TOKYO: Asakusa ( Tsushima, Masaru, Asakusa Menchi, Suzukien matcha, Melon bun, Red bean pancake)

So whenever I'm in a new city or new country, I like to try the best (food) they have to offer. Yes I actually make the extra effort to sample most or if not ALL of these specialities because I'm very greedy. ( That's why I look so well nourished hey :p )  

I've had a couple of people ask me - Where do you recommend to eat in Tokyo ah? 

And recently my answer is always - you use internet right? you will want to check out ( see how I used WILL want instead of MAY want, im not leaving them any choice lol ) www.thefattycow.blogspot.com , on the right hand corner, you may check out food/restaurant recommendations according to Cities. 

Recently someone asked me - I'm going to Asakusa, what to eat there ah?

I was gonna give the same answer - please check out www.thefattycow.blogspot.com, on the right hand corner, you will want to check out food/restaurant according to Cities. 

Then I realised, actually, if someone asked me to scroll thru so many posts, I may get abit lost also. And I may miss out on some food recommendations. HOW CAN?

GOOD FOOD MUST EAT AND SHARE RIGHT?

So as much as I can, I will try to blog about MUST EATS in different parts of the cities. 

SO.. what to eat in Asakusa.  In no order of preference.... ( Actually I lied, it's in order of my preference heheheh ) 

1) Tsushima 中華そば つし馬  ( read blogpost here) 

Ramen

Address: 1-1-8 Asakusa, Taito, Tokyo

Phone: 03-5828-3181

Hours: 11:30 am – 9:30 pm

2) Masaru まさる( read blog post here) 

Tendon

1-32-2 Asahi, Taito-ku, Tokyo

Asakusa

tel: +81338418356

Open 11am-3pm

Close every Wednesday, Sunday and holidays or when the chef can't purchase any seafood from the market.

3) Asakusa Menchi

Characteristic of " Asakusa Menchi" is very crispy deep fry batter and soft and fine meat that comes by using very tasty kanagawa pig

Super long queue but it's such a tasty snack.

Address: 2-3-3 Asakusa 

Opens everyday 10am - 7pm 

4) Suzukien Matcha

This shop is not located on the main street of Asakusa, instead you have to walk about 10 mins out, but it's so worth it! 

This place has been in the news and facebook and buzzfeed for offering 7 intensity of Matcha ice cream !

Nick with his level 7 ( most intense)

Mine and Nick's. I took the level 5 after trying Nick's level 7. Level 7 was just... pure.... green tea... without... any... sweetness.

Level 5, just nice (: I highly recommend you choose level 5. 

Address: 3 Chome-4-3 Asakusa, Taitō, Tokyo 111-0032, Japan

Opens everyday from 10am -5pm

5) Red bean pancake

Many shops around as well. I'm sure they all taste similar 

6) Melon bun 

There's many around. The popular one is Kagetsudo. But I couldn't find it :/ So I just bought it from a random shop with some queue. I didn't find it amazing. I'm not sure if Kagetsudo is gonna be more amazing than this. Perhaps I'll try it next time 

TOKYO: Tsushima 中華そば つし馬

If you were to google " Best ramen Asakusa", Tsushima will definitely make the list.
And the reason why I would recommend Tsushima over all the other ramen places in Asakusa Tokyo is because the broth is special! It's not chicken base like afuri, it's not pork base like ichiran, it's not miso base, it's not soy base, it's FISH BASE!
They call it Niboshi ramen, made from small sardines.

There's only 3 items on the menu

1. Soup noodle

Small 680yen

medium 780yen

large 880yen

2. Thick soup noodle

800yen

3. Cold noodle with dipping sauce ( not pictured)

small 680yen

medium 780yen

large 880yen

Because I had just had the tendon from Masaru (click to check out post ) and I was travelling alone, there is NO way I could stomach all the items from the menu. So I just had to pick my fight and I chose to order a thick noodle soup and a small noodle soup

I really like Tsukemen ( cold noodle with dipping sauce) but the reason I chose the thick noodle soup over tsukemen is because they said they only make 50 sets of thick noodle soup a day! 

I guess you could say it's limited quantity/edition, SO MUST EAT LA!

And the reason why i chose noodle soup over tsukemen is because.. It's a ramen place to start with, hence, I must try their original item, right?

