Hyperlocal Tokyo

I went to the main store of Funawa! I wanted to visit the Funawa main store during my Asakusa sightseeing trip. It's an old established confectionery store founded in 1902. Funawa's confectionery is always sold at souvenir shops in Tokyo. My daughter doesn't like Japanese sweets, but she was tired, so we went in for a break. I looked over the menu and thought, 'Hmm, maybe the niu-men for 1000 yen?' (laughs) I decided to go with the Funawa sweet potato parfait recommended in the travel magazine Rurubu for 1000 yen. ❤️ I was also tempted by the sweet potato yokan and matcha for 800 yen. 💦 Anmitsu originated here, so I wanted to try it, but my daughter doesn't like Japanese sweets, so it couldn't be helped... The parfait arrived soon after. It looked delicious. It came with two mochi balls, which were cute. My daughter took a bite. 'It doesn't have any flavor,' she said. I thought, 'Really? It's definitely sweet.' She must have been tired. The sweet potato soft cream was delicious, and as I ate, I found sweet potato yokan! Wow, that was a nice surprise. ☺️ I got to eat sweet potato yokan too. ❤️ The cereal was crunchy, and the Japanese-style but Western-style sweet potato parfait was great! The niu-men was bland. It had a gentle flavor. I guess we were tired, so we were lacking salt. Next time, I want to try the anmitsu.

While strolling down Nakamise-dori Street in Asakusa, I was drawn to the takeout ice cream being sold and ended up stepping inside. At 'Funa-wa,' I ordered the highly anticipated 'Imo Yokan Parfait' and the 'Imo Yokan Basque Cheesecake,' captivated by its appearance. The parfait had a distinct imo yokan flavor in the ice cream. There was imo yokan at the bottom, making it a great value. It was quite substantial. The imo yokan wasn't overly sweet, and the natural flavor of the ingredients was truly captured. I wondered what the imo yokan basque cheesecake would taste like, but the combination of sweet potato and cheese was irresistible and addictive. It was just as good as the cheese from a cheesecake shop! Tea was self-service, so I only ordered dessert this time. The interior was beautiful, and even though I went around four o'clock on a weekend, I was lucky enough to get a table without waiting. As a long-established imo yokan shop, it's perfect for a cafe visit, grabbing a takeout imo yokan soft serve, or even as a gift. 🥔🥔🍰

Funawa is famous for its sweet potato paste (imo yokan). You can purchase products on the first floor, and there are tea rooms on the second and third floors. There was a line waiting on the stairs, but I was able to get in without waiting too long. The imo yokan and sweets are a bit pricey, but they are delicious. There are no light meals, so it's a place to come for tea. Water and tea were self-service.

Shuwa Honten Kissa Room @ Asakusa I revisited after having their sweet potato paste last year, which was delicious! No wait at 12 pm on a weekend. The baked sweet potato paste is basically baked sweet potato itself. It's so good when you melt butter on top of it 🥺✨ The sweet potato parfait has sweet potato paste mixed into the cream and ice cream. Honestly, the ice cream was just okay, like 'is this sweet potato?' but the cream and the sweet potato paste inside were delicious, so I'd say it's good 👍 Baked sweet potato paste 300 yen Sweet potato parfait 1,000 yen

I visited this place during my summer trip as part of an anmitsu (Japanese dessert) tour. I waited about 30 minutes to get in. The shop was full, but the atmosphere was nice and I was able to relax and enjoy myself. The anmitsu with sweet potato soft serve was delicious.