I spent plenty of time visiting Fushimi Inari Shrine. It was hot, so I decided to cool off by getting some sweets after my visit. I ordered the matcha cream and bracken rice cake (910 yen). The slightly bitter taste of the matcha was really good.

I visited the restaurant in April 2017 in the afternoon. It is located in front of the Inari Shrine. The traditional townhouse has a cozy atmosphere both inside and out. There are counter seats and table seats available. The menu includes drinks and desserts. I ordered matcha and sweet red bean soup. The sweet red bean soup is homemade and they recommended eating it with matcha on top. The sweet red bean soup had a mild sweetness and a gentle flavor. However, the matcha was a bit disappointing. The powder was a bit grainy and it wasn't whisked properly. As someone who has studied tea ceremony, I believe that if they are serving matcha, they should sift the powder to make it smooth, use water at the right temperature, and whisk it with a tea whisk until fine bubbles form. Overall, I hope the restaurant will make more effort to improve.

This place is pretty out there. It's a tourist spot, so prices are high, but... Can't they do something about the service? The smiles seem polite, but there are things I can't say because they go against guidelines. And the matcha... they charge 600 yen, but the tea was lumpy and powdery. It's unthinkable for them to not use a tea whisk. And 800 yen for warabi mochi... it's fine if it's from a really good place, but... (laughs) They showed me to a room on the second floor where you can relax, but there were no cushions on the tatami mats. The foreign staff don't understand Japanese, so I have to keep going down to ask where things are or what I need. Hmm... As it's seen as Japanese hospitality, I want them to do better. The interior is beautiful, and being located at the entrance of Fushimi Inari Taisha, it seems like customers would come, so I hope they really put in the effort.

This is a guesthouse with a café attached, located diagonally in front of the torii gate of Fushimi Inari. The shop is renovated from a traditional townhouse, with a calm white wall and dark brown pillars. The red Japanese umbrella and long bench placed in the parking space in front of the shop create a lively Japanese atmosphere. Inside, the space is based on white with dark brown elements. There are table seats in the part that leads straight ahead and to the back, with the right side transformed into a kitchen and counter seats. The upper part of the table seats allows soft light to come in through the skylight. I discovered this shop before visiting Inari and decided to enter. I ordered the matcha cream zenzai. The shop was almost full, but the staff were busy and the waiting time was short. The dish arrived with matcha ice cream on top of chilled zenzai and a glass of matcha with a pouring spout. I was surprised as I thought the zenzai soup would be turned into matcha, but it was served separately. The sweet red bean paste was lightly placed on top, and the matcha ice cream had a refreshing taste inside the round shape. The chewy texture of the white rice cake added a cozy touch. The only concern was the price, which felt a bit like a tourist spot price.

The location of the restaurant, right in front of Fushimi Inari Shrine and close to JR Inari Station, seems to be its winning factor. The lunch menu consists only of pasta priced at 1400 yen, which may be justified by the prime location and the restaurant's appearance. The menu also includes sweets. The interior of the restaurant is nice, with 4 counter seats, 3 tables for 2 people, and a separate tatami room. The lunch comes with warabi mochi, which was quite delicious. The soup served in a glass was a unique touch. Unfortunately, overhearing the staff's conversation at the counter was disappointing. It would be better for them to use more discreet language when giving instructions to staff, rather than referring to customers by their appearance. As someone who works in customer service, I found this experience to be a learning opportunity.