Tsujiri Kyoto Gion Store — Restaurant in Kyoto

Back in Manila we used to frequent a little hole in the wall type of place that served what I consider to be the best matcha ice cream dessert ever. But the place closed down and nothing I tried since could match the flavor and quality of this divine dish that I've enjoyed for years. Until tonight. Prowling the streets of Kyoto we came upon this gem of a place, Tsujiri Kyotomise. Displayed prominently in front was a picture of what looked like an exact replica of that Japanese dessert I used to crave for and enjoy back home. It was just too much to resist so while I was stuffed from sampling all the street food the city had to offer I just had to try their Matcha Soft Serve Ice Cream Parfait. And am I glad I did! The first bite I took came with a surge of matcha, which I am not too fond of, per se. I thought that first bite was a bit like licking some algae off a rock. But it was the red bean paste that saved the day because it just balanced off the strong matcha flavor and added just a bit of sweetness. Then when you bite into the mochi balls -- perfection! The only thing missing that was really good about the Manila version was some taro paste. But this dessert does well and holds its own even without it. When in Kyoto, you...

I would not recommend coming to this store or any of their chains. Two days ago I bought their ‘Unsweetened Uji Matcha Mix’. I had then left the store in a rush to make my taxi home. During the car ride I translated the bag since everything on the back is in Japanese. I found that the first ingredient is dextrin, a white flavorless additive chemical. Only the second ingredient is matcha. Upon finding this out I was frustrated with how misleading the package was as nowhere advertised it is anything but pure matcha. The store had a terrible return policy: if you leave the store you can’t return anything. Since I had already left the store even though I had a recipe and completely unopened and sealed package, the manager refused to offer any sort of refund. I understand that this was primarily my fault for not checking the product first but as a large company with many chains they should do an honest job advertising their products.

On a more concerning note, I was told this is the matcha used in their drinks so I would be careful of that as well.

TLDR poor quality matcha potentially used in all their food, false advertising, poor store management with no...

Bought my matcha latte here due to the reviews this place has. The shop looks really neat, clean and well stocked. There is plenty of variety in types of matcha and other produce. The latte itself though tasted like a Starbucks matcha which is extremely overly sweet. Even after asking if it was rich and not sweet, they said yes. Secondly: the latte wasn't whisked properly since the bottom of the latte was very grainy including the last two sips as well. Will not get my...