Of all the amazing cafes in Kyoto, one stands out above the
rest.
% Arabica is a world-class joint with a branding that is
unbeatable. Their three locations in Kyoto are constantly packed with lines a
hour thick tourists and locals.
I knew % Arabica existed because I had read about them in
the café catalogs, as a matter of fact, they made the cover of this one:
But I had no idea how fun it would be to visit all three of
their locations in search of good coffee…and the sandwich.
The thing I ordered at every location was a latte. And it
was perfect every time. Only two things go into a latte: espresso and milk, but
the way you prepare these two ingredients can make or break the drink, and % Arabica gets is right every time.
The other thing I always ordered was their sandwich, which
is a simple crispy French baguette, with butter and prosciutto. It’s the only piece of food their serve but
it sells out every day
Ninenzaka
Their most popular location is in Ninenzaka, a historic
neighborhood at the foothills of the Kiyomizu Tera temple, the most popular
tourist attraction in Kyoto. Their shop is well places on the main drag so that
when tourists come down from the temple, they are sure to see this chic store
and stop in for coffee.
Often their staff were kimono or yukata but the day I
visited they were in western clothes.
For some reason, this location has become a popular spot for
photoshoots. Girls renting yukata and kimono for the day make sure to stop off
at this café for photographs.
Daimaru
In attempt to replicate the yukata-with-% Arabica-coffee
phenomenon in Kyoto, I myself rented a yukata and visited the Daimaru location.
This one is locate din the Daimaru department store, but it is still a
fascinating experience. Their seating tunnel feels positively space-age. And of
course my friends and I took lots of photos.
Arashiyama
The third and final shop we visited was the Arashiyama
location. In fact, this was the entire reason we went to Arashiyama. I had no
desire to see the monkey park (I saw enough monkeys in my own back yard in
Shimane), nor the bamboo forest, which was also common where I lived in the
countryside. But I'm glad I finally took the 40-minute train to Arashiyama to
see % Arabica, because the location was stunning.
No comments:
Post a Comment