During a trip to Kyoto on a Sunday around 11 am, there were no other customers. I ordered the Black Soybean Mont Blanc and Black Soybean Coffee. The shaved ice dessert looked like a large Mont Blanc cake, but it was actually just ice. It had black soybean paste and black soybean soft serve, with a subtle black soybean flavor and a moderate level of sweetness. The large black soybeans on top had a fluffy texture and were delicious. The Black Soybean Coffee had a strong black soybean flavor and was quite bitter, which paired well with the shaved ice. The complimentary black soybean tea they served (with the option of hot or cold) was also very tasty. Despite the bustling Nishiki Market, the restaurant was quiet, making it a hidden gem. The staff were very friendly, the atmosphere was great, and it was a relaxing place to enjoy a cup of tea.

There is a sweets shop in one corner of Nishiki Market. I stopped by Nishiki after a long time and decided to visit this shop. I was guided to the second floor, which was a small and cozy space. I ordered the Uji milk sweet potato for 1320 yen and the warabi mochi sundae for 770 yen. Both dishes were delicious and had a generous portion, truly showing the skill of Mr. Kitao. They also offer lunch menus. If you post their products on Instagram, you can get a 10% discount, so be sure to give it a try.

Black soybean pancake coffee set for 1375 yen. 10% off with Instagram post. Located in Nishiki Market. The market seems to be getting more customers, with lots of foreigners around. I thought the place was full because someone was sitting in front of the register on the first floor drinking their drink, but they easily let me in when I asked. They even brought out some pears as a service. It was nice of them. They offer black soybean tea as a free drink, which is nice. The pancakes were small, about 5-6 cm each, and came with Mont Blanc cream. The sweet soy sauce was a bit too sweet at first, but it grew on me as I ate. The black soybean coffee was interesting, but maybe regular coffee would have been better. They offer tea for free, so I didn't really need to order it. The staff seemed busy and a bit rushed, which was a bit disappointing. I heard they also serve meals, so I'd like to try that next time. Thank you for the meal.

It's been so long since I walked around Kyoto alone. I had some time to kill before my appointment, so I decided to wander around. I was planning on having something sweet, but it was sold out! So, I ended up ordering somen noodles with plenty of black beans mixed in. The texture was really good and it was delicious.

I ordered a takeout item that had ice cream and pancakes on top! It cost 500 yen and had everything I wanted, so I was very satisfied. Despite being a takeout order, they guided me to a bench inside the store and even gave me black bean tea. The customer service was very kind and attentive.

Lunch set at a 160-year-old black bean shop includes simmered black beans, black bean rice, black bean miso soup, and shredded dried bonito with Japanese pepper. You can choose two items from black bean powder-flavored raw gluten, black bean natto sauce omelet, or black bean natto tempura. The set also comes with black bean tea and black edamame. If you add the restaurant on LINE as a friend, you will receive a mini black bean warabi mochi as a gift. The dishes are all black bean-based, with a delicate and delicious flavor typical of Kyoto.

I visited a place in Nishiki before it got crowded after the pandemic. I enjoyed black soybean tea, black soybean edamame, black soybean rice, black soybean tempura, black soybean natto, black soybean noodles, black soybean kudzu mochi, and black soybean ice cream. The restaurant had a well inside and a traditional Kyoto building where you could enjoy the atmosphere. There was also a photo of the 6th generation owner, who had a kind face, which added to the experience.

There is a shop in the famous department store in Tokyo where you can enjoy eating in with Tamba black beans from Mr. Kitao at Nishiki Market! This is a rare treat! You can enjoy plenty of Tamba black beans, which is luxurious! I secretly wonder if Kyoto cuisine uses authentic Tamba black beans. It was very good as they use plenty of Tamba black beans and it is reasonably priced. The black bean set meal is recommended. I had black bean nama-fu and black bean tempura, while my companion had Yamato chicken karaage and teriyaki, so we shared and had quite a variety. The warabi mochi also contains black beans and is topped with black bean kinako, which is the best. Ingredients are important indeed. They also serve black bean edamame with black bean tea. It's a black bean feast! By the way, the only place where you can eat in at Kitao-san is here at Nishiki Market!

