Definitely the amount of cats I thought I was going to see was way less than expected.

But by the pictures, you can see as I walked in there are tons and tons of hand-crafted art, Hindu deities, and vegan products to support your lifestyle. Walk in a little bit more and you can just feel the “at home” type of vibes from the aesthetics of the restaurant. I was greeted by the owner with a very happy welcoming. I was so curious to ask him about why he named the restaurant the Kitten Company, but I kept cool and decided to wait until I began to order some food. Check out the menu!

The menu is English friendly, and you could come here to just grab some tea or chai. Originally the Kitten Company only sold tea and chai, but because of specific events that happened in Japan with radiation, the owner did research and found out that an organic plant-based diet is a great way to protect your health.

Talking with the owner, due to Covid, they have limited their menu options. Usually they have more choices, but these choices that they have definitely did not disappoint. The owner recommended I get the curry, so my fate was sealed.

Then BAM this cute little guy appeared right as my stomach began to rumble. The curry was homemade made out of fresh pumpkin and various spices. The curry set comes with a salad and a drink. While eating, I was able to finally talk to the owner. He has been running the Kitten Company for over 20 years. But it was only 10 years ago did he start serving vegan food. When the Tohoku earthquake and Tsunami occurred, it caused a series of nuclear accidents. These nuclear accidents caused radiation to leak which started to affect the food of Japan. The owner then really started taking his health into consideration and felt like all people should start to eat a plant-based diet with organic vegetables and fruits. Not only that, he is a big lover of animals. This where I was finally was able to ask him why he named the restaurant the Kitten Company.

Do want to know what he said?

Do you really want to know?

Ok, I will stop leaving you in suspense. The owner had got a kitten and raised it as his pet. He also considered his store to be his kitten where he would have to take care of it in order for it to grow. It was great to finally get the understanding I was seeking, it all made sense now. The owner is very friendly and really loves talking to all his customers.

Very relaxing environment, great conversations, and great homemade style food. I was so satisfied with the experience, but I was definitely interested in what his homemade sweets tasted like. So, I order not one but two different cakes, the blueberry cake and the banana cake.

Waiting for dessert I washed down my meal with this Earl grey tea from Kenya. I highly recommend this flavor if you come to the Kitten. He has somewhat of an expertise with tea, so he has various teas that I am sure will match what you are looking for.

Check out this baby, I am a sucker for blueberries. All the sweets at the Kitten Company are gluten free, organic, and vegan. The cake was so nice and fluffy, you could tell it was made that day. Take a look for yourself!

Do you see that texture! My fork went through the cake like butter. I thought to myself if the blueberry cake tasted this good, I can`t wait to eat the banana cake .

Hit with another delicious treat. The banana cake was topped with powder sugar, coconut flakes, and a cashew. I dug right in after it was served and totally forgot to take a picture of what it looked like on the inside. (Now you have to go there for yourself and check it out!

The owner and I continued to have good conversation after I devoured his delicious food. He has met many people from many different walks of life and he tells me he really enjoys customers who come from other countries to find out about places he has never been to.

Looking for a nice relaxing place which is family owned, organic food, and good conversation, you can`t go wrong with Kitten Company.

LESSON WRAP UP

The Kitten Company was a very homey type of place where the food was good, but really the owner, what he stands for, and the environment really makes this place stand out for me. The owner has been running this restaurant for over 20 years by himself and his wife helps him out. Due to Covid a lot of his business has slowed down due to less tourists in Kyoto. He told me he is doing what he can to continue to run his business providing people with fresh, organic vegan food. This inspired me because even though the future is not set in stone for him, he still wants to do the right things for the animals and the customer`s benefit. I definitely like supporting family-owned businesses to keep great places like this alive in order for others to experience this as I have. Check out Kitten Company when you are in the area. With that being said, class is dismissed!

(Class bell rings)