Tourist visiting or ex-pat living here in Tokyo and sick of guides like Zagat on where to eat? If so, this blog is for you. Check where locals go to eat.
Wanna try Japanese deserts at a traditional Japanese cafe, one of my favorites is MIHASHI at Ueno. Mihashi has multiple locations including one inside Tokyo station, but their main shop is the one in Ueno. I usually takeout instead of eating at the shop since there could be a decent wait especially on weekends & holidays.
When you enter Mihashi, you place your order first at the cashier and they will give you a ticket. They will have a menu with pictures right in front of the cashier.
If you want to take time to decide on what to order just get a table first, check the menu there and then go to the cashier.
Many restaurants in the past used this system, but Mihashi is one of the few which still do.
Their signiture item is ANMITSU, which is a made of small cubes of agar jell. It is a white translucent jelly made from red algae or seaweed. On top of it is syrup covered red bean paste with fruits. You can add ice cream or soft cream with it and my favorite and probably the most popular Anmitsu is ICHIGO CREAM ANMITSU (Anmitsu with strawberries & vanilla soft cream) for 700 yen.
You can also add SHIRATAMA (Rice floor dumplings) for an additional 100 yen, which is used for many Japanese sweets.
If you want other fruits than strawberries, try FRUITS CREAM ANMITSU (Anmitsu with various fruits & vanilla soft cream) for 690 yen.
Other popular Anmitsu's are MATCHA ANMITSU (Anmitsu with green tea ice cream) for 560 yen. What makes Mihashi's Anmitsu different from others is their original syrup. It is not as sweet as others. And also, their ANKO (red bean paste) isn't as well. Delicate balance of just being at the perfect sweetness, when you put everything in your mouth.
They have other traditional items like AWAZENZAI (Millet with sweet red bean soup) for 520 yen,
INAKA SHIRUKO (Sticky rice cake in sweet red bean soup) for 520 yen
or if you are thirsty, there is MATCHA FLOUT (Green tea milkshake) for 450 yen.
If you want to have something not sweet and filling, they offer OZOHNI (Sticky rice cake in clear dry bonito broth with egg & chicken) for 590 yen.
They offer various KAKIGOHRI (Shaved ice) during the summer
and you can take out any Anmitsu without ice cream/soft cream and also OGURA ICE MONAKA (red bean ice cream with wafers) as well.
Mihashi opened in 1948 and my grandmother brought me to Mihashi for the 1st time when I was 11 yrs old. Since then I have tried many other famous and older Japanese desert shops, but to many people including myself, when it comes down to Anmitsu, Mihashi's is the best with or without soft cream.
MIHASHI (in Japanese, みはし) Address: 4-7-9 Ueno, Taito-ku, Tokyo (in Japanese, 東京都台東区上野4-7-9) Nearest train station: JR Ueno & Tokyo Metro Ueno-Hirokouji (3 min walk) Tel: 03-3831-0384 Reservations: No Website: http://www.mihashi.co.jp/ (in Japanese only) English menu: None Credit Card: No Open: 10:30am-9:00pm Closed: Undecided
Prices: Ichigo Cream Anmitsu (Anmitsu with strawberries & vanilla soft cream) 700 yen Fruits Cream Anmitsu (Anmitsu with various fruits & vanilla soft cream) 690 yen Matcha Anmitsu (Anmitsu with green tea ice cream) 560 yen Awazenzai (Millet with sweet red bean soup) 520 yen Inaka Shiruko (Sticky rice cake in sweet red bean soup) 520 yen Matcha Float (Green tea milkshake) 450 yen Ozohni (Sticky rice cake in clear dry bonito broth with egg & chicken) 590 yen
Author:Tokyo Joe
Food, music, and sports is my princess.
Favorite food: Almost anything in Tokyo, Beef in Kobe, Kaiseki/Kappo in Kyoto, Seafood in Hokkaido & Northern Japan, Aranabe in Fukuoka, Udon in Kagawa, Korean in Korea, Thai in Bangkok, Cantonese in Hong Kong, Fishhead Curry & Chicken Rice in Singapore, French in Paris & Lyon, Italian in Napoli & Toscana, Spanish in Madrid & Basque, Brazilian in Sao Paolo, Cuban in Havana, Indian in Dehli, Mexican in Mexico City, and Junk food in States
Dislike: most of the food/restos in the UK, glass of milk, cooked chunks of liver, hoya, Korean dog stew, balut, cow & pork blood, bugs and funky Chinese dishes.