Ingen Kyoto is a new Kyoto-style teahouse at Orchard Road by owners of Hvala cafe chain

It’s no secret that Singaporeans love holidaying in Japan, especially during this time of the year when the weather is nice and cold. For those who have decided to avoid the December peak travel season, there’s still a little slice of Kyoto to check out at Orchard Road, via a new traditional teahouse called Ingen Kyoto at ION Orchard.

The intimate 28-seat space opened on Friday (Dec 22). It offers counter seats, a table for larger groups as well as a tatami room.

IT’S OPENED BY HVALA'S OWNERS

Ingen Kyoto is owned by the same folks behind Japanese-style cafe chain Hvala, which also sells Japan-imported matcha powder. The sparse, Zen teahouse is aptly named after Zen Buddhist monk Ingen Ryuki.

An Ingen rep told 8days.sg that the teahouse’s “philosophies and design concept (are) rooted” in Kyoto. It has a Kyoto-based team who “meticulously hand-produces some of (the) teas in small batches” and also sources for a selection of Kyoto handicrafts like leather accessories, fabrics, incense and tea-based fragrances that are sold at the teahouse.

CORKAGE FEE AND WATER MENU 

Interestingly, the teahouse also charges a ‘corkage fee’. For S$12.80, you can bring your own tea leaves to brew there. This fee includes refillable filtered tap water, though if you are feeling extra fancy, you can order from a menu of bottled spring, sparkling and still water, like the Hokkaido Taisetsuzan spring water (S$2) that’s good for three rounds of brewing, or a litre of Aqua Panna (S$6).

If you don’t have your own tea leaves or powder but would like to try brewing it yourself, you can buy some from Ingen’s “tea library”, which offers over 150 types of teas from Japan’s various tea-producing regions.

There’s an additional charge of S$5.80 to make your own cuppa, presumably because the teahouse will have to supply you with your own set of tea-brewing paraphernalia.

Or you can simply order from around 45 types of tea-based beverages on the menu. There is a vast selection of single cultivar matcha and blends (from S$12.80 for a cup of Kyoto Shogyoku matcha to a whopping S$126.80 for a cup of Asahi single cultivar limited edition competition grade heritage matcha from Kyoto’s famous green tea-producing city, Uji).

For those who are not matcha fans, there are also house teas like Wazuka White Tea (S$15.80), caffeine-free tisanes like Mugicha (S$12.80) and Hokkaido milk-based beverages such as Single Cultivar Ceremonial Matcha Latte (S$14.80).

PLATED DESSERTS

There are also some TikTok-worthy plated desserts to go with tea, like gateaux, parfaits, and a pretty Kabocha (pictured, S$19.80), half a steamed pumpkin topped with kombu honey jelly, pumpkin coulis and crunchy hazelnuts and chia seeds.

The parfaits are served in wine glasses here, like the Yuki Parfait (S$19.80), which is layered with bittersweet morsels like matcha mousse, dango, matcha ice cream, sencha honey jelly and adzuki paste.

Ingen Kyoto is at 2 Orchard Turn, #B3-15/16, ION Orchard, Singapore 238801. Open daily 10am to 10pm.

This story was originally published in 8Days.