Just around the corner from Gion-Shijo station by the famous Kamo River, Pontocho Kebab Al Bukhara serves up a succulent halal feed!
You will find this amazing Turkish-Uzbek restaurant in the heart of Kyoto’s atmospheric Pontocho street, blending in seamlessly with the neighboring traditional Japanese restaurants and tea houses.
A homey ambience with friendly multilingual staff who speak Japanese, English, and Turkish, you’ll strangely feel at home here no matter where you’re from. The furniture, decorations, and lighting all deliver a cozy and nostalgic atmosphere as though you are dining at your grandparents’ house.
A Unique Take On Japan’s “Hambagu Steak”
Made using 100% halal ingredients and meat sourced from Australia, this is just another one of those hidden gems for the Muslim-dwellers of Kyoto.
Of course, with food this delicious, you won’t want to wait til you’ve converted to Islam to give it a try, as Pontocho Kebab Al Bukhara is open for all!
Starting off with what was a unique take on Japan’s classic “hambagu” (hamburger) steak, I was quite impressed with the quality of beef used as well as the tangy condiments provided.
Unlike typical Japanese hamburger steaks which incorporate breadcrumbs in its mix to “fatten it up” as it were, these were made with 100% beef which made it more dense and satisfying (especially for the protein enthusiasts).
Solid Kebab Rolls
We couldn’t go to Pontocho Kebab without trying, well, the Pontocho Kebab!
This bad boy was made with a traditional Turkish-style tortilla wrap and included chunky pieces of beef with crunchy coleslaw ingredients and drizzled with their signature tangy-peppery sauce.
An amazing combination of flavors and textures, it certainly had a more authentic taste than what I’m used to with Australian kebab shops.
Though if I’m being honest, I did find the inclusion of coleslaw ingredients a strange choice for a kebab roll – perhaps that’s the Turkish-Uzbek way!
Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!
Finally, my favorite part of the night, the charcoal chicken plate atop crispy golden french fries.
Finding charcoal chicken restaurants has been a real struggle here in Japan, but Pontocho Kebab delivers on all fronts, and despite their title as a kebab shop, I found their charcoal chicken to be the winning dish on the menu!
Juicy, crispy, tender, and so full of flavor, this plate of chicken was absolutely drenched in marinate, so much so that I didn’t bother ordering additional dipping sauce.
Indeed, it was a winner winner chicken dinner as they say, and that goes not just for this dish, but the entire experience here at Pontocho Kebab Al Bukhara in Kyoto!
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