01 / ABOUT THE PLACE
About this place
At Sabou Isehan, the special anmitsu is a good place to begin: a colourful assortment of whole azuki beans, kanten and matcha jelly. Diners have praised the beans’ texture and the richness of the brown-sugar kanten, while others found the sweetness restrained and easy to enjoy. There is also a choice of toppings and styles: add shiratama rice-flour dumplings, or opt for cream anmitsu with milk soft serve. Choose the latter for a colder, more varied mix of textures, or the shiratama version to savour the classic combination.
The parfait is another choice for those who enjoy discovering new layers as they eat. One diner described the matcha parfait as a generous combination of matcha ice cream made with matcha from 柳桜園茶舗, mousse, jelly and plenty of whole azuki beans, brought together by lightly sweetened soft serve. Another reviewer said its generous portion and varied textures kept it interesting to the last spoonful. On hot days, consider anmitsu kakigori: Uji-style shaved ice with azuki beans, kanten, shiratama, matcha jelly, brown-sugar jelly and soft serve. The ice also contains mashed azuki, and one diner particularly enjoyed the matcha syrup and beans. It makes a tempting option when you want a chilled dessert with plenty of sweet toppings.
Drinks include hot matcha, whisked to order, sencha and unsweetened matcha au lait, all made with tea leaves from 柳桜園茶舗. Coffee drinkers can choose hot coffee or café au lait made with beans from Kyoto Ogawa Coffee. Deciding between tea to complement the azuki sweets and a familiar coffee is part of the pleasure. There are also takeaway options, including shiratama anmitsu, gyuhi anmitsu and handmade monaka, which you fill yourself with sweet bean paste in crisp, fragrant wafers. They offer a different way to enjoy the sweets from the plated desserts served in the shop.
