For those who love Japan, Kyoto often holds a special place in their hearts. This city that was once Japan's capital is well-known for its strong preservation of Japan's traditional culture as well as being home to many beautiful temples.
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We've written pretty extensively about Kyoto, including itineraries (both standalone and combined with other Japanesecities, guides on where to eat as well as what attractions you can't miss in Kyoto, which you can check out ?
And now you've got yet another reason to go to Kyoto - there's a newly halal-certified eatery located super close to one of the city's biggest attractions, the Kiyomizu Temple (also known as Kiyomizu-dera!).
Credit: @mingerhau on Instagram
Curry Club Ruu is a restaurant which specialises in, you guessed it, Japanese curry dishes. The restaurant has a number of outlets in places like Miyazaki, Fukuoka and Osaka, which, unfortunately, are not halal, but they recently announced amazing news - Curry Club Ruu has gotten halal-certification for its Kyoto outlet, Curry Club Ruu Kiyomizudera Ninzeka! This outlet is located just a 10-minute walk away from the Kiyomizu-dera. The halal-certification was provided by the Nippon Asia Halal Association ?
Credit: Nippon Asia Halal Association - NAHA on Facebook
At Curry Club Ruu in Kyoto, you'll be able to try all their signature curry dishes, including their most popular one, the Chicken Nanban - marinated deep-fried chicken pieces topped with tartar sauce, served alongside rice and curry.
But the rest of the menu looks pretty great too, including wagyu beef croquettes, Mapo tofu (made with local tofu that Kyoto is famous for!) and salt-grilled mackerel.
Credit: Curry Club Ruu Kiyomizudera Ninenzaka on Facebook
Credit: Curry Club Ruu Kiyomizudera Ninenzaka on Facebook
But that's not all - the restaurant also helpfully has prayer room facilities. The comfortable-sized room has ablution facilities and prayer mats readily available, so Curry Club Ruu would be a great spot to stop by to have a meal and do your prayers before you continue exploring Kyoto.
Credit: Curry Club Ruu Kiyomizudera Ninenzaka on Facebook
So if you were thinking of visiting (or re-visiting!) Kyoto, you now have yet another reason to do so. With the ease of finding halal food and prayer spots at places like Curry Club Ruu, it'll make your trip so much more enjoyable, and you'll get to savour authentic local curry! ?
Halal status: Halal-certified by the Nippon Halal Asia Association.
Price range: From 830 - 1,030 yen for main dishes
Opening hours: 11am - 8.30pm (last order by 8pm) daily
Address: 349-20 Masuyacho, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto 605-0826