The heat and humidity of Tokyo summers can be overbearing. What better way to cool down than with kakigori (shaved ice sweets). As a child visiting my family in Japan in the summer that is one of my fondest memories. Kakigori topped with sweetened condensed milk (ask for miruku) and garnished with some sweet azuki…
Month: August 2010
Tokiwadou Okoshi 浅草の常磐堂
Tokiwadou Okoshi 常磐堂 Kaminari Okoshi Kaminarimon Honten Taito-ku, Asakusa 1-3-2 台東区浅草1-3-2 Phone: 03-3841-5656 http://www.tokiwado.com (Japanese) This shop to the left of the main gate is a popular destination for visitors. Okoshi are the popular food gift that Asakusa is famous for. These colorful, pastel-colored, puffed rice crackers include flavors like peanuts, almond, nori, mattcha, brown…
Izumiya in Asakusa 浅草の和泉屋
Izumiya 和泉屋 Taito-ku, Asakusa 1-1-4 台東区浅草1-1-4 Phone: 03-3841-5501 10:30 – 19:30 (closed Thursdays) http://www.asakusa.gr.jp/nakama/izumiya/ (Japanese) This quaint sembei shop presents the rice crackers in glass jars with tin lids. A wide variety of flavors include both sweet and savory like shiso, zarame (rock sugar), and a very spicy dried red pepper covered ookara. The very…
Kanda Matsuya Soba 神田まつや
Kanda Matsuya 神田まつや Chiyoda-ku, Kanda Jimbocho 1-13 千代田区神田神保町1-13 Phone: 03-3251-1556 11:00 – 20:00 Monday – Friday 11:00 – 19:00 Saturday and holidays closed Sundays http://www.kanda-matsuya.jp/p01.htm Kanda Matsuya opened their doors in 1884. The soba is made from 5 parts buckwheat flour to 1 part flour. The dipping sauce is “karame” or on the dry side…
Kibundo Souhonten in Asakusa 浅草の紀文堂総本店
Kibundo Souhonten 紀文堂総本店 Taito-ku, Asakusa 1-2-2 台東区浅草1-2-2 Phone: 03-3841-4401 9:00 – 20:30, closed Wednesday no website This popular shop is on the main street just to the right of the Kaminarimon has a collection of kawara sembei (crispy, tile-shaped sweet crackers), uzura kasutera (small bite-size castella cakes), ningyoyaki, and a mix of crackers called okonomiyose.
Umezono in Asakusa 浅草の梅園
Umezono 梅園 Taito-ku, Asakusa 1-31-12 台東区浅草1-31-12 Phone: 03-3841-7580 10:00 – 20:00, closed Wednesdays and 2nd Tuesday http://www.asakusa-umezono.co.jp/ (Japanese) Just off of the Nakamise Dori the corner shop is easy to recognize from the red paper umbrella and benches in front of the shop. Umezono in Asakusa, opened in 1854, has a strong following for anmitsu,…
Food Sake Tokyo 