snowdrop
Namba's hidden gem cafe, huh? The New Kabuki Theater has been turned into a hotel, right? I had heard about it, but I didn't really notice the change because I usually walk through the shopping streets from Shinsaibashi to Namba, and the exterior still retains the previous design. This time, I naturally avoided thinking about it being the New Kabuki Theater and ended up almost completing a full circle. I visited the cafe on the 2nd floor of Hotel Royal Classic. The layout is long and narrow along Midosuji, with a buffet restaurant and a backyard connecting the floors. It's not as luxurious as a typical hotel lounge, but if you sit by the window, you can overlook Midosuji, which can be quite enjoyable. Especially at this time of year when the illuminations have started, I was looking forward to it, and indeed, all the seats were filled (after 5 pm, the number of customers drops significantly). Seats on the opposite side felt a bit closed off due to the partitions. However, there were few seats by the window where the arrangement of the street trees matched the view well, so if you're looking forward to the illuminations, be careful. This time, I visited to pass the time until my appointment and to try the hotel's special parfait "Rafine". It's described as a harmony of a tea-scented mousse using French chocolate and a sweet and sour raspberry jelly. The crumble with a clove scent adds texture as an accent. I found it by searching for "Namba parfait" on Instagram. The first thing that caught my eye was its sophisticated visual presentation. The top is simple, with a fuchsia pink round macaron, chocolate, a logo-inscribed square, and sharp crescent-like lines, creating a beautiful contrast of colors with its sculptural beauty. The chocolate in the shape of autumn leaves is also included, so maybe it's limited to autumn? It could also work for Christmas due to the color scheme. I probably thought of Christmas because it contains cloves. By adding the scent of tea, it upgrades the classic combination of chocolate and raspberries. The raspberry gelato closes the overall flavor perfectly, without a doubt. The quality of each component is more on the standard side, but for ¥1,200, it's quite a reasonable price for a parfait nowadays. The size is not too small (or too large), which is nice. Surprisingly, there are not many places offering parfaits in Namba. Among them, this one should be recognized for its content. Also, as a cafe in a hotel, it offers a good value (including the service charge in the price). It seems practical to use and is a cafe worth remembering.