we get there about four times a year. The dinner special is an incredible bargain - 4 dishes plus rice, soup and tea for ¥1000! Another review claimed there are few vegan choices, but as far as I can tell the dinners are all vegan! It's a funky little place and you must love cats to eat there. Very quiet and peaceful.   Pros: Excellent fresh food * Vegan friendly * Inexpensive Cons: * *
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"Nice Vegetarian Bar"   My Rating
13 lemurcat	Posted on: Friday, August 24, 2007
	Review: Only a few vegan options. Friendly English-speaking staff pointed out which options were vegan. Two cats live there: Chibi and Toro. Open 5-11 but earlier on weekends. From Kawaramachi and Shijo, go west, then turn south on Teramachi. Mikoan is at the end of a narrow passage just past Nobunaga Book Store, but Nobunaga is all in kanji, so perhaps you should look for the am pm convenience store which is just before Nobunaga. There is a little sign in English at the entrance to the narrow alley.   Pros: Cats * Friendly Staff * English spoken Cons: Limited vegan options * *
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