Hyperlocal Tokyo

After visiting Yoshikami, I went to Asakusa Umeyuen. It's my favorite place to buy anmitsu in the department store food halls. Their agar-agar is just so delicious. This was my first time visiting their main store, and I had it there. You order by purchasing a ticket beforehand. They only accept cash. I ordered a coffee after my meal, a matcha anmitsu, and a cream shiratama anmitsu, I think? I can't remember. When you're seated, they bring you a cold green tea. It's free and goes well with the sweets. It's a nice service. The interior is quite retro, and the restroom isn't exactly clean. The anmitsu, both the agar-agar and the shiratama, were completely different from what you get in the department store food halls. They were soft and delicious. The iced coffee was also small but strong and tasty. I recommend it for those who want to relax and enjoy a cafe time. The average age of the customers is a bit higher, so it has a calm atmosphere. They also had awa-zenzai and shaved ice. The area near the entrance isn't too bad, but the seats in the back are quite cold because of the air conditioning. You're seated after purchasing your ticket, so if you're sensitive to cold, I recommend sitting near the entrance.

I received a box of anmitsu as a gift. The refreshing agar jelly is so delicious in this hot weather. It's also great that you can adjust the sweetness to your liking! The mochi, red bean paste, apricot and mandarin orange, and salted beans are all delicious. I've never been to the shop, but I'd love to visit sometime.

A famous sweets shop. You pay first and then your order comes out quickly. The chairs and tables are small and cozy. It's an old-fashioned shop. I was able to get in without waiting in line even though it was the weekend. This time I had shaved ice. It was 850 yen. I remember the anmitsu I had before was a huge portion. The red bean paste was delicious.

I was a little hungry, so I went there at 2 PM on a weekday. There were about 10 groups waiting, but I was able to get a seat while I was buying my ticket. I ordered the traditional Japanese New Year's soup (ozoni) and the tofu skin soup (yuzu-zōni), both with dessert. The flavors were gentle and delicious. The staff were friendly and smiling, and they even offered us tea. It's truly a long-established restaurant. I want to go back again.

I had my first 'awa-zenzai' (sweet rice porridge with mochi). It was so delicious! It feels less guilty than eating mochi. The red bean paste was also delicious. I was pleasantly surprised that it came with cold tea instead of water. My friend had a parfait and said the three-colored dumplings and bracken starch were delicious. I definitely want to go back!