Salon de KANBAYASHI (Kanbayashi Shunmatsu Main Branch) Five-tiered afternoon tea

#Emotional Cafe

When you open the wooden door in the center of Kyoto, which is crowded with tourists, another door opens to a new world. After confirming the reservation, I waited. I found a familiar letter among the business cards on display.

It was a business card for a restaurant called 'LE UN'. The font was the same as the 'LE UN' in Yame City and Dazaifu City in Fukuoka Prefecture, where I visited twice in one day two weeks ago. When I asked the staff, they were happy and said yes.🤣

That was the moment when I participated in the afternoon tea at a different branch of the same group by chance. It was a really new and precious experience. I went to Yame without knowing that it was the same place as Dazaifu.

A smile formed on my face even before I started. Since the previous two places were good experiences, my expectations and curiosity for this place were stimulated. As another door opened, a new world unfolded like Spirited Away.

The fresh green leaves make you feel cool and refreshing, and you can hear the birds singing and the water flowing down. It's not a flat land, but a valley in the mountains. I can't describe how this place suddenly appeared in the middle of the city.

As if possessed, I followed the guide into the inner building and climbed the narrow stairs to be guided to the 2nd floor. The seat was set facing the window. In front of me, there was a view of green tree branches stretching out right before my eyes.

I found myself unable to close my mouth and being surprised by the scenery I encountered after climbing the stairs to heaven in the outside world where the temperature was going up and down by 35 degrees. I guess this is what they mean by a refreshing game. They let me in first.

So I was able to take a picture of the cafe. Five minutes later, the next groups came in. Everyone kept exclaiming in admiration. Afternoon tea also started. They served a welcome drink first.

It's a hibiscus-based iced berry tea. It feels refreshing in the mouth. After a while, a square box with layers of layers appears as a tray. It is Unaju's Ju, inspired by the Yasaka Five-Story Pagoda next to the cafe.

Unaju is the eel served in a square box, which is interpreted as a five-tiered box. It is contained in a total of five boxes. The event where the manager explains the menu while separating each box is interesting.

I personally plate the disassembled boxes, having served 400 Japanese hotel breakfasts. 😎 I order Ujimyeongcha Sencha for my first drink. It consists of six types of savory and eight types of sweets.

As expected from Kyoto, the savory is classified as Obanzai. The four types of sweets contain autumn and are designed to reflect the season from September to November. It is a Kyoto-like delicateness. The savory flavor is impressive from the start.

The mackerel is a real work of art. The seasonal fruit salad is also delicious. The six kinds of obanzai remind us that this is Kyoto. As expected, the taste is excellent beyond expectations. The sweets are also the best.

The matcha opera, which the manager in charge likes the most, is presented as a single tier, like a work of art, symbolizing the Karesansui garden. The taste of the coated chestnuts is also combined to convey the ultimate softness.

I had sweets and tea while looking at the scenery, and it was a wonderful experience for 90 minutes. I participated in the SNS event and received tea bags with heartfelt comments. I will also tell you about my visit to Yameshi and Dazaifu last time.

I visited there and felt interested in afternoon tea with the same group, and when I told them that it was a place I visited today by chance, they were really surprised and gave me a business card saying that they had been in Tokyo before and came to Kyoto, and introduced the garden.

They even took pictures for me, saying it was a photo spot. The full-body picture is the first one I took in Japan in 1 year and 10 months since Aman Kyoto in November 2022. I rarely take pictures of myself when I travel. It was informative and touching.

I also made a reservation for the afternoon tea in Tokyo, which is operated by the same group, during my 2-day, 1-night trip to Tokyo at the end of September. It is so great that it has the best taste, performance, and service at a reasonable price of 4,000 yen. Thank you.

#JapanTravel #KyotoCafe #AfternoonTea #KyotoTravel #Kyoto