A sweets shop in Kannon-ura, in business since 1968. Its signature mamekan, which it claims to have originated, pairs plump simmered red peas and agar with a clean-tasting kuromitsu syrup. This time I ordered cream anmitsu. The noren reads "fine sweets, shiruko." The shop has also been featured in the manga The Solitary Gourmet.
3-22-12 Asakusa, Taito, Tokyo
Sources: tv-tokyo.co.jp aumo.jp kinarino.jp
This moment in the journey
Mamekan behind the Kannon
Let's go north, through a lane of little bars and across Kototoi Street. Beyond it lies a quiet neighborhood called Kannon-ura, "behind the Kannon." It once flourished as a geisha district, and buildings that keep the feel of those days are still scattered about. You can feel the calm, old-fashioned air of Edo's shitamachi.
Under a red awning is Umemura, a sweets shop in business since 1968 and the birthplace of mamekan. Its noren curtain reads "fine sweets, shiruko." The flavorful beans and the smooth agar are wonderful, and people keep coming from far away for this long-loved taste. The shop is also known for appearing in the manga The Solitary Gourmet.
This time I treated myself to cream anmitsu: agar cubes, red peas, sweet bean paste, a cherry, mandarin segments, colorful sugar-dusted cubes and a scoop of ice cream. A fun taste, perfect for the afterglow of a day at the amusement park. Once you try it, you'll want to come back again.
Watch this scene on YouTube8:32
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From: An Asakusa food diary that begins at an old coffee house
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From: An Asakusa food diary that begins at an old coffee house
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Kannon-ura
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From: An Asakusa food diary that begins at an old coffee house
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