Petit Japonais. Kyoto.

We're currently moving all Japan-related material over to Jane Lawson's Zenbu Tours site. You will find this post HERE.

Grains De Vanille

Um. If you are in Kyoto and appreciate a fine dessert....Go here.  That is all. 

WARNING: Sweet Porn ahead

I chose the milk chocolate, caramelised hazelnut and lemon dome below. It was heaven. One of the best desserts I've thrown down my gullet. And that is saying something. When I move my base back to Kyoto I will need to ensure I don't live anywhere near this shop. 

They do a decent cuppa too - variety of teas or coffee - made with as much care as the cakes and desserts. 

There are plenty of take out options that don't need to be kept refrigerated  - grab yourself a little basket and fill from the wall of friands, financiers, dacquoise, jams etc...

Yep, that's the name  - don't forget it.  Superb!!

GRAINS DE VANILLE

On Ainomachi street just north of Nijo on the eastern side of the street.

Inoda Coffee

Inoda brand coffee run a popular chain of cafes in Kyoto town.  They  have done since 1940. If you can deal with the smoke you will have a decent, old school, coffee experience.  

At the back of this particular shop on Sanjo street ( a few blocks west from the Western end of the Sanjo arcade) there is a large circular bar with  barristas stationed in the middle. It looks directly onto a serene Japanese garden and had it not been for the ashtrays sending up smoke signals I would have jumped at the chance of a prime position seat.  I mean the smoking section is find if there are no smokers right?  

Had it not been a stinking hot day (when the smoke seems even more putrid to me - maybe it's an Aussie bushfire memory association thing...) I might have spent the time it takes to watch my coffee drip through the filter into the pouring chamber then drink it - just for the opportunity to gaze at the garden. 

I have enjoyed a cup of Joe (and sampled a couple of their expectantly decent cakes) at several Inoda coffee shops around town and all are consistent -  but only recently visited the Sanjo store and its garden as they were recommended to me by friend (and smoker) Ricky.  (Apologies Ricky...  you know I'd definitely sit there with you even if you were puffing away - just because your company is so delightful... and sense of humour so wicked!). 

Kyoto summer essentials below. OK so the phone is a constant.  

***Heads up Australian cafes - this is coffee, iced. When I ask for coffee with ice in it - this is all I want. I don't need it to have a tonne of ice or ice cream frapeed through it - just ice, some milk and syrup on the side. And do note the sugar syrup because granular sugar doesn't melt in iced coffee. Why can't we get this right here? We are a bloody hot little island - iced coffee is essential for summer!! That is all.

PS - if you like Inoda coffee they have a range of varieties available in take home packs. I'd take a guess you can buy the syrup too!

HARBS Cafe Kyoto

My last trip to Kyoto involved some very important research. 

Above is the result of a full blown investigation into Kyoto cafes. Ooops - slight exagerration - one cafe. I was specifically looking for a "back up" venue for a cafe I plan to include in the itineraries for my Kyoto Winter Cuisine and Culture  (Zenbu Ryori and Zenbu Zen) tours 

and also my Spring Cuisine and Culture Tour (Zenbu Haru) for 2014.  

On this trip I discovered that my first choice cafe for one particular day of the itinerary is now closed on that particular day of the week (blah!) - so the additional research was an absolute necessity. I therefore sacrificed my arteries to the god of cream and chocolate... 

All the cakes and tarts in the glass cabinet of Harbs ( in the Daimaru Department Store) - looked fantastic. Perfect. Too perfect... I was sure they would be the opposite. All style, no substance. A pretty tease.... I've been tricked before ( although long ago) in Japan. 

Turns out I'd been too quick to judge. I found the German chocolate and walnut number (above) to be quite, quite stunning.  And only wish I could have asked for a tiny slice of each offering, just a wee tastette... you know like people apparently do when planning their weddings.... Clearly I'm a very committed tour guide. And not just greedy!

So lookout Harbs - I'll be back soon, with a few friends. 

And if you bloody well end up being closed we might have to resort to this nearby vending machine for an ice cream!! 

Coolish anyone?? (They are actually not bad - for an squeezable ice cream you suck out of a bag..)

If you like the look of these you might like to hop over to my KYOTO WINTER TOURS PAGE.

Le Petit Mec

For a very long time there was a lack of decent bread and pastry to be found in Kyoto town. Which makes perfect sense when 99% of your key audience follows a fairly strict Japanese diet of course.... But most Japanese folk are terribly discerning when it comes to cuisine, nah - let's call it obsessive - and, as it happens, a good proportion are also Francophiles - so it was only a matter of time before some really excellent crust and crumb raised its head between the rice and tofu vendors.

