Patisserie Mythique – A Funky Cafe in Sendai
As most of you already know, Coco and I are avid foodies, and that includes a passion for good coffee and pastries. And we are pretty demanding in this respect. Crappy Starbucks coffee and overly sweet American style pastries need not apply. Instead we are big fans of Italian or French style cafes. In Seattle one of our favorites was Caffe Umbria. When we moved to Sendai we were pleasantly surprised to find many patisseries. Today we want to take you to one of our new favorites, Patisserie Mythique.
We first discovered this funky cafe in Sendai on one of our first walks to town. As we were heading down the street from our new home we noticed a funky storefront, a little different from its neighbors. We are curious, so we decided to take a closer look. And that’s when we discovered Patisserie Mythique, a funky french style cafe and patisserie a short walk from Sendai Station. We are so glad we stopped in.
Patisserie Mythique
This cafe has already become one of our favorites. Not only do they have a fabulous selection of pastries, all of them basked fresh daily. And of course the offer hand-brewed coffee as well. But the funky aspect of Patisserie Mythique is what really sets them apart.
When you first enter you will not only notice the appetizing display case filled with delectable goodies, but a wonderful collection of odds and ends everywhere. Walls are covered with interesting artifacts, some not even related to coffee or pastries. And we are not talking Japanese, either. Some of the items would be equally at home in a farmers market in Seattle, or an old country store. After we placed our order for coffee and a strawberry tart we were directed upstairs.
Upstairs is reached by a narrow staircase. Even that tiny space is filled with odds and ends, and you need to take care not to trip on your way up. The climb is worth it! You end up in a bright, light-filled room with cozy sitting areas, tables for writing, and lots of diverse reading materials to keep you entertained while you wait for your order.
The Patisserie Mythique Coffee Experience
Our wait was well worth it. We barely had enough time to get settled in on comfy leather couches and peruse a magazine or two before the charming young waitress appeared. Kudos to her for balancing a full tray up the narrow stairs. We were very impressed!
In Japan many cafes brew coffee by hand, one cup at a time. And Patisserie Mythique is no exception. Our waitress brought our coffee, each with the drip filter still steaming. And the aroma of fresh brewed coffee was absolutely wonderful. As our order was place before us she carefully removed the drip filters, bowed, and descended down the stairs.
Which left Coco and me to our own devices. We started by first deeply inhaling the fresh coffee aroma, followed by the first sip. Delicious! Next came the careful removal of the thin layer of plastic protecting the sides of the delectable strawberry tart. Once that was done we could take the first little fork bite. The flavor of fresh ripe strawberries burst onto our taste buds, followed by the delicate and slightly vanilla flavored dough. The combination of both was exquisite.
We lingered far longer than we originally intended, and savored both the coffee and the pastries while leaving through design and literature magazines. The entire experience was much more reminiscent of sitting in a Kaffee Stube in Vienna than what we expected in Japan. Patisserie Mythique became a favorite of ours during that first visit. And we go out of our way simply to have an excuse to stop in. When you visit us we will certainly take you there. Just wait until you try the Mango tart! Oishi!
Happy Travels!
