Amidst the dolls in Ningyocho, there is a street filled with sweet sake. A mecca of famous shops. A playground of food. A utopia for me... Yumeya is undoubtedly one of the top shops here. It is one of the three famous dorayaki shops in Tokyo. Even though I have been to Ningyocho many times, this was my first visit. The shop opens at 12:30 pm during Golden Week, but the line starts forming around noon. When I arrived around 12:30, there were about 30 people in line. I later found out that the line is longest in the early afternoon on holidays. If you go in the evening, there are only about 10 people in line. On weekdays, it seems easier to buy without waiting too long. However, waiting in line allows you to see the artisans making the dorayaki from scratch, which is truly an art. Recently, the price increased from 160 yen to 180 yen per piece, but it didn't bother me at all. I actually respect their hard work. As for the taste? It's delicious, of course. Each dorayaki is made individually, with the wings cut and arranged neatly. It seems like they are also making more in the back. There's a limit to how many one person can make. One thing to note is that they are very hot when freshly made. Be careful. The balance of the crispy skin, thinness of the filling, firmness, sweetness - everything is just right. The shape of the dorayaki is also lovely. This is definitely a must-try in Ningyocho. A top shop in the area. Many shops are closed on holidays, but this one was a delight. Thank you for the wonderful experience!

Today, I came to Ningyocho and visited Yanagiya, a taiyaki shop that I was curious about. When I arrived around 2:10 PM, there was only one person at the counter, so I quickly got my turn. I bought one taiyaki (180 yen). It was freshly baked and piping hot, so I ate it right away. The skin was thin, and you could see the red bean paste through it! When I tasted it, the skin was crispy and the red bean paste was not too sweet, it was delicious. Thank you for the meal.

I visited this shop located right after entering "Amazake Yokocho" in Ningyocho around 5:30 pm on a weekday, and was able to purchase without waiting in line. The freshly baked taiyaki I had right away was piping hot and delicious. The skin was crispy and the filling was not too sweet. Thank you for the meal! This completes the Japan's top three taiyaki challenge. If you want to know which one was the best, please feel free to ask via message.

One of the three best taiyaki shops in Tokyo, a long-established shop since 1916. When I looked at the shop on Amazake Street and saw no line outside, I was surprised. But inside the shop, there was a line. However, the turnover was fast, so I only had to wait for about 10 minutes to buy. I ate one on the spot and took the rest home. It was piping hot, and the steam made the paper bag soggy, causing the taiyaki to become soft (lol). The thin crust was crispy, and the sweet bean paste inside was elegant and gently sweet. It was delicious.

Ningyocho Amazake Street. It's my first time strolling around here, and it's such a lovely and charming town. It feels like the kind of place where stylish older brothers and sisters would hang out. There's a line here too. Some people are buying a lot in boxes, while others are waiting in line just to buy one. I'm not a fan of anko-filled taiyaki, but I decided to try it. Each one is hand-made. The batter is poured into a long-handled mold, filled with anko, covered with more batter, and then sandwiched together with the mold before being cooked over a strong direct flame. Once it's cooked, the burnt edges are cut off with scissors to finish it. I wonder if this has been the way to make them since long ago. It's a reminder of the past, seeing something that hasn't changed in this ever-changing world. I briefly lost myself in nostalgia. The simple batter and anko were delicious.

When you come to Amazake Street, you must stop by. The red bean paste with a thin skin allows you to taste the flavor of the red beans. The freshly baked taiyaki with one tail is as good as ever today. Even on a late summer hot day, there is a constant flow of local customers, showing its reliability. Surprisingly, there were no inbound tourists in sight.

