Kyoto Station Building The Cube has been unified into Porta, and inside the Kyokonomiya in the B1F East Area, there is a store called Otabe Gion Sakai. I heard that a collaboration between the prestigious GODIVA and Otabe was launched on August 1, 2023. The product is called "Nama Yatsuhashi Ganache Style." I purchased a box of 10 pieces. Takeout as of August 2023 (including tax) Nama Yatsuhashi Ganache Style (10 pieces) 972 yen Nama Yatsuhashi Ganache Style is a smooth ganache-style chocolate cream made by combining two types of couverture chocolate and fresh cream, wrapped in a cocoa-flavored Nama Yatsuhashi that enhances the aroma. The dough is sprinkled with soybean flour. The chocolate cream filling is made by combining two types of chocolate, enhancing the cocoa flavor and giving it a sophisticated taste. The sweetness is mild, and it would go well with brandy or brandy with red tea. I enjoyed the Nama Yatsuhashi Ganache Style very much.

Kyoto Station Building The Cube has been unified into Porta, and this is a store located in the kyoukonomi area on B1F. Otabe, which continues to make strides with Western-style nama-yatsuhashi, but this time, I visited with the intention of purchasing Caramel Otabe. However, a new Mont Blanc has been released! I was torn between the two, but ultimately decided to purchase the Mont Blanc (10 pieces). As of August 2023 (tax included), Otabe Mont Blanc (10 pieces) costs 928 yen. Please note that the expiration date is 3 days, including the next day. Be careful not to buy too much as it is not for a week. Now, about Otabe Mont Blanc. The dough, which is made with Mont Blanc paste mixed in rice flour and sprinkled with soybean flour, is originally soft and has a mild cinnamon flavor, but the one for Mont Blanc does not use cinnamon. The filling inside is chestnut puree cream. It has a strong rum aroma and a subtle chestnut flavor. The sweetness is restrained, overturning the concept of sweet-filled nama-yatsuhashi, with a mild sweetness. It seems like a good match for whiskey as well. Unlike the seasonal chestnut-filled nama-yatsuhashi, this is a taste for adults. I enjoyed Otabe Mont Blanc deliciously.

The name of Kyoto Station Building The Cube has disappeared and unified into Porta. The stores of Otabe have also been merged, and B1F is located within the Kyoto no Mi in the East Area. Well, I occasionally purchase Otabe's Yatsuhashi for taste confirmation, which has a completely opposite concept to Seigoin. They are known for boldly releasing new products despite being a long-established brand. This time, I wanted to try Otabe's chocolate as Seigoin was selling it. I purchased a box of 10 pieces of Otabe's chocolate and a pack of 5 pieces of Kotabe. Kotabe is small in size, so it goes against SDGs, but I chose the box of 10 pieces. As of March 2023 (tax included), Kyoto's Seigoin Chocolate Otabe (10 pieces) costs 799 yen. First, let's talk about the package design. It boldly breaks the image of Yatsuhashi! When you open the lid, each piece is individually wrapped, giving off a luxurious feel. Now, let's taste it. The Yatsuhashi chocolate flavor is indescribable in just one word. It has a slight cocoa aroma. Firstly, the cocoa flavor with reduced sweetness of the filling spreads throughout the mouth. It's more of a chocolate cream than a chocolate filling. Otabe's dough is softer compared to other Yatsuhashi brands, adding a soft texture. Furthermore, the cinnamon scent in Otabe's dough is subtle. In cinnamon Yatsuhashi, you may feel a lack of chewiness and aroma, but when the concept changes, weaknesses turn into strengths, as seen in this example. The dough for the chocolate has a nearly tasteless and odorless quality, and when you eat the dough alone, it tastes like a light flavor of rice flour and soybean flour. It seems that the best seasoning is for the flavor of the filling to harmonize with the dough. This Otabe chocolate Yatsuhashi is now more like a Western confectionery, but the lightly flavored soybean flour sprinkled on the dough seems to be the only thing asserting its Yatsuhashi identity. It may be slightly more expensive than the standard Yatsuhashi (cinnamon and matcha), but I believe it offers great value for money. It is also recommended for those who are not fond of the cinnamon scent in Yatsuhashi. Please savor the Otabe chocolate Yatsuhashi slowly.

I was thinking of getting some nama yatsuhashi as a souvenir from Kyoto, but I was worried about how to distribute them if they come in a box. However, now they have individually wrapped ones, which is so convenient! And they are quite cheap too, with a pack of 5 for 250 yen (including tax). I bought 3 packs each of "matcha" and "chocolate" flavors and shared them at work. I was worried about people who don't like cinnamon, but apparently, it's not included in any other flavors besides Nikki. I tried both flavors and they were delicious!

