Before I start my journey to Kyoto, I will usually get something small from the convenience store first to munch in the train as it usually takes around 1-2hrs to reach the first destination. For today, I’ve got tuna mayo onigiri, mentaiko onigiri and crabsticks! The first stop for today was an eggless donut place called Nicotto and Mam. The donuts here are really good! It has a soft and springy bread-like texture, I got the strawberry chocolate and plain - which was dusted with icing sugar. Sadly, coffee wasn’t barista standard. It was a really small and cozy cafe that could only fit 3 sitted customers, so I will suggest takeout if you wanna try their donuts!
Next, was to a matcha cafe called Marukyu Koyamaen to try their matcha roll cake. The cake was really nice and moist, filled with fresh cream and matcha custard. If a matcha dessert taste bitter-sweet, you will know it’s a good one! It’s served with some sweet red bean paste, which makes it a nice finishing to end off the bitter dessert. If you are looking for some good Japanese green tea, tea leaves or matcha products, pop by here!
Moving on was to a ramen place called Yamazaki Menjiro. A small ramen place run by a couple - the husband does the cooking and the wife handles the rest, thus service can be a little slow. However, it’s a place where people will leave once they are done, so waiting time is not too long. The ramen here is quite affordable, considering that it actually cost less than the matcha cake I had earlier on. The menu is in Japanese so I can’t translate the types of ramen offered, but there are 3 kinds. I went with the Shio (salt-based) Ramen, which comes with some meat and bamboo shoots, topped up ¥100 for a ramen egg. Love the bamboo shoots over here, which was of a thicker cut compared to the usual. Without any doubt, the ramen was really good! If you are looking for a good and affordable ramen place in Kyoto, here is the place to go!
After all the yummy food (mm-hmm), I popped by this ancient Kyoto “theme park” - Toei Kyoto Studio Park, a film set modeled after the Edo period. On days that it is not closed for filming, it is opened to public to experience some ancient Kyoto. It is a great place for photo taking and there’s some performances and activities. The staff are dressed in ancient costumes too. As you stepped into this mock-up world, it feels as though you have travelled back in time! On the day of my visit, certain sections were closed for filming, and at certain times, we had to be extremely quiet! But it was a great experience though, to be able to witness some filming in action 🎬 Caught some ninja performances and bought some matcha snacks at the souvenir store.
Headed over to Gion street to try my luck in spotting some Geishas, which I managed to see one. They usually head out for work at around 5:45pm. Geishas are female Japanese entertainers/performers who perform traditional Japanese artforms like singing and dancing. They are dressed in kimono - Japanese traditional costume - with oshiroi makeup - that thick white face make-up. Went over to Yojiya to take a look, it’s a Kyoto beauty brand. Wanted to get their popular oil blotting paper and facial soap paper, but their prices were 😱 Shall just stick to using Korean products 😅 Along Gion, you can find Gion Kyoto Ramen, another good and affordable ramen place in Kyoto that I will highly recommend. Got the Special Gion Ramen and at just ¥1,000, it is generously filled with meat slices, bamboo shoots, ramen egg, scallions, leeks and a nice bowl of yummylicious broth.
One last stop before I head back to Osaka... Went to Nakamura Tokichi, a matcha dessert cafe offering a range of matcha creations. Got a matcha parfait which comes with layers and layers of ingredients. It was not too bad but the price for it was quite steep. For me something like this is only good to just try it once, not really worth paying for it. Got more matcha snacks at one of stores at Kyoto Station, and back to Osaka!
Exchange Rate = SG$1 : ¥79.30
Day 6 Expenses
Lawson:
- Tuna Mayo Onigiri ¥120
- Mentaiko Onigiri ¥150
- Crabstick ¥108
Nicotto & Mam:
- Plain Donut ¥185
- Strawberry Donut ¥215
- Latte ¥410
Marukyu Koyamaen: Matcha Roll Cake ¥800
Yamazaki Menjiro: Shio Ramen ¥850
Toei Kyoto Studio Park: ¥2,400
- Matcha Tiramisu Chocolate ¥390
- Milky Candy, matcha pudding flavour ¥540 (6pkts)
- Matcha Chocolate covered Strawberry ¥650 (3pkts)
Gion Kyoto Ramen: Special Gion Ramen ¥1,000
Kyoto Station:
- Kyoto Matcha Mille Feuille ¥1,000 (after tax ¥1,080, 8pkts)
- Kyoto Cream-filled Waffle Roll ¥1,000 (after tax ¥1,080, 5 flavours, 3pkts each)
Naruto Tokichi: Matcha Parfait ¥1,200 (after tax ¥1,320)
TOTAL: ¥11,298 = SG$142.50
Previous Expenses: SG$2,158.05
Current Total Expenses: SG$2,300.55