For anyone who wants to savour anmitsu from the very first bite of agar, Tsukigase Sakaimachi Branch’s signature dessert is made with natural thread agar. The agar is produced from domestically grown tengusa seaweed using the traditional cold-bleaching method. The menu describes its delicate, yielding texture alongside smooth strained red bean paste, black sugar syrup made with Okinawan kokuto from Hateruma Island, plump red peas from Hokkaido and soft gyuhi rice cakes. Visitors have commented on the agar’s smooth feel and easy swallow, as well as the way the components come together. It is a dessert that invites you to pay attention not only to the bean paste and syrup, but to the agar itself.
Cream anmitsu adds vanilla ice cream to the classic, making it a good choice when you fancy ice cream with black sugar syrup and strained bean paste. Matcha anmitsu comes with matcha ice cream, shiratama rice dumplings and seasonal fruit; you can also opt for matcha syrup. One diner who ordered it enjoyed the interplay between sweetness and matcha’s gentle bitterness, with a strong cup of tea as a palate cleanser along the way. Choose classic anmitsu for a lighter finish, or matcha anmitsu when you want the extra ice cream and rice dumplings.
The shaved-ice menu includes Anmitsu Ice, topped with anmitsu ingredients, and Uji Shigure, served with matcha ice cream, condensed milk and shiratama. For Anmitsu Ice, you can choose matcha syrup, black sugar syrup or condensed milk, as well as strained or chunky red bean paste. It is a tempting option if you want to tailor the combination of flavours. One diner who added bean paste to black sugar shaved ice remarked that its sweetness paired well with the richness of the syrup.
For something savoury, the Mini Tenshin set brings together clear-broth ozoni, rice with baby sardines and sansho pepper, grilled nama-fu, greens and mini anmitsu. The more substantial Tenshin set includes items such as fish grilled with Saikyo miso, rolled omelette and sesame tofu; reservations are accepted for parties of 2 or more, by the day before. The Sakaimachi branch is in Maruki-Zaimokucho, just south of Oike on Sakaimachi Street, in Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto. A wide tea selection is also noted, making it a pleasant place to pause over a cup alongside a sweet.
