Went to Kawaramachi because I wanted to buy something, but the actual item didn't match my expectations, so I ended up not buying it and just enjoyed some sweets before heading home haha. #Cafe #KyotoCafe #KawaramachiCafe #Sweets #Parfait #MatchaParfait #KyotoTakashimaya #Kikunoi #MugeTeaHouse #SalonDeMuge #RichMatchaParfait. *・*・*・*・*・*・*・*・*・*・*・*・*・*・*・*・『Kikunoi Muge Tea House Kyoto Takashimaya Store』Address: 52 Shinmachi, Shijo-dori Kawaramachi-nishi-iru, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto Takashimaya 3F Phone: 0752527634 Business Hours: 11:00-20:00 (Last Order 19:00) Regular Holiday: Follows the facility's schedule.

This summer was too hot, so I was thinking of spending as much time indoors as possible haha. So I visited Takashimaya and had tea at Mugai Chabo on the 3rd floor. It's a very elegant space that doesn't feel like a department store cafe. We had to write our names and wait, but our turn came relatively quickly. The seating was somehow calming. It was a very hot day, so we ordered shaved ice. We got the Special Uji Kaneto for ¥2200, topped with Tamba Dainagon red beans. It also had matcha jelly and shiratama. Inside, there was a very rich matcha ice cream. It was a shaved ice that allowed us to fully enjoy the Kyoto-style matcha. We also got the strawberry drink set for ¥2530, which was slightly cheaper than the Uji Kaneto. It had plenty of domestic strawberries in sauce, confiture, jelly, and fresh strawberries, with strawberry sorbet hidden inside, and the original milk ice cream from Takashimaya store, made with boiled milk. It was a voluminous shaved ice that allowed us to enjoy plenty of strawberries. I chose the original herbal tea from Mugai Chabo to have a warm drink indoors, as eating shaved ice indoors tends to make me cold in the end. By the way, hojicha is served as a service and it was quite roasted. I was also interested in the Mont Blanc shaved ice and the melon parfait, but unfortunately, they contained alcohol so I couldn't try them. Hopefully, I can try them next time! ♡

I had always wanted to visit this shop. It is located on the third floor of Takashimaya, and when I arrived, there was a long line in front of the shop. I wrote my name and while waiting, I went to the restroom. Surprisingly, the wait was not as long as I expected. There were even small children with us, but we were seated at a table closest to the entrance and we were able to easily park the stroller. However, I felt that it took a long time for the parfait to be served after ordering. It felt like forever. The taste itself was not too sweet, with a strong matcha flavor, making it a parfait for adults. It contained castella, shiratama, matcha jelly, and the jelly was so delicious with a nice texture. However, I personally felt satisfied after eating it once.

Kyoto, where the highest temperature reached 34℃, was extremely hot. After work, in order to cool down my body, I decided to visit a place that had caught my interest before. In the evening, I had to wait for about 3 groups, but after writing my name, I was seated in the restaurant within 10 minutes. I was directed to a table for two and served Kyoto green tea and a wet towel. The staff promptly asked for my order, and feeling hot, I chose the Mont Blanc shaved ice. The order was served in less than 10 minutes. It was quite large, but not surprisingly so, as I had seen similar sizes at other places. The staff kept coming to refill my tea. The shaved ice came with condensed milk on the side. I tried it without the condensed milk at first. The Mont Blanc cream had a strong aroma of liqueur, making it a more adult-oriented menu. It was topped with pine nuts, walnuts, almonds, and chestnuts. The shaved ice was different from traditional shaved ice shops, with a higher humidity level, making it slightly firmer. The cream was a bit firm, and the liqueur aroma overpowered the caramel ice cream scent inside. Eating them together made it hard to distinguish the caramel flavor. After cleaning my palate with tea, I could finally taste the caramel. The raisins at the bottom were also strong in alcohol flavor. I enjoyed it, but those sensitive to alcohol might find it too intense. However, the shaved ice remained white throughout. I started adding condensed milk halfway through, but it was not enough. The lack of variety in flavors, with only the condensed milk, made it monotonous and I couldn't finish it in the end. It was disappointing that the only thing connecting the white ice and Mont Blanc was a small amount of condensed milk. A smoother cream would have been better. The firm cream left a rough texture in my mouth. If you are used to patisserie Mont Blanc, you might find it more noticeable. Perhaps shaved ice should be left to the experts. The size of the dessert could also be reduced, especially for older customers who may struggle to finish it. The atmosphere of the restaurant felt more suited to an older crowd. It was tough when the staff stopped refilling tea promptly as the seats filled up. If I go again, I would try a different menu item instead of the shaved ice.

Visited the restaurant on June 24, 2023 at 1:30 PM and there was one group waiting. Opted for shaved ice this time since the place I wanted to go had a long wait. Was relieved to be seated right away. Even though it's not chestnut season, the order came with lots of chestnut cream and I ended up feeling full.

