Japan has some crazy food, and their take on parfaits could be an art piece in some restaurants. Matcha parfaits are surely a ‘must try’ while in Japan, especially if you’re in Kyoto.
We wanted to try matcha parfaits during our stay in Kyoto, and we ended up getting some from Saryo Tsujiri in Gion.
Saryo Tsujiri is a shop opened from 1978 and seems to be an offshoot of Gion Tusujiri (a well known Uji tea store open since 1860).
We actually saw this store a few times but each time there was a huge line out the door! (This seems to be the sure sign that the food is good at a place in Japan).
We finally stopped in there on our last night in Kyoto, it was rather late in the night so we were seated straight away.
Good luck trying to choose a Matcha Parfait, as their menu has a multitude of options!! The cost is between 1000 – 1500 yen for a parfait.
The dining area was nicely presented and gave off a very Japanese feel. I attempted to take a photo of it, but a staff worker happened to pop out at just the wrong moment.
Tsujiri has a few other stores in Kyoto, the Gion head store (573-3 Gionmachi-minamigawa Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto), the Kyoto Isetan store (JR Kyoto Isetan 6F, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto), and the Kodaiji store (Kyo-rakuichi “Nene”, Kodai-ji Temple, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto). They actually also have a store in Tokyo too (Daimaru Tokyo store, 10F 1-9-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo).
The parfait itself was delicious – and there were so many interesting ingredients in it that you’ll only really find in Japan. This alone makes it a must try!
Beware of the strong matcha flavour which can be a bit of a shock to some foreigners who are not used to this taste.
And of course, if you enjoyed it, they sell all manner of tea products on the ground floor that can be taken as a souvenir.
Did you plan on trying a matcha parfait in Japan? If you did have one, let us know how you liked it!