Asakusa Naniwaya: The appearance of the skin may seem a bit burnt, but it doesn't affect the taste at all. The red bean paste is not too sweet and not too salty, with a gentle sweetness and stickiness. The balance between the skin and the red bean paste is very good, and I personally like the taste. Neyu Taiyaki: The skin is slightly sweet, with some parts not as thin as other shops (the edges), and there are some slightly sticky raw parts which is a bit disappointing. The red bean paste seems to have a bit of salt, but not as much as the shop in Yotsuya. I can sense a slightly unique flavor in the red bean paste. Yanagiya: It seems like it was cooked at a high heat for a short period of time. The edges of the skin are quite burnt. There was a variation in the cooking process, where some had a burnt part that added a nice burnt aroma to the taste, while others had too much burnt part that interfered with the aroma of the red bean paste. The craftsmen can be felt in the process of making, as they do not evenly cover the skin dough on the mold but quickly place the red bean paste, and when baked, the skin spreads evenly throughout the whole. The red bean paste feels a bit watery. The ice cream taiyaki is not something I would buy again (laughs). Taiyaki Wakaba: Shop in Yotsuya. I felt quite a bit of salt in the red bean paste, and the sharp sweetness bothered me. Personally, I prefer the skin from Yanagiya, the red bean paste from Asakusa Naniwaya, and overall, Asakusa Naniwaya and Yanagiya are almost tied for the top spot. If you are used to chemically seasoned foods and want a bit of a kick in the taste, then Neyu Taiyaki or Wakaba might be good for you. Just like sprinkling salt on watermelon, adding salt to sweet red bean paste emphasizes the sweetness. I want to clarify that all the shops mentioned serve food without any chemical seasonings. All shops seem to preheat the mold to a high temperature, apply oil to the bottom mold, spread the skin dough, add the red bean paste, place the top skin, and bake it all at once. I can understand that the skin on the bottom mold is thin, but to bake the top skin thinly while closing the mold with the red bean paste on it, you probably need a fixed amount of red bean paste and skin that matches the volume of the mold. They must do this until they memorize it, so it is indeed a craft. I was allowed to take a photo of the baking area. It's not hot, it's scorching!!

Arrived around 2:00 PM on Saturday, September 9, 2023, with about 5 groups waiting in line inside the shop. The taiyaki is packed with red bean paste, giving it a satisfying texture that is surprisingly light, making it seem like you could eat as many as you want. The small red bean ice cream (monaka) has a texture that is like a mix between ice cream and sorbet, with just the right amount of sweetness, making it delicious. Both have a "refined taste" that fits perfectly.

The store opens at 12:30, so you can't buy taiyaki, but you can buy ice cream-filled wafers anytime. They come in two flavors: vanilla and red bean, priced the same as taiyaki at 180 yen each. Since it was really hot today, I bought two. The summer red bean filling is slightly sweeter than in other seasons, in my opinion. You'd have to ask the staff to be sure, but that's the impression I got. The refreshing ice cream-filled wafers are delicious.

From the moment I crossed the intersection, a pleasant smell wafted over me and people were lining up at a shop that seemed to be a popular eel bed spot. I decided to buy taiyaki, both to eat on the spot and to take home. I purchased a hot one for 180 yen, which was said to be a "high-grade" taiyaki. It was really hot and had a thin, crispy skin. The taste was delicious, with a subtle and natural sweetness that seemed to come from the dough itself. I usually prefer a stronger sweetness with a salty finish, but this was also very tasty! I'll definitely buy it again when I come back.

During the free time after lunch, I walked from Tokyo Station to visit. It's about 2 kilometers, but walking in the bright daylight is hot. I arrived sweating. There were about 5 customers ahead of me, but I was able to purchase soon. I ate it right away, and the taiyaki I know usually has a thick skin and the red bean paste isn't too hot, but this taiyaki had a crispy thin skin and piping hot red bean paste. The filling was subtly sweet and had an elegant taste. It was cooked in a natural way, individually molded, so each one was packed full of red bean paste to the tail. It changed my concept of taiyaki. I would like to buy it as a souvenir next time. Thank you for the meal.

I ate it. Ogura ice cream doesn't need to wait in line, but it seems you have to wait for taiyaki. I didn't notice that when I wrote it, sorry. I haven't bought taiyaki since I stopped seeing the petite craftsman. I may have received and eaten it before. Now, the monaka skin has changed from the crispy monaka skin of the Showa era, and I don't like it anymore. Unlike the Heisei era, I like the scent of the Reiwa era, but I still prefer the sharpness of the scissors. It's efficient to store it in the freezer, but I still prefer the traditional way. So, I wonder what's next.

