foodie friday in kyoto

Friday the water in our building was going to be turned off for several hours, so I went to Kyoto.

While there I ran an errand for Satoshi then I went to Obaku.

There is a bakery that I have been wanting to check out but was never in the area...Tamakitei.

I picked up a pastrami egg sandwich for lunch and other items for our breakfast the next day...top right was a croquant (puff pastry, walnuts), bottom left : miyazaki chicken, yuzu kosho & bubu arare (so good!) bottom right: yamaguri choco (chestnuts, chocolate & walnuts in puff pastry)

The sandwich was so soggy that I was disappointed with it but the other items we really enjoyed, I will definitely be back the next time we are in the area.

After buying some items at Tamakitei I went one station over to Mimurodo and walked to Mimurotoji.

We've visited here a couple of times...which I wrote about here, and here.

I had thought this temple was known for their ajisai (hydrangea), but they have way more tsutsuji (azaleas).

10,000 hydrangea plants & 20,000 azaleas!

Click to see a short video I shot from the top of the azalea "mountain".

I thought it was neat that a white azalea had inter-mingled with a pink one and became half-half!

After Mimurotoji, I went one more station over to Uji.

The area has changed since the last time we visited, more shops and eateries...a little more touristy.

I stood in line for Nakamura Tokichi, a well known tea shop in the area...I'm glad it wasn't a really long wait, maybe only half an hour?!

I had their namacha (literally raw tea) gelatin sprinkled with shincha (new/spring tea)...not photogenic, but super refreshing and perfect for the gross humidity on this day.

Then I went back to Kyoto city...and had an iced cafe latte at %Arabica Kyoto before catching the train back to Osaka.

It was nice to be out and about, though the humidity was quite bad...rainy season is coming...sigh!

Tamakitei
57-14 Gokasho Hirano
Uji, Kyoto
Phone: 0774.38.1801
Closed Mondays & Tuesdays
Hours: 7:00-18:45 (earlier if they sell out)

Nakamura Tokichi
1-10 Uji
Uji, Kyoto
Phone: 0774.22.7800
Cafe: 11:00-18:00
Shop: 10:00-18:00

%Arabica Kyoto
inside Fujii Daimaru Kyoto 1F
Phone: 075.746.5995
Hours: 10:30-20:00
Open when Fujii Daimaru is