One of the earlier arrivals was Le Petit Mec which lives on today in a couple of Kyoto neighbourhoods. Still providing some of the most authentic patisserie in town it is one of those places that locals regularly retreat to - regardless of the fact it has fairly limited trading days (Friday to Sunday and public holidays...) and there are now many other bakeries and pastry shops in more convenient locations.  I'm told the local French community give it the big thumbs up! And for what it's worth I rate it fairly highly too - both the food and the enticing, Parisian vibe.

The main shop pictured is on the north side of Imadegawa street - about a 10 minute walk east (from the south or east exit)of Kitano Tenmangu Shrine. If you hit Horikawa street you have gone too far! 

There is a smaller outlet on Koromondana street - just south of Oike street. 

The lovely and talented Bridget Scott and my mum enjoying an afternoon break after a visit to the fabulous flea market of Kitano Tenmangu Shrine - held on the 25th day of each month. Rain, hail or shine. And yes, it's open on Christmas Day! Not a holiday in a non Christian based society funnily enough! I spent some time wandering the aisles one frosty Xmas only to find it seems to be a bit of a ritual among half the local foreign community who meet to celebrate with friends and families  - not quite Chrissy Day but the spirit was there in the most infectious way!

Ran Hotei ランほてい

I have been meaning to post about this special place for so long. Feeling more than a little guilty Randy san! Gomenasai.....

I'd stopped into Ran Hotei a couple of times when shopping in Sanjo Shotengai (an old fashioned shopping arcade on Sanjo Street on the western edge of Kyoto city) to enjoy some of their completely addictive desserts (like the kinako and caramel fudge cake above - TO DIE FOR!), wonderful selection of teas and drinks and even to grab some take out such as the Matcha (green tea) fudge cake and the Houjicha pudding (roasted green tea flavoured creamy custard) both below - but on the third occasion I managed to meet the now famous owner Randy Channell - an ex-pat Kyoto local who has become a master of tea. Randy-san both performs and teaches tea ceremony and has, many times over, been the subject of Japanese TV programmes and magazine articles on the matter. 

To be honest I was expecting someone of his talents and long standing within the community to possibly be a little snobbish or at the least frustrating... Some foreigners residing in Japan try a little too hard to 'become Japanese' which can be equally jarring to fellow ex-pats and the Japanese locals ... But he was NONE of that. Really down to earth, passionate about what he does and trying his best to share his knowledge and maintain a successful business.

If you are looking for some education in English about the art of Japanese Tea in a non intimidating way (held in an intimate space above the teahouse) - or just a really lovely spot for a cuppa and something sweet - or some of Randy's homemade curry (he was making some while I was there - it was also delish!) then do look up Randy Channell or Ran Hotei.

The space is really lovely for spending time in  - particularly towards the back of the teahouse/cafe - I love the old tiles and manhole cover inserted into the flooring on the way to the bathroom by the garden which is an unexpected tranquil patch in an old school shopping arcade. There are many finds like these in Kyoto an I love stumbling across them - but it is also nice to have a heads up when you are planning a trip so I am happy to be able to share them with you. Sanjo shotengai is a a short walk south from Nijo Station and worth making a visit if you are in the area.  The "local" vibe in the arcade is a nice step away from the regular tourist haunts. 

And for a closer look at the sweet stuff....

Houjcha pudding

                     Caramel fudge cake with kinako (nutty roasted soybean powder) cream

Matcha fudge cake with fresh cream

Kyoto Cafe Culture

Japan's cultural hub, Kyoto, has long been regarded as the best place to experience the soothing art of the traditional tea ceremony and I’ll happily admit that I'm as loved up with matcha and wagashi (whisked green tea and Japanese confectionery) as the next Japanophile! But I also appreciate a good cup of coffee and a welcoming place to kick back and drink it in.

Over the last decade or so Kyoto has developed a cracking coffee culture with a brew that no longer tastes of tar and burning rubber. We are talking black gold people. The cafe spaces themselves are often situated in really cool old machiya (traditional shop houses) or converted public bathhouses, complete with traditional tiles and tap nozzles. From the bohemian to the super-streamlined - there is a long list of excellent cafes available to park your behind in – and they don't mind you lingering with a good book or your laptop either!

Here are a few of my favourites:

Central 

Slap bang in the centre of town (in the Sanjo Arcade between Kawaramachi and Teramachi streets) you will find some of the finest coffee to be had in Kyoto town at Ogawa Cafe. 

The barista flaunts his knowledge of single origin and blends by mixing it up daily. You can stand at the bar and throw back an espresso if you need a quick hit whilst shopping - or head upstairs to relax and enjoy the free wifi and iPads with your latte. The brownies are delish and the hotdogs are very good quality too if you are in the market for a quick snack.

***UPDATE! Bugger it! the Sanjo Arcade Ogawa has closed down but check out the other Ogawa cafes for decent coffee, each with it's own unique atmosphere. There's one underground at Kyoto station now too. 