It looks like nama yatsuhashi, but it's not. It's warabi mochi with sweet bean paste inside. It has a smooth texture and tastes delicious. It's even better when chilled in the refrigerator. I wonder if I can buy it online. I'll look it up later.

Even if you think you've bought all the souvenirs you need, this is a shop you'll want to stop by. The floor is packed with popular souvenir shops, and you'll find yourself wanting to buy more and more as you browse. It's convenient to be able to pick up a few extra items at the end, but be careful not to buy too much. It's a lifesaver.

There are many varieties of Kyoto's famous confectionery, including the popular Otabe. I received a request for Otabe's Matcha and Nikki flavors, which come in a pack of 10. I also purchased a souvenir pack of Haruno's four flavors of Senbei, which contains 16 pieces. The flavors include Sakura Mochi, Sakura Koshian, Nikki, and Matcha. Additionally, there was also salt-pickled cherry blossoms included in the pack.

Urgent news of a passing. Attended uncle's wake and funeral in Kansai. Bought "otabe" at Kyoto Station for the family on the way back. Lately, I've been buying fresh Yatsuhashi at Shin-Osaka Station and Kyoto Station quite often. It's all because my husband, who loves sweet bean paste, enjoys it. The "fresh Yatsuhashi fuyu" here is marked by its paper-cutting design. It offers four flavors: red bean, green tea, brown sugar, and chestnut, making it a delicious traditional Japanese confectionery. Enjoy it with green tea or roasted green tea. Please consume it soon as the expiration date is short. The Yatsuhashi shaped like a koto is also delicious with a strong flavor of red bean paste, but the refined taste of fresh Yatsuhashi is also deep and enjoyable. We have Yatsuhashi for dessert every day. Kyoto's famous sweets are all delicious, but this Yatsuhashi is exceptional. Uncle said, "I will tackle new business with the intention of jumping off the stage of Kiyomizu-dera Temple!" and launched a new business with incredible passion. He has been very helpful in many ways. Uncle was always kind to me. Farewells are sad, but I hope he will find peace in the Pure Land. Thinking of uncle, I also visited Kiyomizu-dera Temple on my journey west. Due to the prevention of the spread of the novel coronavirus, the temple grounds were quiet with few people, but I still thought, "It's always beautiful no matter how many times I see it!"

I stopped by Kyoto Station on my way back from a trip and bought this Baumkuchen as a souvenir for my family. It's a three-layered cake with matcha, soy milk, and matcha-flavored dough. It has a moist texture. The matcha part has a slight bitterness, but it becomes milder with the soy milk dough in the middle, making it easier for people who don't like matcha to enjoy. The outer layer is coated with matcha fondant, which is crispy and delicious. It's a reasonably priced Baumkuchen that you can purchase. If I have the chance to visit Kyoto Station again, I will definitely buy it. It was delicious. Thank you for the meal! ★★★★

I tried a mini version of the popular Otabe for 378 yen. I couldn't find the regular size Otabe diary at any store I looked. Surprisingly, it's not available at Isetan either. The mini version is really small, just one bite size, but the taste is delicious (although the one from Seigoin was not that great).

After returning from a business trip outside the prefecture, I stopped by Katsura River PA. I had just bought some Shiga souvenirs, but I also wanted to buy Kyoto's famous traditional sweet, nama yatsuhashi. As I looked around the merchandise corner, I saw a small version of chilled otabe, perfect for summer. It was made with warabi mochi, so it was different from nama yatsuhashi, but I bought it and waited for it to chill in the refrigerator. Once it was nicely chilled, I tried both varieties of the chilled otabe. The sweet bean paste and matcha sweet bean paste had a Kyoto-style water cake-like atmosphere. Regardless of the COVID-19 situation, summer in Japan is still hot this year. I wanted to feel a bit of coolness and prepare for the second wave that may come from autumn to winter. Thank you for the meal.

Seasonal limited edition "Spring Otabe" features a stylish package with a motif of Kyoto's cherry blossom scenery. The Kansai-style cherry blossom mochi is wrapped in white nama-yatsuhashi with sakura bean paste mixed with shiratamako, while the Kanto-style cherry blossom mochi is wrapped in pink nama-yatsuhashi with sakura koshi-an. This also marks the first time individual packaged nama-yatsuhashi is available.

