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 ... (read more) 4.5/5.0
exceptional japan nezu anko redbean tokyo taiyaki 4.5
今川焼千駄木 Imagawayaki red been wheel cake : I took a detour on my daily walk and came across this small shop with a decently sized line. Since there are no tourists in Japan right now, lines are for sure signs of a local favorite. The little stand only sells imagawayaki, which are enclosed wheel-shaped pancakes filled with red bean. They have three flavors on the menu: red bean, custard, and one other that I couldn't figure out through direct translation (しるあん), and all of them are made to order using a traditional Japanese mold. They... (read more) 4.5/5.0
exceptional sendagi japanese dessert tokyo imagawayaki red been wheel cake 4.5
中央製乳 愛知の梨アイス Pear Milk Ice Cream: Fruit is generally quite expensive in Japan, and it feels even more so because of the very small portion sizes – there's no so much thing as buying a large 1lb bag of grapes here. Fruits are also very seasonal, so for the most part, I've been eating only bananas and oranges and I seem to have missed pear season. That's why when I saw this pear dessert in the ice cream aisle, I was excited to try it. I had expected it to be a sherbet or even a type of Italian ice from its packaging, but it... (read more) 4.5/5.0
exceptional icecream queensisetan japanese 愛知の梨アイス pear milk ice cream 4.5
Nanaya Aoyama Matcha (7) and Roasted Rice Tea Ice Cream: Nanaya Aoyama is a small ice cream shop near Omote-Sando in Tokyo and had been on my checklist of places to try for Tasty Snacking since before I arrived in Japan. Its menu features matcha ice cream at different levels of concentration, from 1-7, with 7 being the most potent (they claim it's the strongest in the world). On display, you see how matcha ice cream 1-7 goes from a light shamrock color to a dark forest green (though there isn't too much difference visually between #5-7). The ice... (read more) 4.5/5.0
exceptional icecream tokyo japan greentea nanayaaoyama matcha (7) roasted rice tea ice cream 4.5
Shake Shack Black sesame milkshake: I hadn't been to a Shake Shack in Japan and stumbled upon one near Meiji Jingu, where I went to see the yellow autumn ginko trees. I stopped in to see if they had any exclusives, and their menu features a Japan-only black sesame shake. It was super satisfying on multiple levels: thicker than anything I've found in Japan, with a nutty and savory black sesame flavor that didn't taste at all artificial. Black sesame is one of my favorite flavors; I've had a lot of black sesame snacks over the ... (read more) 4.0/5.0
exceptional japanese drinks blacksesame shakeshack black sesame milkshake 4.0
Yamayoshi Ippudo Ramen Chips: These tonkotsu ramen pork-flavored chips caught my eye at my local Aeon grocery store / konbini before I even knew they were from the popular ramen chain Ippudo. The special flavor is in celebration of Ippudo's 35th birthday. I went to Ippudo about a decade ago in NYC, and a branch opened up in Berkeley right as I move away from the Bay Area. I knew that the restaurant inspired long lines in the US, but the other day, while walking through Ikebukuro in Tokyo, I stumbled upon a queue outsi... (read more) 4.5/5.0
exceptional chips aeon japanese yamayoshi ippudo ramen 4.5