Top 5 Must-Try Nakamise Dori Street Foods

If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world. – J.R.R. Tolkien

“Street-food”, when you hear this word you think about Kwek-Kwek & Fishball in the Philippines, Falafel & Hotdog sandwiches in New York and Taiyaki & Takoyaki in Japan. It is something very common and yet truly unique in every country that you visit for each country has their own version of street food they can boast of. Wandering around the Nakamise street of Asakusa; with the savory street foods all lined up for you to choose from, you can’t help but work up an appetite! The great dilemma then arises as to which one of them is worth your penny but thankfully, we’ve got you covered! Join us as we try out the different street foods of Nakamise street and introduce the top 5 most delicious street food based on what we’ve tasted.

“Green tea” – rich in antioxidants, fiber and nutrients. It’s gained popularity all over the world with the aid of social media and health forums vouching for its effectiveness in helping the body repair itself and promising beautiful skin through continued use and this is the focus of Sawawa Asakusa. The store offers different items on their menu such as matcha lattes, matcha mochi, matcha ice cream and matcha soft cake among others. Their best sellers are their green tea ice cream and Warabimochi though, so be sure to try it when you visit their store. They are open daily from 10 AM till 6 in the evening.

Price: ¥250 yen and up

Find out more about them here: https://zeenfinity.com/2019/09/16/sawawa-asakusa-all-you-can-eat-matcha-sweets-snacks/

Kineya is a popular shop that offers fried rice crackers, Sumibiyaki senbei, rice crackers and Okoshi.  Okoshi is a kind of Japanese confectionary which is made from grain and hardened with rice bran. It is very similar to pop-rice in the Philippines. Their shop offers a plethora of flavors ranging from sweet to spicy, but my favorite one is their soy sauce flavored senbei which I truly recommend, if you happen to pass by their shop. They are open daily from 9 AM till 7:30 in the evening.

Price: ¥90 yen and up 

Find out more about them here: http://www.asakusa-nakamise.jp/shop-3/kineya/e-index.html

Kikuya is a Dango and Daifuku specialty shop. They sell different kinds of Daifuku such as Whole-bean and Yomogi Daifuku which are made from domestic ingredients such as . They also created their Dango is a rice-based Japanese dessert that is eaten in Japan all year round. 

Price: ¥200 – ¥120 

You can visit their website here: https://www.kikuya-nakamise.com/eng/menu

Kimuraya or “Kimura House” is the original maker of Ningyo-Yaki, also known as the popular “Doll shaped snacks” found in Tokyo, Asakusa. It is made fresh in front of you by pouring the batter into intricately designed moulds. One aspect of Ningyo-Yaki that truly stands out though is that they offer it without the bean paste filling and their designs ranges from pigeons to traditional things or places such as the pagoda found in Asakusa. 

Price: ¥600 yen and up

Find out more about them here: http://www.asakusa-nakamise.jp/shop-6/kimuraya/e-index.html

Kaminari Okoshi is a crowd favorite and almost synonymous with the word Asakusa. Okoshi is a type of Japanese confectionary made from grain mixed with syrup & sugar. There are a lot of flavors available when you buy them from Asakusa such as Caramel Almond, Maple Coconut, Brown Sugar and Matcha among others. It is definitely a must-try treat you should take home with you or buy for your friends as a souvenir. One thing I like about it is that they have a sampling area where you can get a taste of their Okoshi for free and decide which one you liked most based before purchasing it. They are open everyday from 9 AM till 9 in the evening.

Price: ¥ 480 yen and up

Know more about them here: https://tokiwado.tokyo/shop/kaminarimon-honten.html

TRIVIA

• Sensoji was built in 645 A.D. 
• Sanja Festival is celebrated in Asakusa every third weekend of May. 
• It is believed that covering your head with smoke from the Jokoro or the large earthenware in Sensoji will make you smarter.
• Visit Asakusa’s website here for events and details: https://e-asakusa.jp/en/

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