Coffee and Pie@ Royal Garden Cafe, Ohori Park, Fukuoka

 

With the sun coming out more frequently and for longer (sometimes at 6 am!) a snack by the park seems to be pretty obvious. There are many great parks in Fukuoka, but none of them compare to the ginormous Ohori Park. Located in the heart of the city, this has been one of the major green lungs of the area. It is a popular family spot and is usually crowded by the weekends. 

Busy weekend

I really like walking around the park. It is vast and wide, with a lot of nice architecture and open spaces to unwind. And being such a huge park, many people use this for their social event such as dancing practices, high school sports meets, and of course boat rowing due to the large lake which is the centerpiece of the park. 

One of the outside patios of the cafe. 

There are a few eateries within and around the park. From, Starbucks (there is always a Starbucks right?), a matcha tea house, to a hot dog stand, there is something for everyone. But I was in the mood for coffee, which is not Starbucks. 

The whole ensemble

So the next best option was the Royal Garden Cafe. Royal Garden Cafe is located directly at the boathouse that was built by the fringes of the lake. Which means a great view is guaranteed. But that also means that the food will be slightly on the pricey side. Then again, most people come here for the view and not the food alone. However, their wares are not to be scoffed at. But it felt like a good time to kick back and just enjoy the lake side. So getting a coffee with a sweet companion seems like the best idea. When I mean sweet companion, I meant an apple pie. 

Hello darkness my old friend. 

The coffee that I got was really good. With a deep woody taste, it just made enjoying the evening complete. Then again, I prefer deeper flavours than fruity acidic flavours. Just a matter of personal preference. To counteract the bitter hues of my black Americano, an apple pie followed suit soon after. 

Chunky monkey

The pie was a generous slice and you can see the chunks of apple in it. It would not be how I would make an apple pie, as I prefer a smoother filling inside. Still, it was well sweetened and had a hint of allspice. The crust was quite thin, and felt more like a casing of the apples instead of pastry. A bit unusual to me, but I still liked it. 

Sleeper hit

The sleeper hit however, was the vanilla ice cream that came alongside with a peanut caramel sauce. That was real decadence! The ice cream was velvety smooth and had a silky texture. The vanilla flavour was very distinct and if is as though someone lit up a vanilla scented candle next to me. The caramel sauce was great too. It has a smoky quality and deep undertones. The nuts gave it an extra dimension of texture too. This was a great combination. 

The view from my table. Yeah, I was very close to the lake. 

This was a pretty decent mid afternoon snack and I enjoyed it very much. The pie costed about 780 yen while the coffee was 280 yen. The pie is definitely on the steep side, but the price of the coffee seems to be within the standard range of any cafe. Do note if you are only looking out for pies and sweet pastries, there are cheaper options out there. Once you consider the view you had though, the price is somewhat justifiable. So if you would like to try out the pie and coffee, or other stuff that the cafe has to offer, then just hop on to Ohori Park. Its the only cafe in the boathouse, so its easy to spot. 

Unmistakable sign.