Kyoto, Japan｜Hana Hou Cafe

Small cafe located in a residential area run by the friendly and welcoming owner. I'm very thankful for the hospitality shown, despite my scant skills in Japanese, the owner was kind enough to use English. I enjoyed the explanations of the food, and the owner was attentive, a nice touch despite the cafe being full for lunch. Small things like asking how the food is and checking if I'd like coffee after lunch or with helps make the difference between a good coffee shop and a great one. I ordered the pulled pork set meal and strawberry waffles with homeground coffee. The pork was tender but not mushy, the seasoning allowed the savoury taste of the pork to shine without masking it with other condiments. The fried lettuce was crisp and the rice was well cooked. The accompanying side salad had a tart dressing, enough to flavour the salad but not douse it with dressing as some places do. The lunch set comes with a soup of the day which in this case was an oatmeal soup rich, creamy and warm; the perfect combination. The dessert was the highlight though. Freshly pressed waffles made in front of my eyes with sweet strawberries, plenty of cream, syrup and a serving of vanilla ice cream all of which is presented beautifully on the plate. The coffee was freshly ground to order, the taste was rich, not too bitter which worked nicely with the dessert. A wonderful shop worth going out of your way to specifically visit. Anyone place which as a people coming back for more on a regular basis has to be doing something right and this stands as one of the nicer coffee shops in Kyoto for sure. Also enjoyed chatting over the food at the counter!

Very good food. Well priced. All I wanted was some light fluffy freshly made waffles.this place had it. Great food. Good understanding if English too which helps as a foreign tourist. Good coffee too

Cozy little place located near nishkyogoku station Hankyu Line. Love the atmosphere. The owner is very nice lady. Our food came as a set so I ordered a cup of hot coffee. They took out coffee beans, grinded it fresh and brewed my coffee. Everything was very good. I want to go earlier and try their brunch menu as well.