I definitely rank niboshi ( sardine base) as my favourite kind of soup base.
I really recommend everybody to try this fish base ramen, UNLESS you really dislike fish ( the fishy taste/smell was pretty strong)

Tsushima 中華そば つし馬 
Address: 1-1-8 Asakusa, Taito, Tokyo
Phone: 03-5828-3181
Hours: 11:30 am – 9:30 pm
http://www.tanaka-shoten.net/menu/tsushima.html  (Japanese Only)

P.S I'll leave you with a pretty picture of Asakusa 

TOKYO: Masaru まさる

I've been to Tokyo so many times over the last few years. And my favourite hangout is Shibuya. However, recently.. Maybe it's got to do with my self esteem always taking a dip because Japanese girls in Shibuya or rather in general but more so in Shibuya are all so fashionable and pretty!

Maybe it's got to do with me wanting to feel more connected with spiritual things
lol, my mom and aunty would say " YOU'RE CHRISTIAN OKAY, HOW CAN YOU SAY SPIRITUAL CONNECTION WITH TEMPLE THINGS" 
Ya, I'm a christian, but I don't know why whenever I'm at a Japanese shrine eg, Meiji Jingu, I feel at ease and at peace the most...

Or Maybe it's got to do with age catching up and priorities changing
Asakusa has a kitchenware street! Where my onsen tamago "machine" was purchased and now I can make perfect onsen tamago to go with my meal!

I really enjoy Asakusa

It's so pretty!

One restaurant that I really enjoy coming for lunch in Asakusa is Masaru.

Another place I really enjoy is Tsushima Ramen ( check out the post here) 

I've done my research and if we talk about the most popular tempura restaurant in Asakusa, it's got to be Masaru. You'll probably ask, what about Daikokuya, Tenfuji (I would recommend Tenfuji if you smoke because you can smoke inside. BUT as a medical practitioner, the best thing you can do for your health is to QUIT SMOKING ) etc

Yeah I'm pretty sure those are good too. But Masaru has been introduced several times on Japanese TV and many famous Japanese celebrities and the likes has visited this place. I would dare say that the crowd in Masaru is more local than the other places. By the way, the price is also double or triple  the other popular tempura places in the area but that's because Masaru only uses top notch seafood which are caught freshly off Tokyo Bay. 

By the way, occasionally, if the chef can't purchase the best Tokyo Bay seafood at Tsukiji fish market that morning, then the restaurant won't open. Hence... if the weather is shit ( windy, heavy rain) the night before such that you felt it was unsafe to be out, there's a high chance the Japanese fishermen also felt the same and they wouldn't go out to sea to catch any seafood. And, I would highly advise you not to make the trip down to Masaru the day after because there's a high chance the restaurant is closed. 

Extremely inconspicuous. Apple maps got me lost, I was walking round and round. 

Very simple menu ( only 4 choices)

Nobody goes for the 2 cheaper ones (2500 and 2800yen) so I won't even bother.

People either go for the 3500yen or the 4800yen

Anago Tendon ( conger eel tempura bowl) 2500yen

Edo Mae tendon (mix tempura bowl) 2800yen

Oh-iri Edo Mae Tendon (special mix tempura bowl) 3500yen: one kuruma ebi (prawn), anago (conger eel), kisu (a type of fish) and megochi ( flathead fish)

Kuruma Ebi Tendon (prawn tempura bowl) 4800yen: 4 kuruma ebi (prawns) only

This will be the first time I advise you not to go for the most expensive 4800yen. This is because the 4800yen only consists of prawns. So unless you're allergic to fish or you hate fish, go for the 3500yen because there's more variety.

If you want miso soup, you have to pay an additional 200yen.

I highly recommend rocking up early since they do not take reservations. They open at 11am, I got there at 11.15am and I had to wait for the next seating. Although it states that they are open until 3pm, they close once their ingredients are sold out. So yeah, better to rock up early before doing the touristy things rather than rock up at 2pm just to find that everything is sold out and they are closed.

Because it's such a small restaurant (4 people at the counter, 10 for tables) , be prepared to share table

(picture taken by a total stranger who was sitted opposite me)

WHAT A BEAUTY (The tendon i meant )

Haha the poor Japanese dude opposite me must clearly think I'm a nutcase. He had to take so many shots of me lollollol. 

To be fair, HE OFFERED TO TAKE MOST SHOTS OF ME! He said I " eat happy" 

HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU HAVE LUNCH AT MASARU IF YOU'RE IN ASAKUSA. you will definitely not regret it. I've recommend this to a couple of friends and they all say it's the BEST tempura bowl they've had.

Masaru (まさる)

1-32-2 Asahi, Taito-ku, Tokyo

Asakusa

tel: +81338418356

No english menu, no credit cards, no reservation

Open 11am-3pm

Close every Wednesday, Sunday and holidays or when the chef can't purchase any seafood from the market.