Located in the middle of Nishiki Market, this tea shop offers a quiet atmosphere with a beautiful garden inside, away from the bustling market. They have a cafe area in the back and a dining area on the second floor. I tried the Uji Kin Toki with rich matcha syrup drizzled over soft serve black bean ice cream. It was a delightful treat for matcha lovers. Thank you for the delicious meal!

Today, I visited a shop that specializes in black beans in the Nishiki Market area. It seems to be a long-established shop that handles black beans and red beans from Tanba, founded in 1862. The main store is located in Tanbaguchi, and this branch is called the "Nishiki Store." Inside the shop, there are products made with black beans and red beans on display. There is also a dining area at the back of the shop, where you can eat in. This time, I bought some sweets made with black beans to take home. - Yugen Black Bean: A sweet with black beans wrapped in jelly. The jelly has a bouncy texture and a hint of sweetness, maybe from black sugar. I enjoyed the sweetness of the black beans together with the jelly. - Yugen Matcha Black Bean: This version has black beans wrapped in matcha jelly. The matcha flavor is just right, not too bitter. I felt the balance between the sweetness of the black beans and the matcha. - Yugen Hojicha Azuki: This version has red beans wrapped in hojicha jelly. The red beans have a moderate sweetness, and the hojicha jelly has a fragrant roasted flavor. Personally, this might be my favorite among the three. It was a simple and enjoyable dessert.

Every year, I always come to Kuro Mame Chaya for shaved ice. This shaved ice, which seems to be specialized in black beans, has a big impact from its appearance and is irresistible. I went upstairs for the first time and found the polished wooden floor and spacious seating arrangement very comfortable, with a high ceiling adding to the relaxing atmosphere. The cream on the shaved ice, resembling Mont Blanc, has a sweetness that does not detract from the simple sweetness of the black beans. It is not as rich and smooth as chestnuts, but rather a cream that brings out the goodness of black beans. The combination with the black honey drizzled over the ice inside is also excellent. I was glad to be able to enjoy shaved ice that truly reflects the specialty of black beans.

*Black Soybean Mont Noir ¥990 I don't usually eat shaved ice at restaurants, but I really wanted to try this one ☺️ Shaved ice with black soybean paste in a Mont Blanc style ✨ Next to the shaved ice is black soybean soft serve ice cream. The black soybean paste has less moisture than syrup, so even if you eat it slowly, the ice doesn't melt away! Plus, there's black honey on the ice, so you can enjoy changing flavors as you eat. Personally, the black soybean soft serve ice cream stole the show!! It was so delicious ( ˊᵕˋ )♡ The staff's service was heartwarming. It was a cozy and welcoming atmosphere where you could relax.

I had warabi mochi at a sweet shop specializing in black beans, and it was really delicious! They also had shaved ice topped with black bean soft serve, which was as delicious as I had imagined. This shop was featured on TV for their black bean noodles. Thank you for the meal!

I will return to the Kyoto review. During a food tour in Kyoto in September, we explored Nishiki Market. After enjoying delicious dumplings and wine at "Gyoza Gozukon," we decided to have dessert at the black bean shop "Kitao." The interior of the shop has two tables on the first floor and seating on the second floor. The menu includes shaved ice with black beans, black bean somen noodles, chestnut dessert, black bean warabi mochi, and more. We tried the black bean shaved ice, which is made with carefully selected black beans processed into a paste and served in a Mont Blanc style. The ice is smooth and melts in your mouth, while the black bean soft serve ice cream has a rich flavor. The dessert also includes chestnuts and whole black beans, with black syrup drizzled over the ice. The generous amount of black bean cream ensures that the dessert remains flavorful until the last bite. I am also curious about grinding the kinako powder in the stone mortar, and I would like to try that next time. Thank you for the delicious meal.

