After exploring the Golden Pavilion, we had lunch at the reserved Kinkaku-an. When making a reservation, you can choose the room. We chose a second-floor Japanese-style room. The view from the second floor is lovely, and the interior is preserved in its original style, giving off a nostalgic grandma's house vibe. We chose the menu on the day of the visit, and since we were in Kyoto, we opted for the "Yudofu Gozen." Before the yudofu, we were served "Yamashita Gyokuro" in a beautiful glass. This gyokuro, valued at 1 gram for 1000 yen, is from Yamashita Gyokuro, run by the owner's relatives, making it the only cafe where you can taste authentic, unadulterated gyokuro. The tofu is from "Toyoyakeya no Yamamoto," and the salt is gyokuro salt, allowing you to enjoy the tofu's flavor with a light touch. The ponzu was so delicious that I wanted to drink it! The soba also had gyokuro kneaded into it, giving it a wonderful aroma and a firm texture. The "Yudofu Gozen" was a hit in every aspect. We promised the owner that we would come back next time for the "Afternoon Tea" and left, already looking forward to our next visit. I definitely want to go back! ❤️

It was gentle, cute, and very delicious. The calm and elegant atmosphere was lovely, and I had a very luxurious time.

This matcha soba with gyokuro tea is incredibly delicious. You can really taste the richness and aroma of the tea. I have never experienced soba like this anywhere else.

Near Kinkaku-ji Temple, I happened to notice a sign for a "Machiya Cafe" and decided to check out this place. The interior of the cafe had a lot of charm and there were many foreign customers. I later found out that they offer accommodation for one group per day, which explains the beautiful and clean atmosphere. While waiting for my food, I had a look at the second floor room, which had a calming tatami scent. The soba set I ordered arrived after a 10-minute wait. It included tea soba with matcha kneaded in, along with two other types of soba. It also came with toppings like green onions, wasabi, onsen tamago, and matcha salt, as well as a small serving of white rice with "please eat with matcha salt" written on it. All of this for only 1000 yen was quite a surprise for a tourist spot. The soba was delicious, especially when eaten with the matcha salt. The tea soba had a strong tea aroma. Eating soba in such a traditional setting made me proud to live in Kyoto. I hope to recommend this place to my friends, even though it's not somewhere I can visit often. Thank you for the meal.