Satisfy your Kyoto Fix: Best of Both Worlds
If you’ve been to Kyoto, you will know by now that Matcha green tea sweets and Yatsuhashi are two of the most popular Kyoto deserts. Today, I’d like to introduce a blend of the two! No, it’s not matcha-flavored yatsuhashi. That would be too easy. Instead, it’s a slice of decadent matcha cake on top of a crust that has a layer of cinnamon yatsuhashi! It feels almost like overkill, but meh, we’ll forgive it.
You’ll find this baby at the Kyoto Lipton café, of which there are several locations. One on the underground level at Kyoto station, one on Shijo-Street, and the main one on Sanjo-Street which is the one I paid a visit to. I had been mesmerized with the tantalizing shop window from before; too-good-to-be-true cakes and pastries sit at the store’s display. The shop itself had an elegant afternoon tea vibe that was all too inviting.
I finally set foot in the place to try one of their treats, and lo and behold, I ordered a slice of their matcha cake. Wow was it HUGE! A thick slab of creamy matcha filling sat upon a bed of tender, chewy cinnamon yatsuhashi which then sat atop a crisp crust made from baked yatsuhashi! The first bite was quite different from other matcha treats as the yatsuhashi added some spunk to the mix. It was a delicious way to get my fill of Kyoto for the day (or week).
My suggestion: definitely order a single dessert to split. The portions are HUGE! While these cakes are delicious, you will definitely fall into a sucrose comatose should you attempt to consume an entire piece by yourself.
Next time, I think I’ll try one of their smaller-sized adorably decorated éclairs!