根津のたいやき Taiyaki: One thing I will sincerely miss when I leave Japan is the little mom & pop stands selling traditional Japanese treats like imagawayaki and taiyaki. This little stand in Nezu always seems to have a line, even in COVID times, and serves anko (red bean) filled fish-shaped pancakes. They cost just about $2 USD and they take care to snip off the burnt edges with scissors before placing your pancake in a to-go pouch, meant to be eaten quickly after it comes from the grill. Their red bean paste is made fresh every day, and it had a delicious mild flavor that was not very sweetened, which I prefer. The pancake is thin and crispy on the outside but slightly chewy right below the crust. At the price point, there's really nothing more to ask for! 4.5/5.0

exceptional japan nezu anko redbean tokyo taiyaki 4.5