It's Friday afternoon in Nishiki, Kyoto. The market street is quiet, perhaps due to it being a weekday afternoon. The calls of mothers and sisters trying to attract customers echo emptily. A seal stands in front of the fish shop, eyeing the sea bream and conger eel. This season is perfect for grilled conger eel from Akashi, I'll have to go there tomorrow night. As I continue walking, I spot a shaved ice shop. What's this? Shaved ice topped with Aomori mandarin jam and black bean soft serve on the side. Perfect. I've worked up a sweat, so I decide to take a break. I sit in the back where I can see the garden, enjoying boiled and chilled black beans, black bean tea, black bean chocolate, and shaved ice for the first time in years. After about an hour, as the sun begins to set, I leisurely walk to Sanjo Keihan for tonight's dinner party. And that's a wrap.

My black bean-loving friend said, "I want to eat lunch here!!" and came over. It was close to 2 pm, so I asked, "The black bean set meal is only for one person, is that okay?" My friend replied, "I'll have curry, so it's fine." We entered the restaurant. Last time, we sat on the second floor, but this time, there was a seat available on the first floor, so we were guided there. The black bean set meal costs 1,257 yen and is a dish full of black beans. It's a must-visit place for black bean lovers! The food was the same as last time, with the black beans being soft and delicious. Even elderly people would enjoy it. My black bean-loving friend bought various black beans on the way home.

When I made a reservation and called, I was recommended a seat with a view of the garden on the first floor. I followed the recommendation and had a great meal in a calm atmosphere with a nice view. I drank black bean tea and enjoyed a complimentary taste set of simmered beans while waiting for my main dish. The Black Bean Meal (1234 yen) included black bean rice, black bean miso soup, black bean tofu, nori and black bean tempura, simmered black beans, black bean sake, shredded mountain pepper, all featuring black beans. The tofu was rich in bean flavor and had a mousse-like texture. The nori-wrapped tempura with natto was delicious when eaten with salt. The simmered beans were subtly sweet and tasty. The black bean rice was chewy, possibly made with glutinous rice. The miso soup with trefoil had a pleasant aroma. The black bean sake, made with sake instead of shochu, had a sweet liqueur-like taste with a lingering sake fragrance, which I found a bit mismatched. The meal was quite filling for the price, and I would definitely like to visit again.

While walking around Nishiki Market with my friend, we were trying to decide where to have lunch when we stumbled upon this place! We decided to go in because we had a delicious lunch here before. Located in the middle of Nishiki Market, this shop started trading black beans and azuki beans at "Tanbaguchi" in the second year of Bunkyu. The "Black Bean Set Meal" here is a must-try, featuring a variety of dishes made with black beans. The first-floor seating area was small and crowded, so we went upstairs, where we had to take off our shoes. Upstairs, we noticed that half of the people dining were foreigners. The menu only had two options, so my friend and I each ordered one. Both dishes were priced at 1,234 yen, just like last time. Both options were black bean-focused and healthy, perfect for black bean lovers like us. The atmosphere of the restaurant, with its high ceilings and retro vibe, pleased my friend. After our meal, my friend bought several black bean products from the first-floor shop. I would love to come back here again for the consistently delicious and healthy black bean dishes. Just be careful on the steep stairs leading up to the second floor.

2nd floor cafe experience. Ordered black bean somen, shaved ice, and parfait. The somen noodles were thicker and smoother than regular somen noodles. They were served with a slightly sweet broth and topped with ginger, green onions, and shiso, creating a balanced flavor. The black beans mixed into the noodles made them look like soba noodles, causing a moment of confusion when eating them. The shaved ice came with delicious black bean soft serve, and the sweetness of the shaved ice had a cotton candy-like flavor. The parfait was small in size, making it easy for those looking for a quick break. It can be difficult to find smaller desserts in other shops, as many tend to serve large portions. They also served hot tea, so even if you get cold from the shaved ice, you'll be fine. Finding a place to relax in the lively Nishiki Market was a happy discovery.