YUGEN — Restaurant in Kyoto

Dropped by this place on the last afternoon of the long weekend — lucky for us, there was no wait at all. I originally came for the pottery, but figured I might as well try their matcha while I was here.

To be fair, both the usucha (thin matcha) and the walnut wagashi were quite good. The wagashi had a nice chewy, springy texture and wasn’t overly sweet like some traditional ones can be.

What was disappointing, though, was the service. The staff didn’t really pay attention to basic things like refilling water or reminding us when it was time to pay.

Maybe it’s because they were very young, so they didn’t seem passionate about matcha or knowledgeable about tea ceremony. They even whisked the matcha away from the guests, which really breaks the whole spirit of omotenashi — all they did was tell me to pick my favorite tea bowl after ordering.

Also, I didn’t manage to get any of Naoya Arakawa ‘s works this time — next visit, I think I’ll just come to browse the pottery instead of sitting...

As a first-timer, I decided to go in completely blind and ordered their matcha and sweets set of the day. I didn't know what is coming, it was a total trust fall with no questions asked. The staff asked me to choose a mug (or a bowl?) from a selection displayed on the wall (my decision-fatigued brain froze while the staff patiently waited, I probably was their 20th victim of the day), then proceeded to make my order and delivered it right away. The matcha is on the more bitter side and very fragrant with floral hints.

The snack of the day was kurumi mochi (rice cakes with walnut). The texture is somewhat between rice cake and jelly. It's not too sweet, but effectively balanced the sharpness of the matcha. Together they make each other make sense.

It was a satisfying leap of faith. Now I understand why adults...

Loved the minimalist decor and peaceful atmosphere of this beautiful tea and traditional Japanese dessert / wagashi shop! The menu is all in Japanese, but the person working the day I visited spoke great English and also shared pictures to help me choose. I opted for the ohagi and matcha set, and the kinako and wasabi flavors were amazing! The wasabi was subtly sweet - highly recommend if it’s available. I went on a Sunday and when the shop was quieter, had a really fun conversation with the guy who made my tea. The option to choose the matcha bowl you drink out of is also really fun, and the curated selection is beautiful (you can also buy the bowl but at a hefty price). The other tea wares and tea leaves for sale were very high quality and I bought a beautiful glass tea cup I’m excited to use. A must...