Get a mouthful of Moofle.

It’s probably safe to say that the combination of fried chicken and waffles isn’t normally associated with haute cuisine. However, the culinary arts are all about reinvention and finding gastronomic beauty in the least likely places, which is perhaps why one Kyoto eatery has taken it upon itself to make fine dining out of chicken and waffles.

The restaurant is located near the famed Arashiyama bamboo forest and called Kako to Ima. The name technically doesn’t really have any meaning aside from being a pun of “Then & Now” in Japanese, but the kanji characters “囲と囲曲” fittingly look like a couple of waffles, and I may be reading too much into this, but the last one kind of looks like a waffle iron to me.

It was founded by the same company that runs Kyoto’s popular bakery Bread, Espresso &, which is famous for its decadent bread made with dough that has a high butter content. The bread is called “Moo,” which is not meant to be the sound a cow makes in Japanese because that’s more like “moh.” Rather, I think it’s meant to be more of an onomatopoeia for the moist, squishy texture inside the bread.

This very same dough is used to make Kako to Ima’s waffles, which they call “Mooffles” and are available with a variety of toppings.

But it’s their chicken dishes that look especially irresistible and are available with three different styles of fried chicken. First, there’s the standard Fried Chicken, which has a blend of five spices mixed into the batter that complements the maple syrup that you can drizzle over it with an aromatic bouquet.

For a more Japanese experience, you can also try the Toriten style, which uses chicken tempura, including cheese and a touch of Japanese pepper. The blend of salty and sweet notes is heightened further with the addition of Kyoto’s own Kotohiki Salt and honey.

Karaage chicken can also be used as a topping blended with cheese and Japanese pepper. It’s also given a dollop of mayonnaise and slice of lemon to bring the flavors into perfect harmony.

Chicken is hardly the only thing you can put on your Mooffles either. Enjoy a hearty breakfast with the Fried Egg and Bacon Mooffle or a tasty treat with the Mooffle topped with Kako to Ima’s homemade gelato.

Waffles really don’t get much fancier than this, and it only gets more swanky while eaten in the ambiance of a traditional Kyoto townhouse.

So, next time you’re sightseeing in Kyoto, have a taste of luxury with some chicken and Mooffles at Kako to Ima.

Restaurant information
Kako to Ima / 囲と囲曲（カコとイマ）
Address: Kyoto-shi, Ukyo-ku, Sagatenryuji Kitatsukurimichicho 29-2
京都市右京区嵯峨天龍寺北造路町29番地2
Open 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.
No fixed holidays, schedule posted through restaurant’s Instagram account

Source, images: PR Times
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[ Read in Japanese ]