During our four day stay in Kyoto, we covered a lot of ground and ate all the things! Below is our list of favorite sweets, noodles and sushi!Backtracking a bit, we realized after the fact that we never posted our Foodie Edition for Kyoto. We had some really awesome food and surprisingly, enjoyed the nightlife here over Tokyo. To celebrate April and the Sakura season, we thought now would be the perfect time to share our favorite food from Kyoto. Also, exactly one year ago today we were there partaking in all their yummy food and culture and we haven’t stopped taking about it since! Coffee Spots: Forum Kyoto- we got into Kyoto around 3pm and that evening, we decided to go to Ponto-cho. However, we all needed a pick-me-up so we found this place as we were wandering the streets. Turns out the barista who worked that evening was from Texas! Not a super traditional experience for Japan but considering we were looking for good coffee at 9pm, this place was a great option and got us ready from a late night out. % Arabica- possibly the most famous coffee shop, dare I say, in Japan. Arabica has branched outside of Asia and shops continue to open around the world (they just opened a space in Paris). We waited a solid 20 minutes for coffee and a very French baguette breakfast sandwich, but it was delicious. We ended up getting Arabica a second time in Arashiyama. Weekenders Coffee - random spot but some great coffee. They’re located at the back of a parking lot, encased by buildings. We went twice and they never had pastries or food so be aware going in that they’ll most likely just have coffee to offer. But like, really good coffee! Snacks: Matcha ice cream - There’s no specific place you have to go to get the ice cream flavored after their beloved tea. We literally stopped every time we saw a “roadside” stand and it was always perfect in creaminess and flavor. Japanese matcha ice cream is consistent no matter what city you’re in. Just make sure you get some. Pass The Baton- Technically, Pass the Baton is a retail store and Tasuki is a tea and sake room housed in it (this is helpful info if you need to get reservations). I had found this place on Instagram and knew I wanted to stop when we were in the Gion district. We didn’t have reservations so we waited about 45 minutes for a table. Luckily, there’s a beautiful store and alleyway to pass the ... time! Once we were seated we ordered some tea, sake, and their most famous item, the shaved ice! Matcha is their popular flavor but we went with the seasonal, strawberry with condensed milk drizzled on top. I mean, Japan has some incredible sweets and this one was in our Top Three for sure! Camellia Flower Teahouse - We made reservations well in advance for a formal matcha tea ceremony. Camellia was at the right price point and in a popular area, just down the alley from ninenzaka. They were welcoming to tourists and our tea host spoke English very well. You can book private tours for just your party but we did a shared experience with our group of 3 and another group of 3 from Italy. Such a treat to experience this Japanese tradition! Lunch Options: Myodai Omen Udon - Possibly the cutest noodle shop in Kyoto. We were wandering around the area and I happened to snap a photo of their sign because I thought it was so perfect. Purely quintessential, Chase then led us back to their store for lunch! Their Udon and tempura is a house staple and absolutely worth a stop for lunch. Hisago- Karaage is the name of the game at this adorable place. Oyako-donburi, fried chicken and eggs over rice is the house special and we each ordered one. It was a lot of food in one bowl and extremely filling but very good. Honke Owariya - A Soba noodle house with trees growing out of their awning! They have a garden in the front that immediately sets the tone for this peaceful lunch spot. This was my first time ordering Soba so I went with the traditional seasoned veggie broth while Chase and Quinn both ordered egg thickened broth. Mine was far better! They also had cold soba on the menu if that’s your jam. Dinner: Musashi Sushi - Conveyor belt sushi in downtown Kyoto. If you’ve never had conveyor belt sushi, it’s exactly what you’re imagining: individual pieces of nigiri on a plate that is placed on a moving belt. As the belt moves and you see something you like, you just grab it and enjoy. Your bill is then calculated by the number and color of plates on the table. Each plate color signifies the price category, somewhere between $1-3 depending on the fish or sushi roll. Such a blast and I think we said this in our Foodie Edition for Tokyo, it’s hard to go wrong with sushi in Japan. Ponto-cho Yakiniku Yaruki - Essentially, this is a grill your own meat restaurant. Quinn was hoping for charcoal (he went to a few in Korea) but this place was gas. We ordered some edamame and a few different cuts and marinades of Kobe beef. Delicious! Seriously, we have been trying to get Kobe beef for years and never had success so this was a long time coming. And it was fantastic! Sushi Tetsu Ponto-cho - Hawaiian themed sushi place on Ponto-cho. We waited about an hour for three seats at the counter. It appeared that you didn’t take reservations so if you’re interested, get there early. So fresh, so quick and really tasty. The only downside to this place was their lack of cold sake. They only had (or only wanted to serve us) hot sake which isn’t ideal but of course we accepted it instead of sending it back. Hot sake is better than no sake! Cocktails and Bars: Bar Alchemist - We turned onto Ponto-cho and this was the second bar we saw. The hostess yelled for us to come up so we did and it was beautiful inside. A bit upscale so we felt a tad underdressed but luckily it was a week night and they wanted their seats filled. Their menu was organized by liquor and I think we all started with Gin and ended with Japanese Whisky. It would make for a great after-dinner spot, plus they had a secret bathroom so that was super fun! The Candle Bar - About a block away from Bar Alchemist, we randomly stumbled upon this hole in the wall and I’m so glad we did. Apparently, it goes by many names such as No Name Bar and Bar Kazu but since we found it by their candlestick drawing, we and many others call it The Candle Bar. The 10-12 seat bar was illuminated by only candle light and the bartender was so kind! He whipped up a few fun drinks for us. Bar owl - A modern spot on the second floor. It had a great view of the cherry blossom trees along the Takase canal. Pretty average as far as atmosphere but they did have plum wine! Thanks to Bar Owl, “let’s see if they have plum wine” quickly became something we said everywhere after. And not one of us got a photo in this spot... oops. Bar Tonbo - Bar Tonbo has the cutest doorway and a dragonfly on their sign. That was all it took for us to go in. We got really lucky because it turned out to be a Japanese whisky bar. They had a huge selection and the bartenders were so sweet. We ordered in Japanese but they ended up talking to us in English. This place was unplanned and ended up being one of our favorite spots in Kyoto. If you go to Japan, try to find a Japanese whisky bar. They take so much pride in their sake and tea but whisky is becoming popular and it’s really hard to get stateside. Enjoy it while you can. Until Next Time, C + D
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