I traveled to Kyoto. I had lunch at the cafe Shinshindo in front of the north gate of Kyoto University. I want to introduce you to this favorite cafe where you can enjoy a delicious meal and an old-fashioned atmosphere.
Eventually, I came to the cafe Shinshindo.
Nervously, I pushed open the glass door of the cafe, and a warm, soft air enveloped me as if I was in another world. The dimly lit store was filled with people talking across the long, shiny black tables, spoonfuls of coffee being stirred, and pages of books being turned.
Tomihiko Morimi, The Night Is Short, Walk on Girl (Kadokawa Bunko, 2008), p319-320
It is a place where you can enjoy not only the food but also the atmosphere of time passing slowly.
Kyoto University
On this day, I took a walk around Yoshida Mountain in Kyoto. I then headed to the Yoshida Campus of Kyoto University, located on Imadegawa Dori.
On the northern campus of Yoshida Campus, ginkgo trees lined the street from the main gate. It is a vast campus. In addition to the research buildings, there are also a farm and grounds. Students were riding bicycles around the campus.
Many trees were planted on the campus.
When I visited, cherry blossoms were in full bloom.
The cafe Shinshindo
The cafe Shinshindo is located facing Imadegawa Street. This cafe is just outside the northern campus of Kyoto University towards the Hyakumanben intersection.
The cafe’s exterior is the same as when it was founded in 1930, a quaint brick building.
The sign “Notre Pain Quotidien” means “our daily bread” in French. The cafe Shinshindo is the birthplace of French bread in Japan. The founder, Tsugiki Hitoshi, was the first Japanese baker to go to France. He incorporated the atmosphere of French cafes into the interior design.
When you enter the cafeteria, the bread shop is on the left, and the cafe is on the right. Tables and couches made of oak wood lined the interior. They were the work of Tatsuaki Kuroda, a living national treasure. The shiny black grain of the tables gave a sense of history.
The ceiling was high, and the atmosphere was like a quiet classroom. Most of the customers were students, half reading and half operating laptops.
I sat at a table at the far end of the room. Terrace seating was available at the back of the courtyard, seen from the window.
The menu had cute illustrations of dishes.
The set menu consisted of curry rice, curry rice with pork cutlet, and curry bread. Other sets included cakes, scones, and English muffins.
Curry Bread Set
I ordered the curry bread set, the specialty of this restaurant.
This set consisted of curry in a dish instead of curry bread, two pieces of oval-shaped bread, a salad, and a drink. The curry was not too spicy and had a good flavor.
The bread was delicious. It was fluffy and had a subtle sweetness and aroma in the mouth.
Time seemed to pass slowly at the cafe. It was a cafe that made me want to relax, read a book, and eat. If you travel to Kyoto, please enjoy the atmosphere of the cafe Shinshindo.
