19. Sizuya Bakery 志津屋 (Everywhere, Kyoto)--Ken
Before we go any further, let's get one thing straight. We love Sizuya. They have bakeries all over downtown Kyoto.They have some great things to choose from, and in truth we only samped a few favorites. There's a cheese bagel we got several times. Plus, while we were there they demo-ed a new kind of bagel which is basically a donut covered in cinnamon powdered sugar. I also kept coming back to the bun filled with azuki beans (look for the black sesame seeds on top. That tells you there's azuki beans inside!)
It's true that a lot of their breads are bascially cheese hot dogs with mayonnaise. And some of their baked goods are green. But this is Japan, and that's to be expected, even cherished. We loved Sizuya. I already mentioned.
In fact, one of the best things about the Hotel Fujita Kyoto, and the Kyoto Royal Hotel and Spa was their proximity to Sizuyas! In the Kawaramachi-dori store, they have hot coffee in the morning and places to sit.
Here's Kathryn coming out of the one near Hotel Fujita. That bun on the left shown in the poster is the one I like most.
And again, diving into a cheese bagel.