Sweet treats in Kyoto
It's been a bit tough eating here, sadly we had to resort to McDonalds *gasp* one night as we just got so tired and fed up of being turned away (as a last resort, and there's a McDonalds nearby, the frys are GF). Maybe we were just looking in the wrong places...
On our first night we stumbled upon a performance by Geishas in the Yasaka Shrine, which was beautiful and we felt very lucky to have witnessed it.
After this performance we did manage to find somewhere to eat - we walked the majority of Ponto-Chō Alley asking in numerous places we finally found somewhere on the waterfront who could accommodate me. Most of these places should be fine, but if they're heaving it's highly unlikely they'll be able to make time for you and will make excuses, so be prepared to be rejected!
I didn't take any pictures as I was just intent on eating (sorry!) we had traditional style Japanese eating on tatami mats and cushions on the floor. Again the waiting staff went to great lengths to find something I could eat - I settled on the grilled Horse Mackerel (whatever that is!), but there were a couple of other options I could have chosen from. So Kane's food came - tempura veg and shrimp (which he was very excited about) along with 2 bowls of rice - and I was told my meal would be along soon. I told Kane to tuck in as his would get cold, he finished his meal the rice went cold and I was still waiting. The food didn't arrive for another 5 mins... I was annoyed, but it was yummy and was smoked/grilled perfectly, if not a little tricky to eat with chopsticks!! It was a nice meal, just a shame that the timings were so out so we couldn't enjoy our meal together. At least it was GF, so I can't complain!
Arashiyama bamboo grove Again we had a very busy day ahead so I'd bought the necessary "on the go" food and anything we picked up along way was a bonus! After wondering through the bamboo grove early in the morning (missing the tourists!) we wondered along to the Togetsukyo Bridge (Moon crossing bridge) and I spied a nice looking dessert cafe (on the right-hand corner as you approach the bridge street view Google map), and knowing that all the icecream I'd had so far was safe (bizarre as most icecream in the UK is not) I knew we had to try it. We went in I checked that the food was safe and I ordered not one but TWO desserts! I had a daifuku plate with a Mochi sweet and a sweet stick rice thing sandwiched between two leaves - and was told you eat the leaves... Ok weird, but I am in Japan! The filling was a sticky rice pudding thing, and leaves had a aniseed-y taste - not overpowering for those who don't like liquorice.
Sorry for the battered looking Mochi - I had started attacking it before I remembered to take the pic! Of course it came with bubbly matcha tea :) Second up was chestnut icecream and frozen fruit - the first time she brought it out on a wafer I pointed it out and she was immediately apologetic and flustered, and whisked it away from me, a few minute later a new bowl of icecream and fruit was presented and I tucked in greedily - best of all they were playing instrumental versions of Disney songs which made me very happy!
Nijo-Jo Castle If you're in need of a pick me up at Nijo-Jo castle, the cafe there do a bizarre and SUPER sugary read bean bowl - I was hoping for a savoury soup, but I should have known that wouldn't be the case... It was a bowl of liquidy sugar and red bean (similar to what goes inside a Mochi) with a lump of plain Mochi swimming in the middle of it. It was also accompanied with little shreds of weird tasting chewy seaweed - a bit gross so I didn't eat that. All in all, I wouldn't recommend it but if you love liquid sugar and you're desperate, you know there's somewhere you can eat.
The hot pudding rice drink was also OK, but again its a bowl of sugar, so prepare to be wired!
In Nishiki market you will find a plethora of things to see and potentially eat - I'm always slightly unsure of street food as I'm never sure whether things have been marinated in soy sauce/covered in wheat flour - you know. But I did spot a vendor who was baking sweet potatoes which weren't covered in anything, it was just a hot potato! Naturally I bought one and that filled me up so much I didn't need dinner!
In England you'd definitely get a few side-ways glances for eating a whole baked potato whilst wondering down the street, but this is Japan and everyone is eating something bizarre, so tuck in!
The market is definitely worth a walk through, you never know what you may find from cutesy souvenirs, to bric-a-brac, to someone shucking oysters.. you name it, it's there.
