Saryou Suisen 茶寮 翠泉 Kyoto : Hidden Good Find

This place may not boast a long history but it  is definitely one of the most promising tea houses I've ever visited in Japan. 

Like many of the Kyoto tea cafes, Saryou Suisen dishes out standard sweets such as parfaits, zenzais and latte. However, it is rare to have Warabi Mochi made freshly upon order and served to the guests WARM with kinako powder and black sugar syrup. 

出来立て、ほっこり抹茶わらびもち　（￥630）

ご注文いただいてから作る、出来立てわらびもち、口の中でとろりと溶け、甘さと温かさが口いっぱいに広がります。

The plate of green gloop might not appeal in looks but the taste is excellently rich and not sweet at all. It's soft, less chewy and more stretchy than the typical warabi mochi. 

If you ever tasted this freshly made version, you will find it difficult to find another one which can surpass this level of deliciousness. It is THAT GOOD.

抹茶あわ雪氷 (800 yen)　＋　抹茶ソフト (250 yen)

ふんわり氷にたっぷり抹茶を和えた抹茶氷と練乳氷を合わせました。

Instead of the parfait, we opted for the lighter kakigori disregarding the fact that the weather was chilly. I topped up the soft serve at an additional ¥220 as I use this as a benchmark to compare between matcha cafes. And this soft serve is not tame at all; creamy, smooth with a lingering milk aroma, making up for the kakigori (half matcha and half condensed milk flavor) which was less fluffy than expected.

まろ濃い抹茶オレ(630yen) 

丁寧に点てた濃い目めお抹茶の上からほんのり甘いミルクをエスプレッソのように注ぎ込みました。

Last but not least, their beverages are the definite companion to any of their sweets. The matcha 3D latte art will most likely evoke the child in anyone and put a smile on your face but it is more than just presentation. 

The warm latte is an especially comforting treat in autumn but if you are hankering for the authentic zen experience, it's none other than the O-matcha (¥680)

お抹茶　（お茶菓子付け）￥680

Saryou Suisen 茶寮 翠泉

Karasuma Oike outlet 烏丸御池店 

Kyoto shi, Nakagyo ku, Ryogae cbo, Oshikoji Dori, Agaru Kinbukicho 461 

(Same building as Karasuma Medical Mall ) 1F

〒604-0846 

京都市中京区両替町通押小路上ル金吹町461番地 

烏丸メディカルモール１階 

TEL : 075-221-7010 

Daily : 10.30am-6pm (LO 5.30pm)

Closed every Wed

Access: 5 min walk from Exit 2 Subway Karasuma Line, Karasuma Oike Station

地下鉄烏丸線 烏丸御池駅２番出口より徒歩５分 

Map : http://www.saryo-suisen.com/shopinfo2.html