Matcha jelly bowl with ice cream, mochi, and sweet bean paste

Verdict: Walk

Another classic matcha location that’s popular with the tourists & dependable. Be prepared for long wait times to eat in the cafes. Definitely pick up their matcha and hojicha chocolates to try (maybe while you wait).

Type: Tea House

Location: Uji, Kyoto, Japan

Address: Ichiban-10 Uji, Kyoto 611-0021, Japan & Renge-5-1 Uji, Kyoto 611-0021, Japan

Must Try Items:

Fresh Tea Jelly - ¥1380
Matcha chocolate - ¥639 for pack of 6
Hojicha chocolate - ¥639 for pack of 6

Cost: ~¥500 ($5 CAD) for drinks and up to ¥1900 ($18 CAD) for desserts

Comments:

One of the busiest shops in Uji, especially since it’s a straight direct walk from the Uji JR train station. It was our first stop of the day and boy were we shocked to see a 130 min wait time to get a table inside for 2 people at 11am.
Even their merchandise shop was buzzing with activity at 11am. From tea leaves & tea demonstrations, to cookies & puddings, everything you could want in matcha heaven.
If the item you’re looking for happens to be sold out by the time you arrive, don’t fret - there are a few locations across Kyoto that will probably have what you’re looking for. We made the mistake of waiting to buy the matcha & hojicha chocolates. Thankfully the location at the Kyoto train station had some.
We stopped by the other location since it was a self-serve location and seemed to have faster turnover with seating. Eating the jelly with a view of the Uji River during sunset was a fantastic way to end our day in Uji.
The tea jelly was a fantastic dessert where the ice cream & bean paste sweetness balances the slight bitterness of the matcha jelly. Like every good Asian dessert, it was sweet, but not too sweet - iykyk.

Nakamura Tokichi

Tsuen

Itoh Kyuemon