The 3 Marilyns

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I started the day at a rural elementary school where I teach english to the young students. Though technically a job, it always just feels like playtime that comes with a paycheck. We sang songs and played games, and after an hour of the a dopamine high, I was free to spend the rest of the day for myself. I had actually gone to Direct Coffee, my previous blog post, the day before so I was planning on heading to a Starbucks to get some photo editing and writing done.

Just as I got home, I noticed a text from my friend from Yokohama, which I learned is not technically Tokyo, saying he was in Kyoto and wanted to meet up. My boring day just got super exciting, and I hurried back on the train to head to downtown for coffee.

Having been here once before, Cafe Boogaloo wasn’t a sudden discovery but a reliable place to get afternoon tea or even a meal. Though it had been a while since I last ate there, one image was burned into my memory filing cabinet: the 3 Marilyn Monroe paintings.

I wish I had gotten the 3 portraits in one photo, but the glare from the window was a little too blinding for my liking. The painting gave off major Andy Warhall vibes, and the rest of the cafe complimented the artwork with a funky mix of light fixtures and couches. Upon first glance, I would have forgotten I was in Kyoto.

The Lights themselves were pieces of art too. There were lantern like hanging lights and one that looked like a planet. My favorite was a stand light that almost looked like a giant version of the Pixar jumping lamp haha!

After finding our seats and settling in, we decided to look through the menu and order. I was shocked by how thick the menu was. I honestly thought it was a fake novel for decor at first, but once we opened it up we found lots of drinks, sweets, and foods. This place was like a mashup of a cafe and a restaurant.

After much contemplation, I decided to get the Gateau Chocolate, which is just a fancy browny/cake, with my classic cup of Black coffee. My friend isn’t the biggest coffee fan so he choose an earl grey pound cake with a hot black tea to drink. Little did we know that our orders would come with cute companions to add some life to our cakes.

I really liked how the plates gave a pop of color to the different shades of brown that made up the food and drinks. I think it matched the funky vibe of the cafe and made for interesting photos. My black coffee was pretty general, with a bitter after taste but it matched nicely with my semi-sweet Gateau Chocolate, which was super moist. I didn’t try my friends Earl Grey poundcake but it looked really spongy, and it should squish down each time he cut off a piece with his fork.

Both plates came with a small scoop of vanilla ice-cream topped with a little biscuits. Mine was in the shape of a small man and my friend’s was in the shape of a giraffe. We both went for the body and left a cute decapitated head, which I knew I had to get a photo of!! Also, ignore our morbid sense of humor haha!

Which one do you like better? Leave your answer in the comments!!

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Don’t forget to leave a comment and check out the photo album page to see all the photos I took since there’s a lot more to see!! As always, Happy Eating!!

Overall, this place was a 10 out of 10 for its interior, but the coffee was so-so and the sweets weren’t anything amazing. I get the feeling that this is more of a restaurant than a cafe and I definitely think I should come back for lunch or dinner instead, but if you want a fun place to take photos and take your time, then Boogaloo is the place for you.

-Maririn 💕