Okame 甘味処おかめ

Located in the hustle and bustle of Yurakucho is a traditional Wagashi shop that attracts a steady flow of customers from all age at any time of the day. One thing that you might notice is that the service staff  comprised of mainly obaasans, who do not let their age hinder their warm and friendly service. 
 
We were too full after a pasta meal to have their signature item, Ohagi (red bean coated mochi rice balls that are larger than an average man's palm size) so we settled for the Okame Parfait (¥910)
It did not have the tall elegance of the usual matcha parfaits but the basic components remained the same; matcha and vanilla ice cream, red beans, warabi mochi and matcha blancmange. Instead of ice cream at the top, it was capped with shaved ice and matcha sauce which was noticeably thicker than those cheap colorful syrup. 

On the side note, the word Okame actually means a flat-faced woman or a woman with round, flat face. Having spotted a flat faced woman on the menu, I figured that the owner might be an old lady. And perhaps that is why this parfait, named Okame, might looked ugly on the outside but taste pleasant and comforting. 
 
Besides the parfait, we had the Uji Kintoki Kakigori. This was fabulously delicious. Once everything started to disintegrate into a green pool, every sip was a rewarding one with the soft, sweet azuki beans. It's a small shop where seats are cramped together and there is no website. Yet somehow the nostalgic atmosphere just makes one forget about the time and linger on.   
 Okame 甘味処おかめ
11am-10pm Daily
Itocia Plaza 1F
Nearest Station: JR Yurakucho

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