wtfdto: hop on the Kyoto Express!!!

I love the proverbial “hole in the wall” style of place. Maybe it is from the childhood love of building little forts out of couch cushions, or making subterranean foxholes in the woods, little tree house shacks, or bedrooms in the corners of huge warehouses out of drop cloths. I like to be snug. I also think the secretive nature of the hole in the wall suckers me so. And, I will admit to loving that feeling of exclusivity, or discovering something not everybody knows about. The very nature of the street address of the hole in the wall establishment makes me melt; they almost always have the fractional representation of one half, after the number… why, why do I love this sort of thing so much?

When I think of some of my favorite tiny places I get a rush of good feelings from throughout my entire life. The first candy store I was allowed to walk myself to was a hole in the wall, a million old newsstands––now mostly gone, the shoe repairman on Guerrero just up the hill from 15th, pizza joints, lunch counters… God, it is beginning to sound like a nostalgia trip.

On one of my earliest DTO wanders, I noticed a tiny place on Webster Street, above 17^th. (Ok, ok, sue me, maybe not fully DTO but within my prowl range) It’s called Kyoto Express and it is just about one of the cutest little lunchtime joints around. I noticed it one day because of the sweetly lettered sandwich board on the sidewalk. It took me a while to get around to going in, but I finally made it this past Friday when the wind was howling and the rain whipping around the corners. I looked out the window of the snug shack and said, “time for soup”, then I wrestled my new lavendar umbrella against the gale and got myself over to Kyoto Express.

The place is small, two round deuces on the right, a slim counter with four seats on the left. Paintings by the owner, Im Suk Kim, cheer up the left hand wall. Suk’s sweetly brushed lettering is also on the sandwich board, the menu behind the counter and the to-go menu. I settled in at the counter and then walked the two strides to the back counter to order. From this spot, you can see the tiny goings on and things are clean and shipshape. Suk, is very friendly and I placed my order for a tofu and veggie soba soup.

One of Suk's paintings.

Almost 10 minutes later a fairly large, $6.75 bowl of soup came my way. It looked as good as it smelled. A beautiful little nori garnish sat on top of fresh cabbage, generous chunks of tofu, broccoli, carrots, onions, and a good load of soba. Suk had asked me if I wanted it spicy and I said yes, but on my initial sips, there was little trace of spicy. From experience, I know that it is best to go slowly, continually stir, and let the broth come into its own as I eat, and so I did. The broth opened up with a little bit of soy sauce and continued to do so until I was at the bottom of the bowl. I was hooked for reals. Between this and my favorite pho ga I am now set for anymore of this wintry foolishness the weather wants to throw our way this spring.

Veggie and tofu soba soup.

I went back just today to try the unagi special. Now, before the moaning starts about sustainability I have to clear myself here. My fish consumption is roughly 2 to 3 pounds per year and that is being extra generous. I have strong feelings about the over fishing of the ocean, the methods used, farm raised fish/eels, etc. Due to those strong feelings, I limit my intake and I avoid altogether anything in danger of extinction.

Before I ordered my unagi plate, I was ignorant about the eel situation. Now I know better and will probably never order it again, which is too bad, because it was tasty. The unagi special is only $7.99, comes with 3 pieces of unagi sushi and 9, count ‘em, 9 pieces of California roll, a salad, and a bowl of miso soup. Oh, and the roasted corn green tea is FREE, serve yourself. (Eat your heart out Samovar!) This special makes a great king-sized lunch or fine light fare for two. When I go back I will ask Suk about a substitution for the unagi.

The unagi special.

Kyoto Express is in its twelfth year of operation and is open from 11:30 am to 3:00pm. Suk is a one-woman operation; so, if she is busy, please take that into consideration. Seating is limited so don’t expect to sit down right away during peak hours. Off-peak, this is a great and cozy spot!