It was cherry blossom season so it was crowded. They were also selling bento boxes. There were various menu options but I ended up choosing soft serve ice cream. I lined up, got a number tag, and waited nearby. If there were seats available, you could eat inside the shop, but it was crowded so I ate on a bench outside.

It is located inside Shinjuku Gyoen. It's a café from the long-established Kyoto wagashi shop, Sasaya Iori. They also have sesame drum served in JAL's first class. In addition to parfaits and dorayaki, they have other options as well. It's nice to relax here.

- Coffee ¥400 ★★★☆ [Product description] Made with 100% coffee from Rainforest Alliance certified farms. - Crunchy Dorayaki ¥680 ★★★☆ [Product description] Original from the restaurant. A fluffy dorayaki that brings good luck when eaten! Filled with red bean paste, seasonal sweet bean paste, and whipped cream sandwiched between fluffy dorayaki skins. An original sweet that can only be enjoyed at the restaurant. - Other information: Food and drink space available. No complimentary water. No complimentary wet towels. Restroom available outside the store (within Shinjuku Gyoen). No charging (no outlets available). Normal customer service. Normal cleaning and setting. Shoes can be kept on in the store. The store may be crowded depending on the season and time, with three customers waiting in line at the checkout. This restaurant is unique as it is located within Shinjuku Gyoen and requires an entrance fee of ¥500. [Store introduction] We have opened a store in Shinjuku Gyoen in collaboration with the National Parks Association. This is the first store opened by a private company from Kyoto, and the name "Plus" signifies a new venture beyond the traditional framework of a long-established Japanese confectionery store.

After enjoying the dashimaki tamago and tonjiru at Tsuburanon in the Imperial Palace, I headed to Sasaya Iori in the same area for some sweets. This place also serves as a free resting area and, like Tsuburanon, it is a collaboration with Kyoto's Sasaya Iori. It's quite a stylish cafe, even though it's a free resting area. I initially planned to try Sasaya Iori's signature dorayaki, but ended up choosing the set with the day's wagashi and matcha (1100 yen) which included chestnut sweet paste. I opted for cold matcha. I enjoyed it on the terrace, surrounded by the greenery of the Imperial Palace. The matcha was not too bitter, with a smooth sweetness. The chestnut sweet paste had a strong chestnut flavor and a soft sweetness that paired well with the matcha. It was delicious, and a perfect follow-up to the dashimaki tamago lunch at Tsuburanon. The Japanese sweets in this beautiful green setting were fantastic. Thank you for the meal. For more details, please visit my blog "Eating, Taking Photos, Writing" at https://tabetorukaku.com/

Uji matcha soft serve with fu topping, ¥650. Delicious. This product has fu (wheat gluten) as a topping. There was also a vanilla option, but I chose matcha to highlight the fu. The taste is really good. The price is quite high for soft serve, but I guess it's because it's from Kyoto.

There is a clean and new cafe that seems to be Instagram-worthy. They have decorative dorayaki that costs over 600 yen. It looks delicious but the prices are a bit high for a public park area. It turns out it's a shop from a long-established store in Kyoto that also has a department store presence. After walking around the garden, my husband suddenly wanted to have a picnic on the grass. I had a few nearby restaurant options in mind (I'm a food blogger), but ended up being persuaded by my husband to get takeout from Sushiroku, which included inari sushi and thick rolled sushi for 1000 yen. The inari sushi was tightly packed with sesame seeds or mountain vegetables inside, providing a satisfying bite. The thick rolled sushi was also tightly packed, maybe a bit too much for my liking. I think it would be worth 600 yen for this kind of content. For dessert, we had a cookie senbei with cream filling, a common sight in Kyoto, but I've had better ones before. It was a bit of an unsatisfying lunch. If you want to try the food from this place, I recommend dining in for the stylish sweets rather than takeout. I later visited the Sasaya Iori Tokyu Food Show store in Shibuya, but they didn't have Sushiroku sushi or this dessert. It seems like these are exclusive to this particular branch with a slightly different name.

I wanted to order a matcha and kashiwa mochi set, but it was sold out. What a shame. The matcha kakigori looked delicious, but it was too cold that day so I decided to go with the matcha soft serve instead. I also bought some of my favorite sweets. The matcha soft serve was rich and creamy with a strong matcha flavor - so refreshing and delicious. I wish I could have also had a cup of matcha!

I am at Shinjuku Gyoen. It's the cherry blossom viewing season, so I made a reservation to enter. The cherry blossoms have already passed their peak, but this place is still an oasis in the city. The herons are so used to people that they don't run away when you get close, and you can hear the warbling of the bush warblers. Right after entering, there are few people around, giving a sense of openness. I found a free resting area, which is actually "SASAYAIORI+ Shinjuku Gyoen," operated in collaboration with the National Parks Association as part of the Ministry of the Environment's jurisdiction over the national park "Shinjuku Gyoen." It's the first time a private company from Kyoto has set up shop here. Today's order: Matcha latte (HOT) @500, Matcha and wagashi set @1,100. I placed my order, received a plastic number tag, and am now waiting at a table, looking at the cherry blossoms in the park from a distance. The tables inside are spaced out quite a bit, so it's relaxing. (Matcha latte) They told me there's no sugar added, so adjust it to your liking before drinking, but my companion said it was just right without adding any. (Wagashi set) After enjoying the bitterness of the matcha, I tried the wagashi of the day. The theme is the aroma of tea. It's a two-layered dessert with a fragrant matcha murasame and chestnut yokan. It's modern, with a restrained sweetness that allows you to enjoy the aroma of matcha. It was sweet enough. *Murasame is a steamed confection made only with azuki beans, rice flour, and sugar. I'd like to try the dorayaki next time.

You can relax and take a break with free ice hojicha and ice sencha at this place.

Located inside Shinjuku Gyoen, it gets crowded around early afternoon on weekdays. They have a few types of bite-sized sweets next to the register, and you can order items like rice cakes and soft serve ice cream at the register, receive a number tag, and wait to be called. The interior is spacious and bright. Today, many people are enjoying soft serve ice cream due to the hot weather. I chose hojicha tea and sesame manju.