Hyperlocal Tokyo

I visited on a Sunday evening around 7 pm and was seated immediately without waiting. It was my second visit, the first being a year ago, and I noticed the prices had increased significantly. This time, I ordered the Shine Muscat and Peach Mix for ¥2,500. While I had a great experience last time, I was disappointed with the tea sauce this time. Serving fruit on ice with yogurt cream and tea sauce for this price was a let-down. I would have preferred a peach sauce instead. Even for ¥1,500, I would have been disappointed. The strawberries were delicious, though, with their own strawberry sauce.

If you like yogurt sauce shaved ice, you absolutely must try this! The yogurt sauce is generously poured over everything, it's amazing! The honey is also delicious, and I liked that it was chilled and slightly solidified. 😋 This time I had strawberry and mango, but I want to try the other flavors too! When you first enter the shop, there's a ticket machine on your right. Buy your ticket there and then join the line outside the shop. Just wait until you're called.

Yesterday, I went to "Sakura Saku," a shaved ice specialty shop. It's a place that's been featured on TV and in magazines, and even on a weekday afternoon, there was a line. I was so curious to try their famous shaved ice that I decided to get it to go. The good news is that takeout is 200 yen cheaper than eating in! I chose the classic strawberry and mango shaved ice. The first bite was so fluffy, it reminded me of the shaved ice I had in Taiwan. There's a generous amount of honey drizzled over yogurt sauce, and then topped with fruit. The sweetness and tartness are perfectly balanced, creating a unique texture you won't find anywhere else! Eating this shaved ice while strolling along the Sumida River is the epitome of summer luxury. It's refreshing, yet has a satisfying sweetness that makes you forget about the heat. I definitely want to go back and try it again!

This shop has been popping up in the media lately. I first learned about it on Instagram, I think. I visited a while back, and as you can see in the photos, it's a high-end shaved ice place. I love shaved ice, so I eat it year-round, except for the dead of winter. I visit different shops all the time. I can't call myself a 'shaved ice enthusiast' because I don't eat it in winter, but that's just my opinion. I went before summer, so there was no wait to get in. It was before they were on TV, but even then, about 80% of the seats were filled. It seems like people with a good sense of what's trendy gather here. You buy your ticket at a vending machine right inside the entrance, and then they seat you. They basically fill the seats from the back. I ordered the 'Fushigi Momo' (Mysterious Peach), even though it was a bit early in the season. Some people complain in reviews that you can't share a single order, but that's just rude. I understand their feelings, but restaurants lose money when a seat is empty. It's a specialty shop with limited seating, so that kind of complaint is a bit unfair. They have rent to pay, too. They prepared the shaved ice right in front of me. It seemed like a new staff member was being trained, and I watched with a bit of a critical eye, wondering if they were going to serve that. For shaved ice at this price, they should practice outside of business hours, even if it costs a bit more. The main event, the shaved ice, is pictured. It's more like they're aiming for a photogenic look, or maybe it's still in development. The fruit is a bit pricey, but the main syrup is more like a yogurt-sweetened milk, not a fruit-based one. And it's designed to drip onto the plate below. This is where opinions will differ. The peach wasn't in season, so it lacked sweetness and aroma, but I knew that when I ordered it, so it's fine. The ice itself was the right temperature, and it had a fluffy, soft texture. The sauce, being 'Fushigi Momo,' wasn't meant to be fruit-based, but for this price range, I'd prefer a fruit syrup as the main flavor, with yogurt or sweetened milk as a secondary flavor. The service was a bit cold, so it would be nice if they were a little more customer-oriented. I think the shop is still in the process of trial and error, and it will take some time for it to be fully realized.

I had been wanting to try this place for a while and finally made a reservation. When I arrived at 11 am, it wasn't crowded and I could have walked in without a reservation. By the time I left, there was a line forming. The shaved ice was one of the largest I've ever had, and the free refills on syrup were very appreciated. I wondered if all the shaved ice flavors are based on yogurt, as they seemed to be similar. The tartness was refreshing and helped prevent me from getting bored, but it was so large that I thought a smaller size with a lower price would be better. Haha.