Kitty Solo in Japan 2015 Day 2

Rule number one in Japan: Always start your morning with a Mister Donut.

Original Pon de Ring (left) Shrimp and Corn Pie (right)

I've already raved plenty about the Pon de Ring. This morning I also tried the shrimp and corn pie.

What the.....macaroni in my pie! It didn't taste bad but it's a gimmicky flavor. I don't know if I even really saw or tasted shrimp anywhere. The "pie" dough part was good. Otherwise.....Pon De Ring still reins supreme.

Afterwards my friend and I went to a famous area around Shijo Kawaramachi called Nishiki Market. It's similar to a farmers market in a sense where there are just stalls and stalls of specialty food items being sold. Many of them come in portable snack sized forms so instead of lunch I had a smorgasbord of little treats. They are pretty cheap too! Most snacks range from $2 to $5. 

Store Front of the Tea Shop 

Matcha Warabi Mochi

Nothing like strong matcha powder covering a cool sweet jelly...be careful not to accidentally inhale some of the green tea powder. This shop also sells green tea ice cream.

Store Front of a Rice Shop

Inari Zushi with....

...Pickled Vegetables!

Grilled Musubi with Green Onion and Miso

I love me some rice food items whether it comes in a pocket of tofu or grilled with sauce. I really like the inari zushi because the tofu pocket wasn't overly sweet and the pickles were great at giving the rice flavor without overpowering it. As for the rice ball....initially the flavor may seem very strong with miso, but every bite into this warm delectable made me want to eat it more as the misos taste dissolves into the center's plain rice.

Store Front of an Eel Grill Stall

Various Grilled Items From Quails to Stuffed Fish Collars

Grilled Duck Meatball

Throughout Nishiki Market you'll find a large number of stalls that will sell things on a stick...primarily meat on a stick or sashimi on a stick. This duck on a stick was wonderful. Get a duck on a stick. You won't be disappointed.

Perfectly Round Strawberry Daifuku

Delicious Insides of Strawberry Daiduku

No matter what if you find a place that sells a strawberry daifuku. Stop what you're doing and buy it. And then take a bite out of its soft mochi flesh and release all of its glorious stawberry guts and red bean organs to spill into your mouth. Because that's what buying a strawberry daifuku means: a battle victory in your mouth.

Store Front of an Egg Shop

Dashi Egg Roll

Another wonderful treat is these dashi tamago maki....otherwise known as a multilayer rolled up egg with a subtle taste of dashi. It makes my heart grieve that I can never make this as well at home. So I ate my feelings instead.

Pointoiru Restaurant

For dinner my friend and I wandered around Kyoto station. We wanted to eat there since we were expecting our companion to arrive from their airport. After much browsing (first world problem...where to eat?) we decided on this place: Pontoiru. It primarily sells spaghetti with varying degrees of Japanese influence. It is located on the 11th Floor and price per pasta dish was around $10. 

Starting with Kombu Soup

Rather than the usual miso soup we are all familiar with...we were served a cup of kombu soup. It had a very mild savory taste which was a great way to get our appetites going.

"Mochi" Pork Spaghetti with Kyoto Fresh Vegetables in Soy Butter Sauce

The menu said mochi ...which I assume was to refer for its texture. The meat was certainly a little chewy, but otherwise I really liked the soy butter taste. There was an onsen egg in there too and mixing the yolk with pasta added a richer texture and taste. I wish pasta in the States were as reasonably priced as this....

Malebranche Cafe

For dessert we hit it up Malebranche Cafe located also in Kyoto Station (can you tell there are lots of places to eat in this station alone?).

Simple Posh Interior

It's very cute and they have a selection of cakes and teas to choose from.

The Nama Matcha no Kate Set with Earl Grey Tea

I ordered their recommended special set which includes a tea of your choice. I chose iced Earl Gray. They spared me no expense in giving me a strong and exquisite brew. I was also given ice cubes to keep it cold whenever I poured a new brew into the glass. This set was only $8!!!

Chantilly Cream and Yuzu Citrus Sauce Accompanying the Green Tea Torte

Normally I am not a fan of tortes due to how heavy and dense they are. This torte was definitely  heavy with matcha but it paired incredibly well with the cream and the yuzu sauce. By using these condiments it took away some of that heavy feel of a torte. Plus I love a place that really brings out the matcha taste in their desserts. I highly recommend this cafe.