Aug. 18, 2020 UPDATE
La Maison JOUVAUD Kyoto Gion
Traveler Friendly
Conveniently located. Staff speak basic English.
Information
Japanese and French
Languages spoken
Basic English and French
Story & Recommendation
A storied French patisserie in a traditional Kyoto Gion townhouse
Founded in 1948 and boasting three stores in the south of France, the popular French patisserie La Maison JOUVAUD opened their doors in Kyoto’s famous Gion district in May of 2018. Offering a wide range of sweets, from chocolates to pastries, La Maison JOUVAUD is particularly known for their unique and original rocaille meringue.
All of the chocolate here is imported from La Maison JOUVAUD’s flagship store in France, allowing you to enjoy the authentic flavors of Southern France right here in Kyoto.
Fully embracing its location in the Gion District, La Maison JOUVAUD utilize a renovated traditional Kyoto machiya townhouse and even offer matcha infused items on their menu too. While the first floor is mainly for the shop, it also has table and terrace seating near the back. Painted with scenes of France, the second floor is the store's eat-in space and is outfitted with a number of tables and chairs.
The combination of French-inspired images with the traditional Japanese look of the townhouse gives La Maison JOUVAUD Kyoto Gion the fantastic feeling of being a fusion between Japan and the west.
La Maison JOUVAUD is open relatively late from 10 AM to 9 PM, so if you’re out enjoying the beautiful night time feel of the Gion district, then why not pop in for a delicious Kyoto inspired dessert?
1Recommend!
Rocaille(vanilla)
/ ￥350 (Excl. Tax)
In French, the word “Rocaille” means rock. And living up to its name, La Maison JOUVAUD’s rocaille meringue looks just like a rock. The toasted outer layer of the meringue is both firm and crunchy, while the inside remains half done, giving it a soft and fluffy texture. This difference in texture gives this dessert a uniqueness and originality like no other. The addition of hazle nuts in the center provides the meringue with a beautiful nutty accent that helps to further bring out the delicious flavors of the dessert.
In addition to vanilla, La Maison JOUVAUD also over roasted green tea, chocolate, coffee, and coconut flavored Rocaille as well. The flavors offered change seasonally, so these fabulously unique meringues are a great way to experience the different flavors of the seasons. When you make your way to La Maison JOUVAUD, definitely don’t miss the opportunity to try one of these unique desserts.
2Recommend!
Chocolate Assortment (10 pieces)
/ ￥3400 (Excl. Tax)
Using 70% cacao dark chocolate, this assortment of chocolate features both the natural aroma as well as flavors of the cacao. This assortment of full-bodied, refined chocolates are all imported from France and showcase the authentic flavors of La Maison JOUVAUD’s homeland.
The Palet Vanille chocolate marked by a golden J tastes of bourbon vanilla and is considered to be JOUVAUD’s masterpiece. In addition to the range of flavors such as Truffe (truffle) and Pistache (pistachio), the package itself is of exceptional quality as well. This assortment of chocolates is the perfect gift for a loved one or special occasions.
3Check it out!
Boule Chocolat (W/ drink)
/ ￥2000 (Excl. Tax)
“Boule” means ball in French, and as the name would suggest, this dessert is a chocolate ball. When you pour over the chocolate sauce and watch as the dessert slowly begins to melt, all familiar notions of desserts and replaced by a wonderous and fantastical vista.
The combination of the various ingredients hidden within the ball, including vanilla ice cream, pineapple, mango, crunchy chocolate, and shredded mint give the dessert an almost indescribably exciting texture. The gentle sweetness of both the chocolate and the fruit is simply superb.
If you’re a chocolate lover, then we have no doubt that you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
The inner sauce and fruits change seasonally, so this is another great dessert for experiencing the different flavors of the seasons.
4Check it out!
Petit Desirade
/ ￥520 (Excl. Tax)
The Petit Desirade is a chocolate mousse cake filled with a vanilla cream.
The beautiful half sphere fills one with bliss by merely looking at it. The homemade chocolate mousse is fluffy and contains a supremely fantastic melt in the mouth smooth texture.
How to buy
The menu is in Japanese and French. If you find a chocolate or cake that fancies your interest, then you can order by simply pointing at it.
- Shopping Tips -
In-store they also sell a range of pre-packaged pastries and sweets as well. These items have a relatively long shelf life, so are great as souvenirs to take home!
