Gion Tokuya

When United Arrows chairman Osamu Shigematsu tried the sweet warabimochi at the original Gion Tokuya in Kyoto, he was apparently so impressed that he invited the traditional dessert makers to open a branch in Tokyo – on the ground floor of the fashion brand's headquarters in Harajuku, no less. It's an upscale setting for some upscale treats. Start with the dish that so impressed Shigematsu: Tokuya no Hon Warabimochi, a light, pliant jelly made with high-quality bracken starch and refined wasanbon sugar, topped with sweet kinako soybean flour and kuromitsu molasses sauce. Other tempting offerings on the menu include mochiyaki shiruko, a sweet azuki bean soup accompanied with rice cake toasted on a tabletop grill. In the summer months, Gion Tokuya also serves a range of kakigori, mountains of shaved ice with toppings such as tea or azuki beans.