Kyotofoodie was of immense help when it came to food suggestions in Kyoto. Gion district was top on my list to visit because of the geisha community which I did not have the privilege of meeting any. Kyotofoodie claimed Kinana's icecream are the best in Kyoto, I had to try.
Taking a walk through the lanes is one of the most enchanting experiences ever.
Cantonese cuisine?
Most were closed for Christmas, oddly. I loved how they wrote their notices in calligraphy.
Even the fishes seemed more idyllic!
It took us numerous turns and at least five helpful people and walking past it so many times to get it right. Yes, the shops in Gion district are so easy to miss.
I'm not sure what differentiates it from the rest of the row that looks like that! So glad we found it anyway!
Icecream on a winter day may sound insane to some and suicidal to others but in Kyoto, I made an exception.
Up the second floor we go for the cafe, otherwise the first floor handles mostly takeaway customers.
Every guest gets one.
Anything in Japan gets me all intrigued...teapot included.
Always tea to warm the insides.
The drawback of this place is every customer has to make an order. In fact, the menu is so limited, you can only order icecream or parfait. Whichever it is, it's still the same!
Their signature Kinako icecream. Unlike its Japanese counterparts, this was alot denser and creamier than the otherwise light as cotton icecream. Satisfyingly so when the aftertaste of roasted soybean lingered on.
The best? I believe so.
Also signature were their parfaits, of which there are seasonal and permanent flavours. Headed for Kinana Hapon (warabi mochi) with green tea, red bean and roasted soybean icecream. Copious amounts of ingredients go into it; warabi, mochi, cookies, castella cake, chestnut, red bean, icecream and biscuit! The biscuit sticking out had a lovely crunchy texture which I found out later, was a Kyoto specialty.
I still favour soybean flavour over the rest. The most gratifying parfait ever with all the delicious ingredients put into one long glass.
To be fair, dessert hardly comes cheap but this was worth every yen.
Service is prompt and attentive though it was barely the sort that saw you to the door. I did not feel compelled to buy any of their cookies nor icecream tubs though. If I can, it would just be the roasted soyflour flavour.
Gion Kinana
Taking a walk through the lanes is one of the most enchanting experiences ever.
Cantonese cuisine?
Most were closed for Christmas, oddly. I loved how they wrote their notices in calligraphy.
Even the fishes seemed more idyllic!
It took us numerous turns and at least five helpful people and walking past it so many times to get it right. Yes, the shops in Gion district are so easy to miss.
I'm not sure what differentiates it from the rest of the row that looks like that! So glad we found it anyway!
Icecream on a winter day may sound insane to some and suicidal to others but in Kyoto, I made an exception.
Up the second floor we go for the cafe, otherwise the first floor handles mostly takeaway customers.
Every guest gets one.
Anything in Japan gets me all intrigued...teapot included.
Always tea to warm the insides.
The drawback of this place is every customer has to make an order. In fact, the menu is so limited, you can only order icecream or parfait. Whichever it is, it's still the same!
Their signature Kinako icecream. Unlike its Japanese counterparts, this was alot denser and creamier than the otherwise light as cotton icecream. Satisfyingly so when the aftertaste of roasted soybean lingered on.
The best? I believe so.
Also signature were their parfaits, of which there are seasonal and permanent flavours. Headed for Kinana Hapon (warabi mochi) with green tea, red bean and roasted soybean icecream. Copious amounts of ingredients go into it; warabi, mochi, cookies, castella cake, chestnut, red bean, icecream and biscuit! The biscuit sticking out had a lovely crunchy texture which I found out later, was a Kyoto specialty.
I still favour soybean flavour over the rest. The most gratifying parfait ever with all the delicious ingredients put into one long glass.
To be fair, dessert hardly comes cheap but this was worth every yen.
Service is prompt and attentive though it was barely the sort that saw you to the door. I did not feel compelled to buy any of their cookies nor icecream tubs though. If I can, it would just be the roasted soyflour flavour.
Gion Kinana
You might have ventured into the wrong lanes. A friend was in Kyoto when he chanced upon the right timing and location for a steady stream of geisha sighting. I saw his lovely pictures featuring many geishas sashaying down the street.
ReplyDeleteThe texture of kinako ice cream looks amazing. I would have gone for the chestnut parfait!
heh...probably! but none were in sight :( someday I'll be back to see em!
ReplyDeleteyeaaaa it is!! i wish i had more space to try all their parfaits. ;x
i agree with ice, timing and location are important. However, there are also people dressed up as geishas.
ReplyDelete@ xinli: yeah read about foreigners and locals dressed up as them..sigh, great pity! was most looking forward to spotting em.
ReplyDeleteheh there is always next time =) Kyoto is quite accessible from Osaka and the airlines have rather good offers now and then, CX is offering at ard 605 SGD
ReplyDelete@ xinli: yes for sure! sigh, i wanna be back already!
ReplyDeleteOMG, I wish I had taken a pic of the road- it does look beautiful in your pic! The first time we went we got sooooo lost. Second time I was with my whole family and felt bad stopping and taking too much pics :P
ReplyDeleteI have blogged about my experience too... Hope you like it :)
http://pigouttravels.wordpress.com/2012/05/23/kinana-icecream/
@pigouttravels: i miss japan sooo much!!! will check out ur blog!
ReplyDelete