01 / ABOUT THE PLACE
About this place
A matcha parfait, or shaved ice to cool you down? At IORI Cafe, you can choose the Sasaya Iori-style Japanese sweet that suits your mood. The signature matcha parfait combines original matcha ice cream with Tamba black beans, shiratama and azuki beans cooked in-house. Diners who have tried it have praised the deep matcha flavour, as well as the chewy shiratama and the texture of the matcha jelly. It’s a parfait where each component has its own character.
The kuromitsu kinako parfait offers a different flavour profile, pairing vanilla ice cream, castella sponge cake, shiratama and brown sugar jelly with homemade kuromitsu syrup. Choose this one for the flavours of kuromitsu and kinako, or the matcha parfait for a more pronounced matcha taste.
On a hot day, the Iori Special Uji Kintoki is another tempting choice, topped with matcha syrup and served with matcha ice cream, matcha jelly and shiratama. One diner said they enjoyed the generous mound of ice to the last spoonful, while another found it too much to finish alone and shared it. Additional toppings, including condensed milk, are listed on the menu, so you can weigh up the classic Uji Kintoki against the more generously topped special.
For something less sweet, try mamekan: salted red peas served with homemade agar jelly and kuromitsu syrup. One diner who paired it with coffee found the combination of Japanese sweets and a café drink refreshingly different.
The dorayaki, listed as being on sale for just three days each month, is wrapped in bamboo leaf and made by rolling a thin-skinned cylinder of smooth red bean paste in a sweet. A set with matcha to enjoy in the café is also listed, offering a change from parfaits and anmitsu when the timing is right. On basement level 1 of Daimaru Kyoto, the café is a convenient spot to pause during a shopping trip or enjoy a Japanese sweet on your own.
