The Hidden Surprise

---

During an afternoon stroll with me good friend Chiharu, I noticed a small sign in the corner of my eye. I love talking and so caught up in the conversation, I think it was about the weather haha, that I nearly missed the innocent looking thing. Boy am I glad I didn’t!

Translating to “Behind”, Cafe Ushiro was a neat find for a random walk, and it’s hidden location absolutely lives up to its name. Though the photo doesn’t show it clearly, this sign was SMALL, and the cafe itself lay nestled between the back of a hotel and the back of a used clothes store. Honestly, whoever designed that floor planning deserves a pay raise.

Feeling skeptical, me and my friend walked through the ally-way, pass the hotel reception and down a short flight of dimly lit stairs to find a delightful surprise. The cafe was very open with an Industrial interior theme and dried flower arrangements as decorations. Definitely gave me underground haven vibes.

Before I could get a chance to take in the quiet atmosphere I was hit with the smell of coffee and vanilla. I new I had to order something first to satisfy my hunger. It’s safe to say I forgot all about my diet for the couple of hours I spent there.

The menu was very simple and to the point, but the display of goodies next to it soon became the star of the show. We got there in the late afternoon so some of the food choices were sold out but we were still able to satisfy our cravings.

The cafe also offered a takeout option as well, though I can’t imagine why someone wouldn’t want to enjoy their muffin in this amazing space. (If you can’t tell I absolutely love this place!)

For my beverage I ordered a black coffee, and my friend got a a Ceylon tea. Right when we were having our mini photo shoot one of the waiters came by and placed this cute card on my coffee cup, and it was too perfect to not immortalize in photography.

From the sweets they offered, I ordered a Catalana. I had no idea what it was before this, but imagine a creme brûlée, but frozen on the bottom. She still had the famous caramelized top, but instead of a semi-runny bottom the creme part was like ice cream. It was a solid 10 out of 10 and was a cool contrast to my hot coffee.

My friend ordered the Cannele and it was actually my first time every trying these. I don’t know why but I always associated Cannele with old people and raisins, which I am NOT the biggest fan of. Maybe its the way they look…

Anyway, it tasted a lot better then I was expecting. The exterior was a bit stiffer, almost crunchy, and the inside was rich and doughy. In Japan there’s a phrase “Mochi-Mochi” which is used to describe the texture of mochi to other things, like in this case Canneles!

Both of these were AMAZING, and almost too cute to eat! Luckily I was able to overcome the internal struggle and despite devouring it in a few minutes, the atmosphere was too good to leave. After sipping on coffee and talking we realized it had been over 2 hours 😱 I wish i got more photos of the interior, especially the dried flowers, but the whole place was very soothing.

This is only my first blog post so I am still experimenting with the layout and typing with my own voice. I just finished up my fall semester at university, and after writing a ton of boring papers it takes me a sec to switch back to my usual casual voice haha.

I miss writing like this and it’s so fun to see everything come together. For those in Kyoto or planning on coming I would highly recommend Cafe Ushiro for a quiet afternoon!

-Maririn 💕

1. 

   bitch shut the fuck up i dont care about your opinion.

2. 

   Very well written and interesting

3. 

   Thank You Alice!! Love you so muchhhhhh.

4. 

   MASAAAAAA thank you 😭 I will!! I’ll take you to a cafe before school starts!

5. 

   This is soooo interesting!!!! I love this, keep it up:)