Hitsuji Doughnuts — Restaurant in Kyoto

Oh my gosh. Maybe the best donut I've had in my life. Definitely top 3.

First, there may not be any donuts when you show up or there may be only one option. This is because they make small batches throughout the day so the donuts are always hot and fresh. They have an English menu, and if you ask they will tell you which donuts they are currently making and how long it will take for them to be done. Order right then and there because they may be fully pre-ordered if you decide to take a stroll around the block and come back. This place was very popular with the locals.

Okay, now this donut. There was only one option, a cream cheese filled one. I didn't have any expectations when I took that first bite, so I almost feel bad that you won't get that same experience since you're reading this. I needed to sit down. My eyes went wide. I contemplated my place in the universe. I had another bite. I remembered I should take a picture to document this transcendent experience.

Note the layers and air pockets in the dough. This is a proper as heck pastry. It was hot since it came from a small, fresh batch. It was fluffy and cloud-like, but it held its shape well and wasn't messy. The cream cheese filling was the perfect temperature and consistency. I was nervous when I heard that was my flavor because I was expecting a giant block of dense cream cheese. Nope. The sugar on the outside also added the perfect level of sweetness to it without being at all overbearing.

I only have one more day in Kyoto, but I will definitely be back here tomorrow to try another one of these amazing creations, and then I suspect I'll spend years chasing that...

If you're nearby or in Kyoto, do visit this Japanese donut shop. I've been there every time I visit Kyoto; can't miss out this place in my itinerary as it is my favourite donut shop! They are only open from Thu - Sat! They serve one of the best donuts I've ever had. It is unlike your usual donuts that are filled with syrups or dipped in chocolate sauces.

The donuts are all freshly baked and sold out fast. There was a time I visited this shop in the late afternoon and most of the donuts were sold out; less than 5 pieces were left on the rack. Thankfully, I got the last piece of Custard donut (with chocolate powder all over it) that is my favourite! The iced coffee was good too.

The shop is small and only few seats (think 4 seats) are available for you to dine in. The staff were friendly and they taped the chocolate powder properly and wrapped the donuts nicely if you want to takeaway. it is easy to communicate with English and hand gesture. You can ask them for a menu that has the list of donuts and their fillings so you know what type of donuts are...

I showed up around 10:15 and the woman in front of me took the final ticket of the day. I was so devastated ( first world problems). However, I was told that if I returned around 1:25 I might have a chance at getting leftover donuts. I returned around 1:05 and was super lucky because I was able to purchase donuts without having a ticket. I purchased the chocolate custard donut, Earl grey cream cheese and kinako black bean donut. Each donut is super fluffy and light and not too sweet they are baked to perfection with care. They also give you directions on how to heat up the donut if you don't eat it immediately as well as a packet of sugary coating to freshly dust your donuts to your own liking. The earl grey cream cheese was my personal favorite it was not too sweet and the tartness of the cream cheese was just perfect with the aromatic flavor of the Earl grey 🩶. I also befriended a very lovely lady who was a customer in front of me and it just made my day even though I was sad in the initially because I didn't get...