Restaurant Review: Kyoto Nama Chocolat Organic Tea House, Kyoto

This little organic cafe is an absolutely delightful find in the suburbs of east Kyoto. It is run by a wonderfully kind woman from Vancouver B.C. named Sherry Nakanishi and her Japanese husband (the chef and chocolatier).

As you'd expect from the name, one of the specialties here is homemade chocolate. In fact, when we stopped to ask for directions, the hotel clerk we asked knew immediately what were asking when we mentioned chocolate. Several small pieces were served to us as an appetizer before the meal, and it was fantastic--light, crumbly, and extremely flavorful. According to our host, many of the ingredients came from the gardens outside the little house.

The rest of the meal was likewise distinguished. Laura (a vegetarian)
ordered a "veggie burger", which ended up being a deconstructed Japanese take on the standard veggie burger. Her impressions:

"I was very skeptical at first--I'd never seen a garden burger with tomato sauce on it, much less one that came with rice and beans in it. The "burger" itself were incredibly flavorful, much more so than the usual gardenburger. The salad and homemade bread were absolutely fantastic."

Mary had beef stew, which when it arrived actually more resembled a deconstructed beef pot pie (the deconstruction technique being something of a theme here). The dish consisted of vegetables, beef, sauce and a large puff-pastry crust piece piled on her plate. The beef was melt-in-your-mouth tender, and the homemade bread served with it was again superlative--perfect for sopping up the savory sauce.

I had smoked salmon crepe. The crepe was with soba flour. I had my doubts when I saw it; it came out green and with the texture of a rubber grip mat. However, it ended up having a unique taste which I actually enjoyed. Even the texture worked, as there wasn't much in the rest of the dish. The flavors of the avocado blended well with the vinegar used as salad dressing. Superlative overall.

I highly recommend this cafe if you are in Kyoto and looking for a truly local place to eat. The flavors don't quit, and the chocolate is amazing. Take a load off, have a chat with Sherry, and don't forget to pet the cat.