Tokyo: Toraya (とらや)

Meeting old friends was one of the top priorities for this Tokyo trip. I managed to arrange a meeting with M, a Japanese who was my flatmate when I studied my postgrad in UK, for a meeting. It has been 6 years now since we last saw each other in Birmingham. You gotta thank Facebook for keeping us in contact and reuniting us!

I pitched in the idea of wanting to try "shaved ice" as it seems like a signature dish for Japan's summer. M knows a good place so we arranged to meet up at Akasaka. She took me to Toraya (とらや) which sells traditional Japanese sweets on first floor and in underground floor has cafe/restaurant that sells Japanese sweets with matcha and shaved ice.

M ordered herself shaved ice with apicot (氷あんず) which is one of the traditional flavours of shaved ice of toraya. I had one bite to taste and it wasn't too sweet. Very fresh and light.

see the red bean paste?

I ordered myself matcha shaved ice with red bean paste (宇治金時). The matcha syrup gave out very fresh taste and it mixed well with red bean paste. It wasn't too sweet. I gotta confess that by the time I finished this bowl, I was kinda freezing inside. I guess the ice really cool down your body temperature.

I'm glad that M took me there. Good experience with shaved ice, classic place for Japanese dessert and to catch up with her, that's priceless!

Toraya Akasaka Branch (とらや赤坂本店)
東京都港区赤坂4-9-22
Website: http://www.toraya-group.co.jp/shops/sho04.html


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