In Japan, sakuramochi comes in two styles: the Chomeiji style of the Kanto region and the Domyoji style of Kansai. Both wrap the mochi in a cherry leaf, but the shape of the mochi itself is very different. I only recently learned that Chomeiji is the birthplace of Kanto-style sakuramochi, and I was surprised to find out just the other day that it is right near Asakusa. So on a sunny weekend I made the time to go.
Green tea
They do takeout, but you can also eat inside at the tea room.
The original sakuramochi
It is hidden under the leaves. The leaves are pickled in salt, so they keep all year round.
Inside there is mochi and sweet red bean paste.
Sometimes the mochi is pink, but the original is white. The saltiness of the leaf and the sweetness of the bean paste go really well together. I bet it tastes even better during cherry blossom season..
A cafe called Kado
It is a tiny cafe right in front of Chomeiji. I remembered reading in some magazine that the fresh fruit juice was good, so I went in. They sell bread too, and it seemed pretty popular. The owner’s flamboyant concept is a lot of fun, and the interior is rather nice in its own way.
The interior and the owner
It is petit Versailles style. For such a small place there were quite a few customers, so the character must really work on people.
Fresh fruit shake
It tastes like they used plenty of good fruit. Number one among the fresh juices I have had lately. Running a cafe in a corner like this cannot be easy, yet they clearly take care over the flavor, which I found impressive. It is still cold out, but once it warms up I can see myself dropping by often on the way past.