Oimatsu Arashiyama 老松 嵐山店 (Kyoto, JAPAN) ★★★☆☆

Some of us had a harder time than others with the hike but we all made it back from Arashiyama Bamboo Grove (嵐山竹林) safe and sound. Life has come full cycle for us as we were back at where we got started almost four hours ago, just around the corner of Yojiya Café. Interestingly, no one seemed to be interested in going back to the café run by the famous Kyoto cosmetics brand. They would rather embark on a new (culinary) journey at Oimatsu Arashiyama (老松 嵐山店).



Founded in 1908, the century-old confectionery offers Japanese sweets made from Miyazaki prefecture-sourced bracken starch, best known for their soft yet chewy texture.

This branch of Oimatsu has a small tea salon right behind their confectionery shop and we decided to come in for some refreshment.

Everybody just loves the traditional Japanese vibe. 

As far as desserts go, not having their signature Bankantou (晚柑糖) would be uncivilized.

Agar was gelled on top of the lightly sweetened grapefruit skin creating this jelly with a nice, refreshing taste.

It came with this deep citrusy and zesty flavor. Not bad.

Iced matcha, very sweet and thirst-quenching.

Shaved ice with matcha flavor and red beans on top, another popular item at Oimatsu especially in the summer.

Mom had this little dessert with agar, mochi and chestnut served in red bean paste. And as if she needed more sweetness, there was a small jar of brown sugar that was served on the side with the dessert.

Rewind back to our time at Arashiyama Bamboo Grove. It was little nugget's first-ever visit and he kept asking me about pandas. That was the first thing that came to his mind when he saw all the bamboo trees!

Of course, we did some selfies together while the old folks (including Jelloman) were still trying to catch up. That was fun.

Food Rating: 5.5/10

Price: ￥￥￥

Address: 20 Sagatenryuji Susukinobabacho, Ukyo-ku, Kyoto, 616-8385, Japan

Closest Metro Station: Saga-Arashiyama / Arashiyama

Tel: +81 (0)75 881-9033

Website: www.oimatu.co.jp

Opening Hours: 9:00am - 5:00pm daily