Literally, a 1-minute walk, around the corner from Ogawa you will find Smart Coffee . I love the old school vibe more than the coffee to be honest – this is a real institution and I tend to avoid it when full, as it can get a little smoky. Food wise there is a limited offering on the ground floor – hotcakes, French toast and the like but duck up the stairs to the smoke free dining room for really tasty, simple yoshoku (Japanese interpretation of “western” food). Situated on the west side of Teramachi shopping arcade - just north of Sanjo arcade.

**Just a few minute’s north of that in the same arcade but on the eastern side is one of a chain of coffee shops that sells decent coffee and light snacks. I can’t, for the life of me, remember the name but it is in Japanese anyway so it probably won't help! It has a menu board out the front with images so keep an eye out for it – the bonus here is the inner courtyard Japanese garden. I’ve spent hours in a quiet corner listening to Jazz (on the old record player) while I gaze onto this private oasis.

Cafe Bibliotec Hello  is a seriously attractive café in a restored machiya. The smooth as silk, hand-chiseled wooden floors, book-lined walls, leafy palms and an outdoor area all add to a sense of welcome and relaxation.  Good coffee  - including some frou frou numbers  (I’m a fan of the white chocolate mocha below) and a range of foods from interesting salads to a very good wagyu steak sandwich and excellent homemade cake selection. The café is only just north of the very centre of town  - but just far enough away experience a sense of real calm. On Nijo dori (street) between Tomonikoji and Yanagibaba streets.

OK – so Salon de The au Grenier D’or is more about the tea and amazing cakes and desserts but the coffee is pretty good too. The service is delightful, complete with polished silverware and napkins!

There’s a gorgeous little inner garden here too. Tres lovely.  Take your mum.

On the eastern side of Sakaimachi dori  - 2 minutes walk north of Nishikikoji dori.

Another top spot for excellent coffee , for either a quick throw-down there or packaged grinds to take away and make your own, is Unir on Gokomachi street below Oike street. They also do a cheap and tasty sandwich/coffee set at lunchtime. These guys really know their stuff. Very good brew - they also sell all the accoutrement for making the perfect drop  - and if you don't know how - they even run classes.

A little further afield….

North

If you find yourself in the Nishijin textile area - situated roughly halfway between the imperial palace and Kinkakuji (the Golden Pavillion) you will want to know about Sarasa Nishijin (one of several Sarasa cafes in Kyoto). This gorgeous old sento (bathhouse) serves a mix of laidback ska, reggae and jazz alongside decent coffee, cakes and cheesecake - try the spiced apple and walnut cake with their hot chocolate in winter. They do a really good lunch plate too and occasionally there’s live music in the evenings. Within a few metres, either side of the cafe, you will find some funky little artisans making everything from stunning papers to hand-woven "lace" earrings, from tiny blown glass bottles to earthy ceramics. Worth the side step if you have the time. 

Gospel Coffee and Pubhouse

If you are in the vicinity of Ginkakuji (silver pavillion) its worth taking a little wander around the corner to find this gem. On the 2nd floor of a European style building, which looks very much out of place in this neck of the woods, you will find this charming cafe - Gospel - serving simple but very tasty food and homemade cakes and tarts. 

Situated on Shishigatani - the street that run's parallel and just west of the Philosopher's path or Tetsugaku no michi (which runs along the north/eastern edge of Kyoto city). If you are on Ginkakuji michi  - turn south onto Shishigatani and its just a few minutes walk to the front door. On the West side of the street. 

South

Efish – is an open, modern café/design store on the river’s edge in the southern part of town. It is a little out of the way unless you are wandering between Kiyomizu temple and Kyoto station - but the food is light yet wholesome ‘westernised’ fare  - in decent portions. Refreshing drinks. In the warmer weather the glass wall is opened up to let the breeze flow through –much appreciated in Kyoto town’s humid summer.

East

Café Cheka  was my local for a while – I miss it so. A tiny, ethereal café located on the street that runs along the north wall of the zoo – and very close to the Heian Shrine. Seek it out if you are temple hopping in the Sakyo- ku area. Choose one of the stunning little cakes in the glass cabinet downstairs then head up to the second floor to order your coffee. The charming waitstaff will deliver your cake to your table as your coffee arrives. So civilised. Sit at the window bench and watch the world do its thing.

West

There are plenty of average cafes in Arashiyama’s tourist hub but a little off the main drag is a wonderfully light and breezy café called Sagano yu. Very stylish yet relaxing with French style bowls of coffee. Lunch is good value too and there’s a little homewares shopping to be had on the second floor.

PS- use google translate for the Japanese sites!

PPS   - As I said - they are a few of my favourites but there are so many more - check a few of them out below:

Okazaki Eats
Kyoto nama chocolate teahouse and cafe
Niti cafe and bar
Papermoon Cafe
Cafe Pilz
Sarasa Pausa
Cafe Rokuyosha