Tabieats Discovers Local Street Food in Asagaya

If you want to experience a more local side of Tokyo, Asagaya is a neighborhood worth exploring. In their latest video, Tabieats takes viewers on a street food adventure around the area. Shinichi and Satoshi search for local snacks, traditional sweets, and takeaway favorites. Instead of visiting major tourist attractions, they explore Asagaya’s shopping streets and discover small food shops loved by local residents. Their stops include takoyaki, taiyaki, wagashi, koppepan, inari sushi, and hojicha ice cream.

Starting with Salt-Flavored Takoyaki

The food tour begins at Takoyaki Shopan near Asagaya Station. The shop offers several flavors, but Tabieats chooses its specialty salt-flavored takoyaki. The takoyaki comes with mayonnaise, bonito flakes, and seaweed. These simple toppings let the octopus and batter shine. The soft batter also creates a satisfying contrast with the chewy octopus inside. Shinichi and Satoshi enjoy the balance of flavors. The natural sweetness of the salt works especially well with the umami-rich bonito flakes.

Exploring Pearl Center

Next, Tabieats heads to Pearl Center, a long covered shopping street known as a shotengai. The arcade features local restaurants, cafés, specialty stores, and grocery shops. One of their first stops is a traditional wagashi shop. Here, they try Kokeshi Miru, a manju inspired by the Japanese kokeshi doll. The soft confection contains white bean paste, milk, salt, and walnuts. The filling has a gentle sweetness, while the walnuts add a pleasant crunch. This combination gives the traditional sweet a unique texture. Tabieats then visits Pan no Tajima, a shop specializing in koppepan. This classic Japanese bread has a soft and fluffy texture. They choose an egg salad sandwich filled with creamy egg salad and freshly made bread. These simple snacks show how everyday Japanese foods can become memorable when shops prepare them fresh.

Handmade Taiyaki and Traditional Snacks

One of the tour’s highlights is Tomoy, a popular shop specializing in handmade taiyaki. Staff members prepare each fish-shaped cake individually. They even trim the extra batter by hand with scissors. Tabieats tries the classic version with sweetened azuki bean paste. The thin exterior turns crispy, while the inside holds plenty of smooth anko. The filling has just the right amount of sweetness. They also visit Kamaju Kamaboko, a shop that specializes in Japanese fish cakes. Their assortment includes fried kamaboko with red pickled ginger, kombu, sesame seeds, edamame, and green onion. Each filling creates a different flavor and texture. Together, they show the variety of simple foods that visitors can discover around Asagaya.

More Local Favorites in Asagaya

The food tour continues with dorayaki from Toraya and inari sushi from a local shop in Minami Asagaya. The dorayaki features soft pancakes filled with sweetened azuki beans. The filling has a mild sweetness that pairs well with the fluffy pancakes. At the inari sushi shop, Tabieats tries several varieties. One includes shiitake mushrooms, while another contains sesame seeds. The shop seasons the tofu pouch with sweet dashi and soy sauce. This creates a flavorful match for the lightly vinegared rice. These stops reveal just how much variety Asagaya offers. Visitors can find familiar Japanese favorites alongside local specialties that they may not see in major tourist areas.

Ending with Hojicha Ice Cream

After trying so many savory snacks and sweets, Tabieats ends the tour at Handa, a long-established tea shop. They order monaka ice cream with hojicha, or roasted green tea. The ice cream has a rich roasted aroma, gentle bitterness, and subtle sweetness. The crisp monaka wafer adds another layer of texture. The shop also sells Japanese tea and has operated for around 200 years. Shinichi enjoys the tea so much that he decides to buy some before leaving.

Discover More Japanese Flavors with Sakuraco

During their Asagaya adventure, Tabieats also introduces Sakuraco, a Japanese snack subscription box featuring traditional and seasonal flavors from different regions of Japan. Each month, Sakuraco highlights a new regional theme. Boxes include artisan snacks, traditional sweets, Japanese tea, and special Japanese tableware. The box featured in the video follows the Heritage of Hiroshima theme.

It brings together flavors inspired by Hiroshima and the surrounding Setouchi region. The box includes citrus-inspired treats, savory snacks, traditional sweets, and matcha sencha. It also comes with a beautiful Mino-yaki ceramic plate. Subscribers can also explore a cultural booklet inside the box. It explains the snacks, ingredients, makers, and traditions behind each product. The booklet also includes allergy information and stories about the featured region.

👉 Use code TABIEATS to get $5 off your first Sakuraco box here.

Experience the Local Side of Tokyo

Tabieats’ Asagaya food tour shows that Tokyo has much more to offer beyond its famous tourist attractions. The neighborhood’s shopping streets are full of small shops, traditional foods, and local favorites. From freshly cooked takoyaki and handmade taiyaki to wagashi, sushi, and Japanese tea, each stop offers a different taste of everyday life in Japan. If you have already visited Tokyo’s major attractions, consider adding Asagaya to your next trip.

A walk through its shotengai can introduce you to the local food and culture that many visitors miss. And if Tabieats’ food adventure makes you want to discover more Japanese flavors, Sakuraco offers an easy way to continue exploring from home. Each monthly box brings regional snacks, Japanese tea, traditional tableware, and stories about the people and traditions behind them.

📺 Watch Tabieats’ full Asagaya food tour: Tokyo Street Food in Asagaya: Hidden Local Snacks You Need to Try here