A colleague from work told me about Ippodo, a tea shop in business in Kyoto since 1717. After a sweaty walk from our hotel, winding through quaint Kyoto streets, we cooled off in the Ippodo's tea room, Kaboku. The menu reminded me of an exclusive wine list at a fancy hotel, except that it the beverage was tea. They do take it seriously here at Ippodo.
We both had matcha tea, which comes with a "confection" of your choice. Steven ordered his tea hot; I ordered mine iced. Iced in this instance means one square ice cube centered in your bowl. The tea comes in a bowl, not a teacup. Our matcha was a brilliant green color and somewhat thick. It was a new taste for me, but delightful. Ippodo has made a concession to the modern world, and now sells tea in bags. I got a box of ten Matcha To-Go packets and a tea bag assortment of Gyokuro, Hojicha, and Sencha teas.
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