Kyoto 京都
🥢 Yuba (Tofu Skin) – Delicate, silky, and surprisingly rich. It’s tofu’s fancy older cousin who summered in Paris.
🍶 Kyoto Sake – Smooth, refined, and made in small, family-run breweries. Sip slowly—it’s as much about the tradition as the taste.
🍵 Uji Matcha (Green Tea) – Kyoto’s liquid emerald. Rich, slightly bitter, and so smooth it’ll make your average tea bag cry.
🍹 Umeshu (Plum Wine) – Sweet, tangy, and dangerously easy to drink. Try it chilled or on the rocks after a long temple trek.
🍜 Kyoto Soba (Buckwheat Noodles) – Earthy and nutty, perfect whether served steaming hot or chilled with a dipping sauce.
🍣 Kyoto Sushi: Saba-Zushi (Mackerel Sushi) – Pressed mackerel sushi that’s as elegant as the city’s geisha-lined streets.
🥒 Tsukemono (Pickled Vegetables) – Crunchy, tangy, and surprisingly addictive. Consider them Kyoto’s version of potato chips.
🐟 Hamo (Conger Eel) – A summer favorite, light and fluffy in texture, like if fish learned how to levitate.
🍵 Matcha Green Tea Desserts – Cakes, ice cream, cookies… Kyoto puts matcha in everything and we’re here for it.
🍬 Yatsuhashi (Japanese Sweets) – Cinnamon-scented, chewy delights that double as the perfect souvenir—if they make it home.
🍺 Kyoto Craft Beer – Yes, Kyoto brews beer too. Look for local labels like Kyoto Brewing Co. for a Japanese take on ales and saisons.
In Kyoto—as in the rest of Japan—people tend to keep to themselves. It’s not coldness; it’s a quiet respect for your space. If you need help, though, they’re as warm and gracious as can be—ready with a smile and directions that somehow make you feel like an honored guest.
Even with the flood of tourists (some of whom clearly missed the memo on local manners), the Japanese remain wonderfully polite. It’s almost effortless how they go out of their way to avoid offending anyone. There’s a gentle rhythm to life here that feels both calming and deeply admirable.