In September 2019, a traditional Japanese sweet called "Nama Yatsuhashi" has been transformed into a cake called "Kyomachiya Cake" with two flavors available. The first flavor is "Uji Matcha" which consists of matcha-flavored Nama Yatsuhashi sandwiched between matcha sponge cake and black bean paste matcha chocolate. The second flavor is "Kurozato Kinako" which includes a black sugar-flavored Nama Yatsuhashi sandwiched between kinako sponge cake and black sugar paste kinako chocolate. I purchased the "Kyomachiya Cake Uji Matcha" with 6 pieces for 1166 yen at Kyoto Station. The cakes were made in Funabashi City, Chiba Prefecture, the hometown of the unofficial local mascot "Funassyi." Each cake is 7.5cm long and has a subtle sweetness, making it a perfect companion for a cup of Nescafe. The sponge cake tends to stick to the roof of the mouth, but the matcha flavor is delightful. Overall, it was a pleasant treat.

I received Yatsuhashi as a souvenir. I love the chewy texture and sweetness, it's really good. The individually wrapped packaging is elegant. I will choose this as a souvenir next time as well.

I bought matcha and chocolate flavored fresh Yatsuhashi. The dough was soft and the filling of sweet bean paste and chocolate had just the right amount of sweetness. It was delicious.

When you go to Kyoto, you must try Yatsuhashi! When I go to Kyoto, I always buy it! This Yatsuhashi has a small amount of cinnamon and is easy to eat! There was a time when I couldn't eat it because I didn't like cinnamon as a child, but after eating Yatsuhashi, I became a big fan of it! The chewy texture with just the right amount of sweet bean paste, and the various flavors like matcha and sesame are delicious! I will definitely buy it again when I go to Kyoto!

I'm in Kyoto. I came to Kyoto Station to buy souvenirs ^_^ When it comes to Kyoto, you have to get some "otabe" sweets, right? I bought a lot of otabe for souvenirs and for home ^_^ However, there are many companies that make otabe, claiming to be the original or the oldest, so it's hard to know which one is the best σ(^_^;) Some places offer samples, which makes it easier to decide, but not all places do...・゜・(ノД`)・゜・. Well, let's try different ones (laughs). The otabe made by Otabe was the most delicious in my opinion! It was soft and had the smoothest flavor ^_^ The ladies in my family and at work really liked the chocolate otabe. My husband thought the regular otabe with cinnamon and matcha were the most delicious! The texture and chewiness of the skin were subtly different in otabe from other companies. Please try otabe from different companies! Thank you for the meal ^_^

When it comes to Kyoto souvenirs, a classic choice is "Nama Yatsuhashi." For me, it's a must-have item. This time, I bought it for home consumption. You can find it at Kyoto Isetan near the escalator at the central north exit of JR Kyoto Station. While there is also Yatsuhashi from Seigoin at this location, it's less crowded, making it perfect for those who want to quickly buy souvenirs. There are various new products available, but my favorite is the plain Nama Yatsuhashi without any filling. The aroma and chewy texture are irresistible, and it disappears in no time. When I have it after a long time, the subtle sweetness of this "otabe" flavor seems even more delicate. It's softer than the Seigoin Yatsuhashi. The rice flour used is from pesticide-reduced new crop Koshihikari rice from Kyoto Tanba. The price is quite reasonable, with a pack of 24 pieces costing ¥648 including tax. The expiration date is approximately 2 weeks from the purchase date. Be sure not to refrigerate it.

This is the second souvenir from my mother's New Year trip to Kyoto. I received three souvenirs in total, but one of them was from a store that no longer exists, so I can only provide reviews for two of them. I received my favorite Otabe Kyoto tea leaf Langue de Chat cookies: "Matcha and Soy Milk Langue de Chat (5 pieces)" and "Hojicha and Soy Milk Langue de Chat (5 pieces)." Whenever I go to Kyoto, I always buy either these Langue de Chat cookies or the Uji matcha Langue de Chat cookies from Mauresque. I really love Langue de Chat cookies! As the name suggests, these Langue de Chat cookies are shaped like leaves, which is rare compared to the usual square or rectangular shapes. The tea leaves used are from Morihan in Uji, Kyoto, and the soy milk is also locally sourced in Kyoto. These cookies are made with Kyoto ingredients. The cookies and the white chocolate inside are infused with tea, so you can enjoy the aroma of matcha or hojicha. The cookies also contain soy milk, giving them a moist and light texture that pairs well with the chocolate inside. The chocolate is not too hard but soft. I personally prefer hojicha, while my husband prefers matcha, so I received more hojicha cookies, and my husband ate more matcha cookies. I also used to love the black sesame Langue de Chat cookies with a cat design that Otabe used to sell, so I hope they will bring those back someday!