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Visiting a gyoza specialty shop has been on my to-do list for a while now, and after discovering one right around my hotel, I made it a priority to check it out as soon as I could!
Located in Kyoto’s Gion district, and with several Michelin Bib Gourmand awards under its belt, my expectations are set pretty high for today’s late-night meal. So what are the available gyoza options here? And is it worth the visit? Let’s get to it! How Good is Gyoza Hohei Actually?
–Menu–
–Today’s Order–
–Garlic & Leek Gyoza–
–Ginger Gyoza–
–Sauces–
–Green Tea–
–Take-Home Order–
–Verdict–
–Getting There–
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📋 Menu 📋
Gyoza Hohei specializes in two types of gyoza – Garlic & Leeks and Ginger. The ingredients are pretty much the same between the two, minus the main aromatics for each filling.
Garlic & Leeks
Garlic, Leek, Pork, Cabbage, Chinese Cabbage, Sesame Oil
Ginger Gyoza
Ginger, Pork, Cabbage, Chinese Cabbage, Sesame Oil
Other than the gyoza, there’s also several side items and alcoholic / non-alcoholic drinks to choose from.
Side Note: As with most bar-type stores in Japan, you’re required to order a minimum of one Gyoza and one drink per person.
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🥟 Today’s Order 🥟
I decided to go for both the Garlic and Ginger today. First impressions? They’re very well prepared. Like other gyoza shops, it’s served bottom-side up, allowing you to appreciate the wonderfully golden-brown crust on each one. (And to prevent them from getting soggy.)
The wrappers were pleasantly thin, with the steamed tops being delicate and tender, and the bottoms being nicely brown for some texture contrast. The bottoms also feature some crispy lacing on each piece that, while also impressively thin, had a glass-like crunch with each bite.
So essentially, really good stuff! Though if I had to nitpick, the gyozas were just a tad bit small for my preference. That aside, let’s now take a deep dive to each of the fillings!
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🧄 Garlic & Leek Gyoza (8pcs.) – ¥600 🧄
Starting with the more quintessential Gyoza filling of the two, the Garlic & Leeks Gyoza.
Flavor-wise, the pork flavors are quite pronounced here, with small bits of cabbage and the garlic & leeks contributing to the (pleasantly strong, but not overpowering) aroma of the gyoza.
If you’re a fan of garlic in your gyoza, this should easily be your pick.
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🥟 Ginger Gyoza (8 pieces) – ¥600 🥟
For a slightly lighter filling, the Ginger Gyoza keeps everything that’s great about the garlic & leek filling, but replaces the aromatics for ginger instead.
The end result is something much more bright and fragrant – with the ginger acting as the main flavor profile alongside the pork (instead of playing the support role like in standard gyoza fillings.)
Highly recommended if you want to go for a gyoza option that doesn’t leave you feeling too heavy afterwards.
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🥟 Sauces 🥟
Gyoza Hohei features two sauces – the classic Gyoza sauce, and a spicy miso-based sauce.
Go for whichever one you prefer, of course. But while I’m always a fan of the traditional Gyoza sauce, the miso was surprisingly good as well with its heavier and more savory flavor profile.
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🍵 Green Tea (cold) 🍵
Gyoza Hohei has all sorts of alcoholic drinks to choose from, but since I’m here primarily for the gyoza, I got one of the cheaper options today – Green Tea (cold.) It’s… fine, not much to say about it.
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🥟 Take-Home Order 🥟
Take-Home options are also available, so I decided to grab one set of each to share with my family back at the hotel.
The flavors are identical to the in-store ones, of course, but you do lose out on some of the crispy skirt as the gyoza steams inside the box.
You can reheat it in a pan or the oven, but for hotels without one, I recommend you consume them as soon as you can.
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⭐VERDICT⭐
So how good is Gyoza Hohei actually? Absolutely! To be honest, what they’re doing isn’t anything too crazy, but everything just works so well together. The flavorful pork filling with your choice of aromatics, the contrasting textures of the thin wrapper, and the crispy lacing all work together to create a dish that’s greater than the sum of its parts.
Sure, the gyoza might be a bit small for what I typically prefer, but that really doesn’t detract from the overall experience here, and I highly recommend you give it a go!
So if you’re around Kyoto and want some seriously good gyoza as a late-night meal (or any other time of day,) definitely check out Gyoza Hohei!
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🚗 GETTING THERE 🚗
Gyoza Hohei is located right at Kyoto’s Gion district, and not too far off from several subway stations (despite Kyoto’s… less than ideal subway coverage)
Sanjo Keihan Station (Tozai Line) – 9 mins walk
Gion-Shijo Station (Keihan Main Line) – 8 mins walk
Kyoto Kawaramachi Station (Hankyu-Kyoto Line) – 10 mins walk
Side Note: For busier days, you’ll need to reserve a queue from their ticketing machine. This means that instead of lining up, you’re technically free to walk around Gion district while you wait – just make sure to come back in time!
Gyoza Hohei
🌏 Location 🌏
373-3 Kiyomotocho, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto, 605-0084, Japan
🗺 Map 🗺
https://maps.app.goo.gl/tFBYXuFnZh6Cw1P98
⏰ Opening Hours ⏰
5 P.M. to 12 A.M. (Closed on Sundays)
💻 Website 💻
https://kcvn700.gorp.jp/
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One comment in this post
💬 Final Words 💬
Gyozas are typically made with both garlic AND ginger, so I had a dilemma going into this review: Which filling do I highlight first? Garlic? Or Ginger? And while I can see the arguments for both, I eventually settled on garlic (since I think that’s the main flavor out of the two.)
Now I pass the question off to you. Did I make the right choice? What would you say the first-highlighted flavor should be?