If possible, I wanted to visit Salon de Muguet at Kikunoi Honten, but due to my travel schedule, I couldn't go during the day. So, I ended up here. I had planned to visit the department stores in Kyoto, mainly Isetan, but I realized on the first day that I had forgotten my parasol, so I stopped by Takashimaya to buy one. The next day, I used the lockers here. Takashimaya was quite convenient. I came to pick up my things before checking into the next hotel, but with the COVID-19 pandemic over, it had been a while since I visited Kyoto, and there were too many shops I wanted to visit. However, with limited meal times in a day, my eating schedule was busy. Even though my partner was full after lunch and was like, "Are you kidding me?" I thought, "We don't know when we'll come back to Kyoto again," and "We don't even know if it'll be in the summer," so I insisted. In times like these, it's a woman's habit not to listen to the opinions of men. We ordered two different desserts because it's rude to share one. It was tough, but it was definitely the right decision to visit. The rich matcha parfait was elegant with its restrained sweetness and the presentation in the adorable container was top-notch. Just looking at it made me happy. The spoon with a strong round shape was a bit difficult to eat with though. Especially, the shaved ice was the most delicious among the Uji-Kintoki-style tea ice I've had in the past. Even though my partner said, "I'm too full to eat," he ended up eating more than half of the shaved ice. Well, because of this, we couldn't use the hotel lounge. It wasn't as cozy as the shops surrounded by greenery in the department store, but Kyoto people are lucky in many ways. Well, there are a lot of crowds and too many foreigners, which is troublesome, but surprisingly, foreigners don't seem to have the idea of "let's just go to the department store," so there are fewer foreigners in the department store. It might be a hidden gem for buying souvenirs or taking a break.

On May 28, 2023, around 1:30 PM, there were 3 people waiting at the restaurant. We were seated promptly. We ordered a strawberry parfait and an iced coffee set for 2,530 yen. The strawberries were quite tart and not very sweet, not seeming to be a branded variety. They paired well with the sweet sauce inside. The iced coffee was strong and bitter. Despite being a bit pricey, it was tasty. It was smaller than it looked in the photos, making it suitable even after a meal.

First of all, this is not just a matcha parfait, it was packed with plenty of matcha ice cream. The intensity of the matcha ice cream was so strong that it felt like eating tea leaves rather than ice cream. It is the best matcha ice cream I have ever had, surpassing any matcha parfait. Along with the matcha ice cream, there were also matcha jelly and sponge cake in the parfait. The matcha jelly was firm like agar, and surprisingly intense just like the ice cream. The sponge cake was a bit dry, which was the only downside. However, this is undoubtedly the best matcha dessert I have ever had.

I stopped by for a break. It's a bit pricey, but the iced tea is delicious (^ ^) It comes with castella. I was full so I gave the castella to my friend, but the iced tea was very easy to drink!! The plate for the castella is very cute ♡ The matcha parfait seems to be famous, so I want to come back next time to try the parfait (^^)

Matcha parfait ¥1760 Visited around 4:00 pm on a holiday. There were 3 groups waiting, but we were able to enter the store in about 10 minutes. It took about 5 minutes from ordering to the parfait arriving. The parfait had plenty of rich matcha ice cream both on top and at the bottom, providing a satisfying experience.

During snack time on the weekend, I waited in line with about three other groups before entering. At Mugaisanbo, they serve freshly made authentic warabi mochi. The warabi mochi is dipped in kinako, and you can add black honey according to your preference. The warabi mochi was slightly warm and very delicious. I was worried about the portion size, but I was able to finish it all in no time.

A precious place where you can relax and take your time. The parfaits with strawberries and matcha are high quality and very delicious. The price is reasonable for what you get. It's a bit on the expensive side, but there are not many places as nice as this one for adults to relax with children.

Today, I was planning to go to the main store, but it seemed to be closed. After looking it up, I found this shop closer to my current location instead. The strawberries were very sweet, and the ice cream inside was made by simmering milk, making it very rich. One thing that caught my attention was why the container is so narrow at the bottom and prone to tipping over... But it's delicious, so it's okay.

