❧The Gorgeous & Elegant Chourakukan❧
As a tea-time loving lady, I particularly love retro cafes and cafes reformed from historical buildings. On top of that, I absolutely love to go to European palace-style cafes. Recently, I visited the famous Kyoto cafe Chourakukan, a place that I was very drawn to.
Chourakukan was built in 1909. At the time it was a guest palace for accommodating domestic and international guests and was owned by businessman Kichibee Murai, who was called the “tobacco king”. Chourakukan has over a hundred years of history, and the building itself along with some of its furniture are registered as Kyoto City tangible cultural properties.
The indoor floor plan has been maintained in the original layout, and part of the interior and furniture from long ago have been retained. When you’re having a meal or sitting in the cafe surrounded by various antiques, the table next to you may have been used by someone famous of long ago. Even the chair you’re sitting in might be so, too! The ten rooms on the two floors each have their own unique atmospheres, and the one that I was shown to was the “Welcome Room (Setsuguu no Ma)”. There was a vanity and full-length mirror, and it was as if I were in the room of an aristocrat of the past.
At first, I wanted to have the Afternoon Tea set, but since the price of Chourakukan is on the high end, the Afternoon Tea set costs 4,000 yen per person… So I decided against it. At any rate, the other desserts all look very delicious, so even if you don’t go with the Afternoon Tea, you can still leisurely enjoy the atmosphere.
As soon as I saw the menu, I was attracted to the café’s most popular dessert item and fancy coffee! Strawberry Feuillantine❤ and Vienna Coffee❤
Strawberry Feuillantine: the Feuillantine is, of course, the centre of attention, but the decorative strawberry sauce on the plate is so surprisingly sophisticated! It’s so fancy that it’s a waste to eat it…The only thing to do is take lots of pictures from all angles (lol).
Vienna Coffee: smooth whipped cream is shaped like a rose! The floating rose melts after you put it in the coffee…You got to take a picture quickly before it melts (lol).
Actually, when I visited was right before dusk, so it was still bright when I started eating, but it was already dark when I finished…I didn’t realize that time passed so quickly when you’re in such an elegant atmosphere!
Next time when I have the chance, I would like to try the Afternoon Tea set and spend an even more fancy tea time at Chourakukan♪
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