Saryo-Gyoku-en is the name of the retaurant for sweets and green tea.
You will never forget the taste of kakigori in this restaurant if you try it.This was quite different from my image of kakigori taste in any other shop or stalls I have experienced.
It is a cup of cotton candy made by ice, brown or green color remind me Barbe a` papa animation ;-).
You may never feel it is ice at first, because you usually have no time lug to feel the soft and silky touched ice melting on your tongue.
If you feel it taste like cotton candy, please talk to the employee in Japanese,
"Kore fuwafuwa de watagashi mitai."
You can look young shy Japanese girl's lovely smile.
My personal best choice is tasted by raw sugar syrup with white gem dumpling, Kuromitsu-Shiratama-Dango.
Raw sugar usually have various kind of taste of sugarcane, they will harmonize the sweetness with sweet milk to make the cotton candy ice supreme.Quick melting ice is the conductor and the main playor of the harmony, that will keep the sweetness not too strong.
I regret that I am not be able to tell you the lovely taste of this kakigori in accurate manner by only writing and pictures.White gem dumpling, you will usually find it not soft on ice in ather restaurant, but you can enjoy soft dumpling in this Saryo-Gyokuen.
I do not know the secret of this dumpling softeness in shaved-ice, so please tell me if you can estimate or understand.
This is a cup of Uji-Kintoki, my partner ordered.
Uji is a name of the city at south side of Kyoto and famous as a good pladce for green tea production.
This is the reason why you will find Uji on the top of Japanese foods you will always find they are green tea flavored.
What a strong taste of green tea powder!It taste like as if you are eating expensive greentea powder directly put into your mouth.
Of course I love its taste, but if you are not familiar with tea ceremony, you should better avoid to try.
It is just like your first trial to taste espresso coffee ;-).
You know, whennever you eat kakigori in many other restaurant in Japan, you will sometimese shaved ice are aggrigated in the bottom of the cup, but you will never find such a situation here.
Why? Because you will eat it much faster than any other kakigori, I promise.
In anyway, kakigori ice in Gyokuen is soft, quick melting, and gentle to your mouth and stomach.
Although you must be patient for waiting ten minutes or so to look your cup after your order, it is clear that you will find a surprising experience of Japanese taraditonal taste those was popular in 60's, my friend talked to me.
It may be your first experience, but you may think this is the experience you met in your child memory lost in long days ago.
You must try it in hot humidified Kyoto summer.
Saryo Gyokuen
North end of Pontocho street, Kyoto
open from 14:00 to 21:30
regular holiday Thursday
Phone: 81-75-231-8353 (231-8353 in Kyoto city)
North end of Pontocho street, Kyoto
open from 14:00 to 21:30
regular holiday Thursday
Phone: 81-75-231-8353 (231-8353 in Kyoto city)
