Mochi @ Mizuno's Daifuku, Jizo-Dori, Sugamo, Tokyo

Sugamo is not often in a tourist's radar. A slightly more localised area of Tokyo, it has a distinctively homely charm to it. It is quieter and more laid back. Maybe its because that the majority of the population in this part of the city is the elderly. But do not let it fool you. This place has many a great treasures. In fact, Tsuta, the Michelin star ramen shop is located here. But all was not meant to be as they were closed for summer break. A bit disappointed, but understandable. 

On with a morning stroll

But that is not all that the place has to offer. In Sugamo lies Jizo-Dori, a shotengai. Walking into this area will take you back to the Showa era. A real retro vibe, and a taste of Japan that unique yet familiar at the same time. It was really nice walking around here as it has a different feel than that of the bustling metropolis. And of course, there are traditional sweets and snacks to be had. 

Front of the house

Steeped with history and tradition, Mizuno's Daifuku (元祖 塩大福 みずの)may not be, again, something tourists will look out for. However, it has a great reputation among the locals. The shop specialises, in well, daifuku, which are usually given as gifts to celebrate a birth of a newborn, to celebrate New Year and other traditional festivities. They do have a lot of other mochi in store. Do note that this is more of a stall than a shop, and as such people tend to buy it and head off to their merry way. If you feel like having your order now, you can eat it next to the counter as they have a bench for sit in patrons. 

Choices, oh choices. 

With a good spread on display, it was hard to choose what to have. And the choices are reasonable too, ranging from 100 to 160. In the end, I had 2 of my favourites the mitarashi dango and the kibidango, both of which have a salty and sweet profile. I also had a plain one to balance things out. So I had 3 different rice dumplings for breakfast. Yeap, nothing like having a tea time item to start off the day. Do not judge.

My final selection. Breakfast! And it comes with complimentary tea. 

The mitarashi dango has always been my favourite way of having dango. The soy sauce syrup was salty and sweet, with the deep and smoky flavour of soy just envelops the rice balls. Also, as was grilled to prep this dish, there was a char-like after taste to it, similar to what you get from a smoked ham. 

So many elements in one. 

The sweetness was well balanced, and yet was the main thing you would probably encounter. There was also the anticipated soy sauce kick back after having this. A complex flavour to some, while a simple treat to other. This has always been a go to option for mine, especially if I am going to a Japanese sweets shop for the first time.

Second stick coming up!

Kibi dango was a bit different, but still very good. With a coating of roasted millet flour, this already has a different feel to it. The only similarities were that its rice mochi and its only a stick. The millet flour added more pungency to the dango and had a nutty flavour. Again, some may like it but some may not. But if you like salty popcorn or roasted peanuts, then this is the treat for you. it got a little bit messy as the millet flour made the dango a bit tad dry to have. Fortunately, the old lady at the counter gave me some black tea to clear down my throat. 

Simple and straight forward. Still good. 

And of course, there was the plain mochi cake, also known as marumochi to finish it all down. Simple and slightly sweet, this was a palate cleanser.

The temple entrance. 

I did spot some tourists in the end, as this is the place where the Togenuki Jizo temple is located. It is a Buddhist temple where people pray to wish for a speedy recovery and good health. It is a quaint and classic looking temple in the center of the shopping street and a good place to just sit down and soak in the atmosphere. 

View of the courtyard. 

A special mention is needed to be made about the staff there. 3 old ladies were manning a stall and a younger woman was helping at the back. They were really friendly and sweet and had a good time speaking to them. If you want a more rustic place to hang around with easy going and cheerful people, Sugamo really has got you covered. And if you would like to have some rice treats from Mizuno, the specific address is as follows:

3 Chome-33-3 Sugamo, Toshima-ku, Tōkyō-to 170-0002, Japan