Visited Salon de Muge at Takashimaya Kyoto earlier this month. Since reservations are not accepted, I arrived early. Takashimaya opens at 10 am, but Salon de Muge opens at 11 am, so be mindful of that. It had been a while since my last visit, and I noticed that they have increased the number of seats, making it easier to get in compared to when they were located underground. This time, I tried the seasonal limited edition strawberry parfait. It was a combination of condensed milk, milk ice cream, and strawberries, with a taste similar to a high-quality strawberry milk towards the end. The second photo is of matcha, taken by my friend. It's a year-round menu item, so I didn't choose it, but it looks rich in matcha flavor. #Takashimaya #KyotoTakashimaya #SalondeMuge #KyotoCafe #Kyoto #KawaramachiCafe #Parfait #StrawberryParfait #StrawberrySweets #ShijoCafe #JapaneseCafe #KyotoTravel #KyotoSightseeing

I visited Takashimaya after a long time for various reasons. I happened to see the name of this shop on the guide board. There was also a shop on the 3rd floor. It is a sweets shop produced by the most famous Kyoto restaurant "Kikunoi". It is very popular, with quite a waiting time even next to the main store. I thought it would be full of female customers in the department store, but there were only two customers ahead of me. I chose the popular parfait instead of a simple lunch. I chose a rich matcha parfait and coffee set. I was warned, "It's a container that is easy to tip over, so please hold it while eating." It was indeed unstable. When I looked to the side from the counter seat, I was surprised to see artworks by Morikazu Kumagai! There were about four small pieces, but they were quite nice. At the time of payment, I noticed that there were also cat artworks at the entrance. It was a pleasant surprise to encounter my favorite artist in such an unexpected place.

While waiting for the elevator, I stumbled upon a photo of the matcha parfait from Mukaiyama Bousui. I didn't know there was a cafe on the 3rd floor of Takashimaya. I've visited the main store twice, but it's a very popular cafe with long waits, so it's hard to go. But here, it seems like you don't have to wait! And if it's crowded, you can always leave... So, I decided to visit on the spot. As soon as I got off the elevator, the cafe was right there, with a sign saying "Seats available. We can seat you right away"! Yay! Of course, I had the matcha parfait. The components were as follows: Matcha ice cream, red beans, shiratama (mochi balls), sponge cake, and black sugar jelly. I've had a lot of matcha sweets since eating at the main store, but I'm convinced that there is no matcha ice cream richer than this. I've also had matcha gelato from Nanaya in Shizuoka, known as the richest in the world, but I think this one is even richer (and there's more of it). It's a superb matcha ice cream with a refreshing bitterness and richness that wakes you up! As expected, I couldn't sleep at all and went to work (^^; Finally, I was able to sleep 40 hours later (^^; That's how rich the matcha is! (I've eaten a variety of other things too). The tea they served was a strong-smelling, unique Kyoto hojicha, which I don't like, but I thought it paired well with matcha sweets. Thank you for the meal.

I wasn't very hungry, but my daughter wanted to eat a parfait so we came to this place. The main store is said to be crowded, but this place was quiet and relaxing in the evening. We both ordered the strawberry parfait for 1600 yen. The appearance was simple and adult-like, but it was delicious. The strawberries were plentiful and the strawberry ice cream and condensed milk ice cream were rich and tasty without being overwhelming. It was so delicious that we finished it all even though we weren't hungry. It's true what they say about having a separate stomach. It was very delicious.

I was torn between the Warabi mochi and Ichigo parfait, but I ended up choosing the latter! The menu mentioned "real Warabi mochi," which made me curious if it could surpass Hosen, but the Ichigo parfait, being seasonal and all, won me over. Underneath the strawberries, there was strawberry gelato and milk ice cream. The gelato and ice cream were rich and paired well with coffee. The strawberries were more tangy than sweet, which seemed to be a deliberate choice to balance the parfait. It was delicious, but a bit pricey. A cup of coffee alone costs 1000 yen. It was very easy to drink, but I wish it had a bit more aroma from the beans to make it even tastier.

When January comes, I get busy with Valentine's Day sweets and strawberry sweets. It's a bit overwhelming, but it's also an exciting time because every year, the classic sweets are released and I have to make sure to get them! I visited Muge Sanso Kyoto Takashimaya Store, which is managed by Kikunoi, a famous sweet shop in Kyoto. They have a main store in Higashiyama and a branch in Kyoto Takashimaya. I used to visit their store on B1F, but they moved to the 3rd floor in September last year, which made me happy because now I can enter without waiting in line. I was worried about them being sold out, but luckily I got what I wanted. I tried their strawberry parfait, which was small in size but filled with plenty of strawberries. I'm not sure which brand of strawberries they used, but it was sweet! There was a hint of acidity which made it delicious. Inside the strawberries, there was strawberry sorbet which was packed with intense strawberry flavor. At the bottom, there was a milk ice cream made by boiling down milk to half its volume, giving it a rich and flavorful taste. I'm glad I could enjoy Muge's strawberry parfait again this year. It felt like a personal mission for me, and I'm satisfied with completing it. Thank you for the delicious meal, Muge Sanso Kyoto Takashimaya Store.

I came to eat warabi mochi, which I used to enjoy in the past. The old underground shop was hard to enter, but I liked the atmosphere that showed attention to detail. This time, it has become wider and feels more ordinary. The taste of warabi mochi was still delicious. The mitarashi dango I had this time was elegant, and I wanted to eat more of it. It's a place where you can relax, and I plan to come back again.