10D9N Spring Japan Trip: Malebranche, Best Green Tea Cookies in Kyoto
I had a good friend which I knew from high school, let's call her Ms Momo. Being a good friend, I told her that I'm going to Japan and asked her what would she like from Japan? As far as I know, Ms Momo is not a sweet-eater and hence, she really surprised me when she asked me to buy certain green tea cookies when I was at Kyoto Station. On a mission from Ms Momo, I ventured into a green tea specialty store named Malebranche.
Malebranche is actually a popular Kyoto patisserie specialising in green tea flavor. It has grown from its original shop in Kitayama to a shop and a cafe in Kyoto Station's Isetan department store. There is only one variety of the green tea cookies so I don't think you will miss it.
Just like any other items in Japan, Malebranche's green tea cookies is packed and wrapped nicely. This makes a good gift from Japan, really. One box of cookies costs 1,360 Japanese Yen, if I'm not wrong.
The green tea cookie does not last very long so you must take note of the expiration date.
Once the wrapper is opened, this is how the box looks like. And yup, that's the green tea cookie. It has vanilla cream in the middle of the cookie. Ms Momo told me that three days after its expiration date, the vanilla cream starts to turn green (not because of mold) because the color from the green tea butter cookies transfer. This sounds weird. LOL.
One box contains 10 individual package of green tea cookie. I guess Malebranche's cookies does not come cheap because one cookie costs 136 Japanese Yen to be exact. I can buy one bread with that kind of money in Singapore. XD
Malebranche's store at Kyoto Station opens from 9AM to 8.30PM. We came to the store right on time at 9AM straight after we checked out from our hotel, Ibis Styles Kyoto Station, right across the station. Totally left it as the last thing to do in Kyoto...hahaha.