Modern Art to Prevent the Common Cold
Here in Japan, the mikan—a small, tangerine-like citrus fruit—is a symbol of winter. Back where I am from in the United States, oranges are around all year long, so there are really no such connotations. But if you ask a Japanese person what evokes images of winter for them, I betcha the majority will answer with the image of mikan citruses placed on top of a kotatsu table.
Kyoto is in the dead of winter currently, with snowflakes drifting down from the skies just about every day. To celebrate the desolate winter, I traveled to the highly rated dessert café called Kashiya for a unique mikan treat. What makes this dessert unique is that while mikan are common to eat during the winter, few desserts use them as ingredients quite as often as strawberries or other fruits are used.
Kashiya is situated about a 6 minute walk northeast of the Sanjo-Keihan station, hidden away from the main Kyoto attractions on a sleepy little street.
The storefront is a refurbished machiya style, common for vogue Kyoto cafes, but with giant, gorgeous windows. The tall, slender waiter cooly greets you. From his demeanor and mod haircut, you can tell he’s involved in art of some sort and almost too fashionable to approach.
The inside of the small café is intimidatingly quiet—like a museum—until you notice classical music playing ever-so softly in the background.
A bowl near the front window houses fish comically tiny, making me think once again I’m at more of a modern art museum than anywhere else. I travel to a seat in the back of the café, to find that the store has an inner garden visible through sliding glass doors.
After ordering in whispers so as not to ruin the atmosphere, our desserts are carried out by a sweet woman (the head chef?). The mikan dessert, “KARUKAN”, is presented on a large, hot plate. Sponge-like cake and mikan karukan (similar to gelatin) layers sit in a delicious puddle of mikan sauce with specks of vanilla bean. It’s topped off with a thin candy layer and rich vanilla ice cream.
Hesitant to ruin the beautiful masterpiece, I finally muster the courage to take a bite. A great mix of flavors greet my taste buds. It tastes just how it looks—beautiful yet not overwhelming. The vanilla ice cream and mikan sauce especially are an excellent match.
My friend ordered the chocolate cake, “CHOCOLATE”, and the presentation was equally dramatic. The chocolate cake part was rich and mochi-like.
Mikan are said to be a great way to fend off colds during winter. Since it’s quite a ways until spring, why not enjoy a luxurious break at Kashiya, and also luxurious cold prevention while you’re at it!