travelswithalice

December 11, 2013

Soba and Coffee Culture

Since 1465, HONKE OWARIYA has been serving the venerable noodle at this quaint little restaurant a few minutes' walk from the Imperial Palace.

Lunch was as much an experience in time travel as it was a delightful meal. The first thing that struck me when I entered the place was how small everything was. Tiny garden, tiny foyer, tiny staircase, tiny doors. It felt like all those films about geishas and warlords I've ever seen. No wonder people here do so much bowing. And whispering. It's what you want to do, instinctively.

The soba was good, the soup was comforting, the tempura was satisfying. And the step back in time was nothing short of delicious!

Afterwards, coffee had to be in a place just as original, just as unique. We walked a long way in search of an only-in-Kyoto vibe.

CAFE INDEPENDANTS is located in a 1928 Art Deco building.

The sign on the pavement is a delicate Art Nouveau style wrought iron confection.

The building used to house a newspaper office. The café is downstairs in an ostentatiously shabby basement with flamboyant mosaic floors. It's so rundown, it's almost chic.

The staff is exclusively millennial. There are flyers and cards stacked up on a table by the door. Adverts for a Metro Countdown to 2014, a bar, a live concert, an art exhibit.

Stuart and I shared a chocolate parfait piled high with ice cream, brownies, berries, thick cream, and crunchy cereal, all drenched in chocolate and strawberry syrup.

It's all very retro, achingly nostalgic. But this is nostalgia for a past that didn't really exist here. Like jazz, this subversive youth vibe is an import. There is no history to support it.

Labels: cafe, Cafe Independants, HONKE OWARIYA, soba