Famous Chagayu Tonochaya

Founded in 1963 near the five-story pagoda of Kofukuji Temple, Famous Chagayu Tonochaya moved to its current location in Naramachi in 2016. Here, you can enjoy chagayu for lunch, a rice porridge that has long been loved in Nara as a breakfast dish for more than 1,200 years.

As the name suggests, chagayu is rice porridge cooked with tea. The aroma and flavor of the tea soak into the rice, creating a simple yet deeply satisfying dish. It is both a symbol of Nara’s food culture and a light meal known for being gentle on the stomach. Chagayu is generally made with roasted green tea, but here it is prepared with tencha, the raw material for matcha, which gives it a beautiful pale green color.

The specialty here is the “Chagayu Bento,” which comes with around 10 colorful side dishes including simmered items. It also includes handmade sesame tofu and warabi mochi. There is also the “Chagayu Kaiseki,” which comes with simmered dishes, hassun appetizers, grilled items, and more.