Jonanen

A serving of six gyoza at Jonanen comes with three sauces, letting you vary each bite: vinegar soy sauce, a sauce made with white miso from Kameoka in Kyoto, or vinegar with black pepper. The restaurant says it has refined the filling for more than half a century; the result, it says, is a light-tasting gyoza that is easy to eat in quantity. Some diners also praise the thin wrappers. For a more substantial set meal, there is a double-gyoza option with two servings.

For a fried dish on the side, try the tulip-shaped fried chicken wings. The restaurant describes shaping each wing individually, turning the skin to the outside, then frying it twice. It also recommends pairing fried chicken with a highball. Beer and refreshing chūhai cocktails are available, too.

At lunchtime, the generous set lets you choose a half-size side dish to go with the changing daily main. Options include gyoza, twice-cooked pork, bang bang chicken and tulip-shaped fried chicken wings; rice, soup, pickles or a mini dessert are also included. The Jonanen lunch is a lighter alternative without a side dish. One diner who ordered the double-gyoza set with fried rice and half a portion of yurinchi (chicken with a tangy sauce) recalled that even the regular rice portion filled the bowl. The half portion of yurinchi was satisfying, with a sweetish sauce clinging to its coating. The fried rice, they noted, was moist rather than fluffy. Those reports suggest one way to tailor a meal to your appetite: add a dish to a set.

For a rice dish, look for the restaurant’s yakimeshi, which it calls yakimeshi rather than chāhan (fried rice). Jonanen says the secret is to fry the rice thoroughly so it is piping hot all the way through. Double and triple sizes are available. Ordering it à la carte to share with gyoza or another dish is another flexible, casual way to put together a meal.

In Nakajima Nakamichicho, Fushimi Ward, Kyoto, the restaurant has tables where diners can watch the cooking, tatami seating, round tables and private rooms. The range of seating suits solo meals as well as family and group dining. Set meals are available at both lunch and dinner, and there is parking for those arriving by car.