New Warabi Mochi Café in Town! But what a……..

I’ve been looking forward to checking out this Warabimochi cafe all week. I noticed it on my recent visit to this temple last week where I saw a man sipping something starbucksy on the road near by. I asked him where he got it and he told me the cafe was right around the corner. I didn’t bother to check it out then as I was with the kiddies. So the following week it was.

Warabimochi (蕨餅, warabi-mochi) is a wagashi (Japanese confection) made from warabiko (bracken starch) and covered or dipped in kinako (sweet toasted soybean flour).Kuromitsu syrup is sometimes poured on top before serving as an added sweetener.

Source

So to imagine what the drinks are like here, just imagine a Starbucks kinda drink but with a jelly like substance inside, kinda like tapioca.

A trend in Japan for cafes, is to use old buildings especially houses which actually adds to the appeal. This building in particular was an old business with a little interior work done. The fact that they chose a location right by a temple was a smart move as many people pass through the location all week and it’s easy to give directions to. This warabimochi cafe also goes well with the temple as they are both traditional Japanese culture.

After grabbing our drinks, my wife and I took a look in the “sipping room” ( just a word a coined). It was nice but we would rather be outside by the temple. I ordered a café latte and my wife a Mâcha. If you look closely at the picture above, you can see the Warabimochi at the lower end of the cups looking like jellyfish 🪼

So how was it?

Well the honest truth is, it was disappointing. The café latte and the matcha tasted…. Well they didn’t have much of a taste. While the presentation was great in terms of the packaging, the whip cream on top and how the syrup deliciously oozed it……. But the most important aspect was lacking. Maybe it’s because I actually like a strong coffee flavor and a rich mâcha taste. Look at the frigging straw with the tag on it looking all classy on that tasteless drink. Maybe it was the wrong time of day? Or maybe the staff on duty mixed it wrong? I’m just giving them the benefit of the doubt. Should I have told them their drinks suck and they need to get the formula right?

But, I always like to look on the bright side of things. At least I got to have a mini date with my wife and now I know this cafe isn’t worth a second visit. And of course, at least I got some content out of going to the cafe.

Until next time, stay blessed!