Wokashiya

If Wogashiya was a person, you might wonder if they were schizophrenic. This almost ridiculously diverse place manages to combine an izakaya, wagashi shop, owls and a whole load of other things into one space. To start off, you'll be greeted by little Chobi, an Eurasian scop owl that was under a year old when we first visited in mid-2016. Small enough to fit in your hand, Chobi likes to position himself clearly visible from the outside, to the delight of many elementary-school kids who pop by to ogle at the little one. As for the izakaya bit, there's plenty on offer to accompany your boozy drink, including smoked duck, handmade boiled dumplings, and sake-pickled bonito with cream cheese, but the really interesting items are to be found on the menu board. It lists treats like ichigo daifuku, seasonal nerikiri and mitarashi dango – wagashi, that is. No surprise, as the owner used to be a wagashi artisan in her past life, and when opening this shop, decided to combine made-to-order sweets with izakaya fare. The nerikiri are literally created in front of you step by step, so you can watch and try to copy the techniques at home. To add to the unlikely fusion experience, they also have a selection of sake to match these scrumptious goodies. How sweet.