Kineya Honten [Mimi's World Tour]

Bakery: Kineya Honten 
Address: 95 Nikaimachi, Himeji-shi, Hyōgo Prefecture 
Website: http://www.kineya.net/
Style: Japanese 
Price: $$ 

I actually stayed right across from this dessert shop, which is somewhat exciting. It's probably the closest proximity I've ever been to a bakery in terms of lodging. Nevertheless, unlike a great many stops along my Japanese World Tour, Kineya Honten isn't a bakery, but a patisserie where you can grab a slice of cake with tea or buy full-size gift boxes featuring biscuits, rice cakes and their "signature" item (at the time, it seemed to be the signature item in every fancier bakery): baumkuchen; their unique version is chestnut-flavoured. 

Outwardly, I'll admit it looked a bit more elegant  than it did up-close. Stepping inside, I found it pretty cluttered, lacking in customers and teeming with staff, and the decor a bit... tired; I can't help but think it had seen better days. They also don't have that many individual items; the majority of the store space is dedicated to that pre-packed gift boxes and many of those individual items are repeated to make it look like they have more variety than they do. Regardless, their layered cream torts and French-inspired sweets are pretty, certainly look like they taste good, and are modestly priced.

I wasn't sure which of the slices to take and finally couldn't give up this chance to try a Japanese cheesecake in Japan. I'm incredibly fond of Japanese cheesecake (all varieties) so I was more than happy to try Kineya Honten's version (350 yen). This was a baked "souffle" cheesecake: fresh, almost weightlessly fluffy with a predominantly milky flavour (as opposed to egg). Top was thinly glazed and dusted with powdered sugar on one end. An elegant, slightly more refined take and one that was exceptionally good. So worth the amused smile I got from the hostel owner in Kobe when she came in on me relishing every forkful. .___.;; 

Rating: ***1/2