Green tea beverages topped with a Zen garden.

On 21 August, a new way to get your matcha was born in Kyoto, at A Drop Of Zen Hitotekino Zen, inside the famous Nishiki Market. This new drink stand is operated by Nishiki Satake Flower Shop, one of the largest flower shops in Kyoto, and they’re using their floral expertise to create some of the most stunning drinks in Japan.

Based on the concept of experiencing “Zen in one hand” and “Wa” (Japanese harmony) with all five senses, A Drop Of Zen offers menu items that look like desserts on the surface, but delve deeper and you’ll find rich flavors of matcha, and even dashi broth, depending on what you’re choosing.

▼ The first item to tempt us is the Dashi Peccino (980 yen [US$6.63])

This Onion and Kyo-leek Granité beverage showcases the rich flavor of Japanese dashi broth with onion and kujo negi, also called Kyo-leek as it’s a traditional Kyoto heirloom variety. Topped with deep-fried tofu croutons and Kyo-leek granité (shaved ice), this icy cold beverage looks like a dessert but it delivers a truly unique Japanese food experience.

▼ Matcha Zen (980 yen)

This Zen garden matcha latte lets you taste a dry landscape garden, with creamy espuma, carefully drawn lines, and grilled mochi and salted beans representing rocks and gravel. With berry sauce at the bottom of the cup, the latte has a bright tartness at its base, acting as an exciting contrast to the earthiness of the powdered green tea.

▼ Kokehana Zen (780 yen)

This soft serve parfait resembles a moss garden, with matcha crumble and edible blossoms. Grilled mochi, black soybeans, salted peanuts, and berry sauce create a vivid blend of textures and flavors, making it a playful sweet that’ll look like a small garden in the palm of your hand.

▼ All three drinks are so beautiful you’ll feel like you’re holding a garden.

A Drop of Zen combines deliciousness with Japanese aesthetics, and is well placed to become Kyoto’s newest viral, must-visit spot.

With “Hitotekino Zen” roughly translating as “meal for one person”, using the kanji for “zen” that refers to a tray of food (“膳”) as opposed to the Buddhist philosophy (“禅”), the double meanings at play here suggest you’ll leave feeling full and satisfied both mentally and physically. It’s a great way to unwind after chowing down on Nishiki Market’s great bento boxed lunches.

Store information
A DROP OF ZEN Hitotekino Zen / A DROP OF ZEN ヒトテキノ膳
Address: Kyoto-fu, Kyoto-shi, Nakagyo-ku, Nishikikoji, Yanagibaba Higashiiru, Higashiuoya-cho 167
京都府京都市中京区錦小路柳馬場東入ル東魚屋町167
Open 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m. (Open most days; closed a few days during Obon and New Year’s)
Website (Instagram)

Source, images: PR Times
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