MOON and BACK

We had to queue up for around 30 mins. to get into the restaurant but it was well worth it. I was in Japan for two weeks and this was my most memorable meal! My ramen was delicious and the fried tofu was scrumptious. My friend is a vegan and was really happy that they had options for him - both main... meals and desserts! I would highly recommend this place. The melon soda topped with ice cream is a must too!

June 2025に訪問

I don't normally write reviews but felt I had to write one here! This ramen was amazing! I got the vegan ramen and it was phenomenal! It was soo flavorful and delicious, I can't begin to tell you how much I enjoyed this! You have to go and try this for yourself! Also the staff were lovely and very h...elpful too!

July 2025に訪問

Hidden in the alleys off the Pontocho area of Kyoto is this modern, stylish, and yummy ramen bar. Reservations highly recommended. We made ours only a day or two ahead with no problem in July. Fun drinks, really good ramen (the black sesame paste was awesome!) Walkable from the Teramachi shoppi...ng area. Highly recommend.

July 2025に訪問

We stopped at this ramen bar whilst on a lunchtime food tour of the market in Kyoto. We really enjoyed the ramen, and the staff were really nice and friendly. I particularly enjoyed it as they offer gluten free noodles, which is pretty unusual; the broth was spicy and rich, and the fried tofu perfe...ctly cooked. A great find for lunch!

May 2025に訪問

I’d been to Moon and Back Ramen once before and couldn’t remember much about it—neither bad nor good, which says a lot on its own. This time, we were nearby and figured, “Hey, let’s give it another shot.” Spoiler: should’ve kept walking. We arrived around 5pm—well before any dinner rush—and there w...ere about eight people in line. No biggie, it's Kyoto, we’re used to queues. But here’s where things got... weird. We peeked inside and saw two completely empty 4-tops. Hmm. Then more people left the restaurant, yet no one was being seated. Now we’re looking at four empty tables (10 open seats) and four open counter spots. The math wasn’t mathing. Curious, I went inside and spoke to a staff member—bald guy, face tattoos, very “don’t question me” energy. I politely asked about the empty tables. He told me the 4-tops were reserved... in 10 minutes. Okay, fair. So I asked about seating the group of two in front of us and ourselves at the available 2-tops. His response: “Yeah, we might start calling out names soon.” Might? Bold strategy. Then he turned and began talking to another staffer like I had vanished into thin air. I returned to the line and shared the intel. A couple minutes later, our tattooed friend came out, stared at the waiting list, glanced at the empty restaurant, gave the ol’ “hmm, let me pretend to calculate the theory of relativity real quick” face, then went back inside... and did nothing. At that point, we realized this wasn’t a ramen spot—it was performance art. The vibe was less “cozy local eatery” and more “nightclub trying to manufacture hype with a velvet rope and no DJ.” We left and grabbed dinner somewhere that valued diners over optics. Can’t comment on the ramen because we never made it past the holding pattern. Just know that if you go, you may end up closer to the moon than to a table.

April 2025に訪問