5 Recommended Lunches for 1,000 JPY or Less in Nara

Ochakeya Kintetsu Nara Branch is an izakaya that specializes in hibachi grilled food and Kyoto-style oden (a dish in which various ingredients are boiled in soup stock). Its shop that is designed like a typical Kyoto machiya (traditional merchant's house) is filled with a relaxing atmosphere, with guests loving its box seats that resemble large wine casks. For lunch, the recommended meal here is the Odenzen (730 JPY (excl. tax)) that is an assortment of this shop’s pride: oden. The Tempurazen (880 JPY (excl. tax)) that comes with a variety of tempura pieces is also a great meal. And while you’re at it, try the Higawarizen (daily special) (780 JPY (excl. tax)), which is made up of a small serving of oden and a main dish that changes every day, too!

Yamatoan is an izakaya where you can enjoy local dishes that use ingredients from Nara such as locally harvested vegetables and beef and chicken from animals raised in the region, as well as local alcohols. While it offers an extensive menu for lunch, the Wakadori no Tatsutaage (spring chicken flavored in soy sauce and sweet cooking wine, coated with batter and then deep-fried) (880 JPY (incl. tax)), which is named after the Tatsuta River that runs through Nara, is particularly popular among its customers. The Business Lunch (880 JPY (incl. tax)), in which customers get to choose from a meat or fish set and whose main dish changes every week, is also recommended.

Happoh’s shop is filled with a Japanese vibe thanks to the use of a lot of Yoshino cedar, a famous local specialty of Nara, and century-old trees in its construction. Aside from the traditional Japanese dishes, guests also get to taste a wide array of food here, including some creative creations. There are many lunch dishes and sets available at this restaurant, with the Higawari Lunch (daily lunch special) (800 JPY (excl. tax)) that is limited to 20 sets per day being so popular that it always sells out. For those who love pork, the Nara Go Pork no Jikasei Aburi Rosutodon (bowl of rice topped with roasted Go pork) (850 JPY (excl. tax)) that uses Nara's Go pork is also recommended.