Sweet Day

A week or so before Christmas, I took a day off to go to a museum and to run a few errands in town. It was rather cold and my leg was hurting in the morning already, so I took public transport. That means that on walking to the different stops, I can take a look at places I usually notice only in passing, if at all.

The first thing I saw when I walked from the museum to the subway was the “Hofbaeckerei Edegger-Tax”. Not the real one of course, that one’s in Graz, but its little brother in Kyoto. Even though it was too early for cake, I had to check out the first Austrian bakery I had come across in Japan. Sadly, they were closed, but I got a word in with the owner – German words to boot! And when I asked him if he could make REAL Sachertorte, he gave me a piece as a present, complete with whipped cream. It’s a bit far from my place for daily visits (which may be a good thing after all) but a friend of mine lives nearby and I already promised to be back. What a find!

Just before lunch, I passed by the Matcha House, a small cafe – 16 seats or so – near Kawaramachi/Shijo. As the name suggests, they specialise in everything matcha, and they are extremely popular with young people. Usually, there’s a long line in front of it, people are willing to wait an hour and more just to get in! On that day, however, there was nobody waiting, and I decided to see if they are really worth the hype. Well, they are!

Their matcha tiramisu is a dream of fluffiness and the green tea I had with it was just perfect. The tea came with a thermos can and a tiny cup and a little clock so you can prepare the tea properly: Pour out the boiling water into a small bowl and let it cool to about 40 degrees (takes 9 minutes), then pour it into the teapot containing the tea for 1-2 minutes and then it’s ready to drink.

I got 6 tiny cups out of the thermos and it was interesting how the taste of the tea would change from the super strong first cup to the last one that could use the full 2 minutes of steeping. So yes, that’s a recommendation from me, even though I wouldn’t wait for an hour just to get in.

I had a perfect sweet day just before Christmas and with the Sachertorte I got I could even extend it to a perfect breakfast on the next day.