Hyperlocal Tokyo

Amidst the bustling atmosphere of Asakusa Temple's approach, a nostalgic aroma wafts from near the Asakusa Kokaido Hall. It's the sweet scent of freshly baked imo-kintsuba, emanating from the long-established wagashi shop, 'Mangan-do.' The thin outer crust encases a dense, moist sweet potato filling. A delightful blend of earthy sweetness and rich potato flavor fills the mouth. The refined sweetness is a nostalgic taste loved by people of all ages.

I have a fond memory of buying Imokin from Man'gando at the Tokyo Station Daimaru, where I had to wait in line for a long time to get it as a Tokyo souvenir. It was quite a while ago, but I remember it being well-received. I happened to be in the area for work, so I decided to stop by. Initially, I was going to get Imokin, but when I looked inside the store, I saw "Imokuri Pie" and "Chestnut Imokin." I couldn't resist buying those two in addition to the Imokin. Everyone seemed to enjoy the Imokin, as well as the other two, but they especially liked the Chestnut Imokin. I tried it myself, and it was a bit different from the regular Imokin. The texture was like yokan or kanten (agar-agar jelly). Personally, I prefer the regular Imokin, but my wife thought this one was better.

Dorayaki, Tokyo style, downtown style. Anko and sweet potato paste. A masterpiece where various sweetness, deliciousness, and tenderness intertwine. The sweet potato paste inside is thick, not thin. A delicious dorayaki that you can enjoy plenty of. The packaging exudes a delicious feeling, it has an atmosphere.

I was going to buy a bit extra, but they kindly advised me to only buy what I could eat since it was fresh pastry. A great shop. [October 2024]

I tried to buy some 'Imokin' as a souvenir, but I ended up buying some with a short shelf life of only 24 hours… However, they let me try some freshly made ones in the store, and they were delicious!