Paul C.
Yelp
Instagram is a powerful source of getting the word out.
You see, when I visited Japan in late-Feb 2023, I saw a clip of Suzukien Asakusa Honten (SAH) where they displayed their showcase of matcha gelato that is offered in 7 different levels, as well as boasting the world's most rich tasting matcha gelato. SAH has been in business for over 150 years, and they primarily sell tea, which is believed to improve one's health and for beauty tips.
I was SOLD. My favorite color is green, and I also enjoy matcha so this was a must for me to visit. However, I had just gone to Sensoji in Asakusa on a Monday but decided to make another trip to Asakusa from Ikebukuro on a Thursday. A foodie is willing to travel for food.
After I got off the bus stop, I had to navigate to their storefront but was shocked to see that their doors were closed because as of early-March 2023, they were under renovation. So, I had to use their sign to navigate my way to their second location, which was less than a 5min walk. I was so excited when I saw the hanging curtains and signage stand in front and to my luck there were 3 people standing in line.
While waiting I browsed at their store and saw various merchandise for sale and found their interior very simple but modern. When it was my turn to order, I knew I wanted the strongest level 7 but had a hard time to decide which other level to get. I settled for level 5 on opted for a waffle cone as I was doin' it for the Gram. Total cost was ¥740yen ($5.44). Besides matcha, they offer gelato flavors in azuki, strawberry, black sesame, roasted green tea (ho-ji), brown rice tea (genmai) and Japanese black tea (ko-cha).
There weren't many open seats inside but luckily their outdoor bench vacated so I sat outside and snapped a couple of photos before it was time to dig in.
THE VERDICT:
The gelato texture was fabulous and loved the color but the matcha flavor fell short of my expectations. For level 7, I was expecting a somewhat bitterness to it but was sweet. Clearly level 7 color was darker than level 5. I then sampled level 5 and it was also on the sweet side. For some reason, eating gelato in 40-degree weather was fun but I found myself getting cold when the winds blew. I was sad when I looked at my cone and there was only a bite left.
Service was your typical Japanese establishment where staff are very polite and speak at a high pitch. While paying, I noticed they have seasonal items and various sets to choose from. Don't be a fool like me as I took the whole stand where the staff placed by cone. It was a contactless transaction where I was supposed to just pick up the cone and walk away.
Overall, a pleasant first experience at SAH where I see myself coming here again on my next trip to Tokyo. I mean, how can you turn down eating a cold treat and you've pretty much will get my attention when mentioning matcha.