◎Cost performance quality is 86 points, service 80 points, cleanliness 75 points.◎Overall rating is 84 points out of 100.◎Overall satisfaction (one of the top 5000 taiyaki, sweet and delicious).◎Order details: Taiyaki for ¥180.◎Location: About a 10-minute walk from Ningyocho Station. I would like to visit again. Thank you for the meal. #japan #foodporn #tabelog #foodie #foodlover #tokyo #TokyoGourmet #top #foodstagram #connectwithrestaurantlovers #cafe #cafehopping #foodwalk #TokyoCafe #TokyoSweets #TokyoLunch #TokyoRestaurant #SweetsHunting

"4 o'clock snack" is a novel by Hinako Sugiura. Various sweets appear in the story, but the most memorable one is the taiyaki from Yanagiya. The thin, crispy dough that resembles a monaka, filled with surprisingly light sweetness. The skin and filling have been perfected over the years with a golden ratio, making it one of the characters in the story. So there's nothing more to say in front of this taiyaki. It was perfect for a snack time while chatting. Everyone was captivated by the sight of them continuously baking one after another in front of the grill at the store. Freshly made, it's a must-eat. Enough about the taiyaki, let's wrap it up here. Thank you for the meal.

So-called natural taiyaki! Unlike the type where a large amount of batter is poured into molds and baked with gas, these were baked one by one in molds over charcoal. And yet, only 180 yen each... Really?? Nowadays, even chain stores charge an extra 100 yen, so I was worried. There is no place to eat inside the store, so I had to lean against the roadside tree protection fence to eat or take it home. Probably, eating on the roadside is not recommended. I really wanted to eat it hot, so I tasted about a third of it in front of the store. The edges were crispy and delicious! The red bean paste was delicious to begin with!! I took the rest home and ate it, and even when it cooled down, it was still delicious. I thought it would be even better if I reheated it. Thank you for the meal.

In Ningyocho, there is a shop called "Yanagiya" which is one of the top three taiyaki shops in Tokyo. It is also listed in the top 100 sweets shops. It is my favorite taiyaki shop in the city. When I passed by before the opening, there was a line of about 20 people. However, when I passed by again after finishing my errands in Hamacho and returning to Ningyocho Station, there was no line, so I entered at 13:10. There was only one customer inside. This was my first visit since buying a small red bean ice cream when I passed by in the spring (although I did not post about it). I bought one taiyaki for 180 yen. They put it in a bag for me right away. I sat on a chair on the sweet sake street in front of the shop and took a bite of the taiyaki. The skin was crispy, and the red bean filling was not too sweet, just the right amount of sweetness. The red bean filling was packed all the way to the tail, and it was delicious. Thank you for the meal.

In Ningyocho, we came across "Yanagiya" right in front of the restaurant, one of Tokyo's top three taiyaki shops. It's a very popular place! On this scorching hot day, there wasn't much of a line! Each taiyaki, with only red bean paste filling, costs 180 yen. They are carefully baked one by one, and we enjoyed them piping hot on the spot! They are generously filled with red bean paste, with a thin and crispy crust. The sweetness is just right, so it was easy to eat even on a hot day! In fact, now might be a good time to buy as it seems less crowded.

Ice cream filled monaka with sweet red bean paste for 180 yen including tax. The red bean paste wasn't too sweet and the taste of the red beans was subtle. Taiyaki for 180 yen including tax. A natural taiyaki with a thin and crispy skin, giving off a scent of wheat flour. The filling had a simple sweetness that made you crave a cup of tea. It was delicious.

I have come to Ningyocho. When you come to Ningyocho, you can't miss this place. So, I had an ice cream monaka (vanilla) at Yanagiya. It was really delicious. It's probably supposed to be a taiyaki, but it's too hot for that now. The ice cream monaka cost 180 yen. I enjoyed it. I'll have taiyaki when summer is over!

Today, in order to study, I decided to go to a place I have never been before, Tokyo's top three Taiyaki. It was a little after 3:30 PM and there were a few people lined up. It was near Hanjukucho. When the piping hot Taiyaki came out, I struggled a bit as I have a sensitive tongue, but I managed to eat one there, huffing and puffing. It was delicious. It warmed my tired body. The red bean paste was just the right amount, and the tail was crispy and tasty. It was a learning experience. Thank you for the meal!

In the scorching heat before one o'clock on Saturday, there were more than 20 people lining up. Despite the heat, I bit into a freshly made treat. The crispy dough with a light and hot red bean paste filling. They call it a high-class taiyaki, but with a modern price of only 180 yen, it's a great deal. Thank you for the meal.