I visited "Arashiyama Sakura Mochi Ina," a shop located near the Katsura River in Kyoto. The shop, which opened in 1984 as a coffee shop, is conveniently located just a minute's walk from Arashiyama Station on the Keifuku Arashiyama Main Line. Across the road, you can see the World Heritage Site "Tenryu-ji Temple." The shop has a lovely exterior that matches the surrounding scenery. Inside, there is a seating area where you can enjoy your treats while looking out the window at the view. Today, I tried the following menu item: Mitarashi Dango: The chewy and elastic texture of the dumplings is served in a boat-shaped wooden container. They use domestically produced ingredients where you can see the face of the producer. The amber-colored soy sauce glaze has a good balance of sweetness and saltiness, making it endlessly enjoyable. I also stopped by the centuries-old Togetsukyo Bridge. Thank you for the meal.

There are many shops, and I was happy with the pricing as it was a bit on the higher side but still reasonable. The cold udon noodles were firm and delicious. The sesame tofu had a luxurious taste. The yuba (tofu skin) was delicious. The warabi mochi was also delicious.

Weekend stroll in Arashiyama - I arrived around 1:30 pm and tried two types of lunch dishes. - Zaru Yuba Udon 1100 yen: The udon noodles are slightly thinner and flatter compared to Sanuki udon, but they have a good texture. The yuba (tofu skin) served on the side is dipped in the dipping sauce. The condiments for the zaru udon are green onions and wasabi. - Teoke Udon 1100 yen: Unlike the cold zaru udon, this is a hot kettle-cooked udon. The noodles are the same as the zaru udon. The condiments for the teoke udon are mitsuba (Japanese wild parsley) and wasabi. The sesame tofu and warabi mochi included in the set also have a unique texture and were very delicious. Both udon dishes can be upgraded to a large serving for an additional 100 yen. The prices mentioned are inclusive of tax. The restaurant is located near Tenryu-ji Temple in Arashiyama. It is a bustling area with lots of foot traffic, so there are always many customers waiting from the first floor to near the entrance on the second floor staircase.

The taxi driver mentioned that although Japan is still not fully recovered, there is a continuous influx of foreigners due to the relaxed entry restrictions. They seem to be very excited about the idea of having copy robots. Arashiyama was quite crowded, and I made the mistake of going to a restaurant that had closed down five years ago, resulting in a disappointing experience. After having station bento, I have only tried the mitarashi dango from Inari, which was delicious with a perfect balance of sugar and soy sauce. The self-service hojicha was also very enjoyable. The taxi driver mentioned that it's already cold now, but it will get even colder, which is good for the taxi industry. Overall, I found the combination of mitarashi dango and temples to be lovely. Kyoto is great with its flowers and dango. Thank you for the meal.

This is a dumpling shop in Arashiyama. I had soft serve ice cream and mitarashi dumplings. After walking through the bamboo grove and exploring Arashiyama, I stopped by here feeling a bit tired. The dumplings were chewy and delicious. The soft serve ice cream was not too sweet and tasty.

The shop in front of Tenryu-ji Temple offers reasonable prices. The "Zaru Yuba Udon" for 1,100 yen with an extra 100 yen for a large serving was delicious. The udon was chewy, and it came with yuba (top left in the photo), sesame tofu (bottom right in the photo), and kuzumochi (bottom center in the photo).

On the way back from exploring Arashiyama, I stopped by this shop on a souvenir street to satisfy my hunger. The mitarashi dango was freshly baked but on the smaller side, and I wasn't a big fan of the texture. The warabi mochi was okay. It was crowded, but I managed to get in. It seemed more like a place with a lot of people rather than being popular.

It was delicious! I thought the parfait for 900 yen might have a shallow bottom, but it was actually quite deep and very satisfying in volume. The bottom was mostly sakura ice cream, which was a bit cold for this time of year, but I was happy to see the mochi come out as well. The sakura ice cream was refreshing and tasty.

Warabi mochi parfait ¥950 ⚠️ Cash only This parfait has a generous amount of ice cream with chewy shiratama mochi, bouncy warabi mochi, and smooth red bean paste. The chestnut topping is delicious, and I think the ice cream was kinako flavored. It's not mind-blowingly delicious, but it has a nice traditional Japanese feel to it, perfect for the first stop on a Kyoto trip! The restaurant has plenty of seating, so we were able to get in smoothly!

The good thing about cash payment only is that you can enjoy unlimited self-service tea. The place has a roof so you can eat in, making it a nice spot for a short break. The warabi mochi is on the gooey side. In terms of cost performance, 300 yen for 3 pieces seems a bit high.

The interior of the shop is clean and has a calm atmosphere with tables spaced out just right. The glass counter seats face the entrance of Tenryu-ji Temple, so it is bright and offers a nice view on the second floor. The male staff member was friendly. Since I was in Kyoto, I wanted to have matcha, and I was pleased to find that the matcha ice cream was filled all the way to the bamboo. The combination of warabi mochi, whipped cream, anko, and black sugar agar was well-balanced and delicious until the end. Thank you for the meal.

Family summer trip to Kyoto. Taking a break during a stroll in Arashiyama. Summary: - Mitarashi Dango [2 skewers] 300 yen Two skewers of four 10mm square-shaped dango balls. The hot and chewy dango has a texture similar to udon noodles. The mitarashi sauce has a strong flavor of soy sauce and sweetness from sugar. - Matcha Warabi Mochi 300 yen Three pieces of warabi mochi, each about 20mm x 20mm in size and 10mm thick, with matcha powder on top. It has a slightly sticky texture and the powder is not too sweet, with a refreshing sweetness from the warabi mochi itself. Delicious.

I visited this restaurant during my sightseeing in Arashiyama. It was a spontaneous decision as my trip was mostly unplanned, but I was able to enjoy the Kyoto atmosphere. The Kyoto-style udon was delicious with its light broth. I haven't been back to Kyoto since this trip, but I would love to visit again.

The restaurant was quiet as there were hardly any customers, probably due to the pandemic. The food was delicious, but there was a lot of ice cream at the bottom. I think it would be more enjoyable if there were different items like cake or jelly at the bottom to add variety in taste and texture. The warm tea served was also delicious. Thank you for the meal.

I had a matcha warabi mochi parfait! It was served in a bamboo container, which looked very nice. I enjoyed it while looking at the entrance of Tenryu-ji Temple. Inside, there was a layer of matcha ice cream. There were no cornflakes or anything like that! As a matcha lover, I was very satisfied!

Despite it being late November, the sunshine was strong and it was hot, so I had Zaru Udon! The yuba was thick and delicious. The udon had a nice firm texture and was smooth. The sesame tofu was very smooth. The warabi mochi was moist and rich, more like juice than chewy, more like it melts smoothly! So delicious!

While visiting Tenryu-ji Temple and Nonomiya Shrine, we stopped by a dessert shop called Ina-san near the station. Although they are known for their tofu and yuba products, they also offer sweets. We tried their mitarashi dango and warabi mochi for 300 yen each, available for takeout. The mitarashi dango had a light caramel color and a subtle sweetness, similar to those from famous shops like Kamo Mitarashi Dango and Koto Ka. The warabi mochi was made with high-quality bracken starch, resulting in a beautiful black color and a soft, melting texture. The flavors were reminiscent of the renowned Kyoto sweets. Overall, it was a delightful experience.

While strolling and enjoying the autumn leaves in Arashiyama, I came across Mitarashi dango and decided to buy some. The small Mitarashi dango was soft and delicious. I shared one with my friend, but I could have easily eaten more. I will definitely come back to Arashiyama again.