Asahiyaki Ikkyu Asao store in Kita-ku, Sapporo City. Located inside Toko Store. I purchased the limited edition Milk Cream, classic Custard Cream, and Shumari Azuki. The outside is crispy and the inside is chewy. The combination of the dough, bean paste, and cream is excellent. Although it is located inside Toko Store, the quality is consistent. Thank you for the meal. 1F, Toko Store Asao store, 4-2-1 Kita 40-jo Nishi, Kita-ku, Sapporo City, Hokkaido. #Taiyaki #TaiyakiIkkyu #MilkCream #CustardCream #ShumariAzuki #TokoStore #HokkaidoGourmet #SapporoGourmet #Ikkyu #HokkaidoSweets #SapporoSweets

I visited "Taiyaki Ikkyu Asao Store" on February 12th for the first time. It is an in-store shop located in Toko Store Asao. I knew about its existence but it was my first time purchasing from there. There was only one staff member working. The top menu item was "Shumari Azuki," named after azuki beans grown near Lake Shumarinai in Hokkaido. I'm sorry, I'm from this area but I wasn't familiar with these azuki beans. The area recorded a minimum temperature of below -30 degrees Celsius on February 15th. I've visited this area before for ice fishing and experienced temperatures below -30 degrees, it's like a freezing hell... Even with a diesel car, starting the engine becomes quite difficult. At this temperature, even special winter diesel (Type 3) can be risky. I purchased two "Shumari Azuki" for 150 yen each. The taiyaki was a bit small, but that's probably part of their corporate concept. One menu item that caught my attention was "only the dough" for 90 yen. This is a taiyaki without any filling inside. I've never seen this before. It's quite a bold menu item, maybe they have confidence in their dough? But it seems like there are other places that offer taiyaki with only the dough as well. When I broke it open, the dough was a beautiful purple color. It was not too sweet. Thank you for the meal.

I stopped by a shop while in the Asakusa area. When I saw the actual "taiyaki" through the glass in front of the store, I was surprised to see how small it was! I decided to buy one since I was already there. The price was not much different from the usual size, at 150 yen including tax. I planned to eat it at a nearby eating corner, but it was crowded, so I took it home instead. When I got home and took it out of the bag, I realized again how small it was. I cut it in half and noticed that the skin was thin. The red bean paste was decent, but lacked a moist texture. Maybe it was because some time had passed since it was baked. It was good, but not exceptionally delicious. I now have a new challenge to find other shops using "shumari azuki" red bean paste and compare the taste.

[Visited in early August 2022] This is a store located inside Toko Store. - Shumari Azuki (150 yen): The sweetness of the red bean paste is moderate and the amount of paste is normal. - Custard Cream (150 yen): The custard is mildly sweet. The dough is quite delicious. Thank you for the meal! 🌟

"Ikkyu" Sapporo. I stayed here last night and will stay again tonight. It's almost time for an early dinner, but I need to make money today or I'll have to leave early tomorrow. I was heading to the onigiri shop when I saw a dorayaki shop and ended up parking at the Higashi Mitsui Store. I thought it would be cheaper to pay for parking than to shop, but I couldn't resist the dorayaki shop. I ordered "Ikkyu," "Red Bean," and "Custard Cream." The lady there was really nice. I don't want to sound too lewd, but she was quite attractive. The dorayaki was surprisingly good, not too sweet, crispy on the outside, and flavorful. The red bean filling was nothing special, but it tasted good. The custard one was less pronounced. The skin was delicious, and overall, it was a tasty dorayaki. I wonder if there are other "Ikkyu" shops around. I don't plan on revisiting this one, but I would be happy to try a different one.

I went to Asao Station area. I had soft serve ice cream at the Aeon store. Then, I explored the area and found Toko Store nearby. There was a taiyaki shop! And there was a bench nearby where you could sit and eat. I tried the Nishio matcha cream taiyaki for 150 yen. Nishio matcha cream is a famous commercial brand, right? It's rare for a shop to proudly display the commercial brand name! But this commercial brand matcha cream is really delicious with a rich matcha flavor. The outside is crispy thin skin, and the inside is filled with rich matcha cream. After finishing it, the taiyaki leaves a lingering taste. Have you tried it too? Thank you for the meal!

After enjoying all-you-can-eat okonomiyaki, I stopped by the nearby Toko Store for some shopping and stumbled upon "Taiyaki Ikkyu," which is the same as the one at Toko Store Masa branch! Their taiyaki is delicious, especially the "Shumari Azuki" flavor. It's not too sweet and has a great red bean taste, similar to my favorite "Sa*e no Ohagi" style sweet bean paste. I bought one as a snack for the way home. Although it's a bit smaller compared to other taiyaki, this size is just right for me. The skin is crispy and the filling is moist and tasty. Thank you, "Ikkyu"!

Located on the 1st floor of Higashi Hikari Store Asahi Store, Sapporo City, Kita 40 Nishi 4. Just a short walk from Asahi Subway Station. This Taiyaki Ichikyu is a chain store, and this Asahi store was my first visit. I've been seeing them around Sapporo in recent years. They seem to also have locations in the Kinki region. I suddenly felt like eating taiyaki, and I happened to come across this place (probably saw it somewhere), so I decided to buy some. Since one piece would be too little, I bought two. They were on sale for 20 yen off for the New Year. I noticed that they also have taiyaki without filling. I ate one right away on a nearby bench. The shape is not the traditional one, it's a bit smaller and has distinct scales. The filling is packed quite close to the edges. The sweetness is moderate, giving it a refreshing taste. It seems like the fillings these days are less sweet, maybe? The dough itself is fluffy and has a chewy texture. It feels like an evolution from the taiyaki of the past. In any case, it's to my liking. The dough was delicious, so maybe just the dough itself would be good too. Thank you for the meal.

At the Toko Store Asao branch, "Taiyaki Ikkyu" has opened without any registration, it seems to be a new store. Customers who have finished shopping buy one or two items outside the checkout counter. The narrow entrance store is busy with one female staff member handling the customers coming in one after another. The "Limited Time" Purple Sweet Potato Bean Paste @150 yen (tax included) and Custard Cream @140 yen are purchased and taken home. The size of the taiyaki is slightly smaller than the typical one, with a unique shape. The "Purple Sweet Potato Bean Paste" has a fibrous texture, a mellow purple bean paste with a vibrant color, a moderate sweetness, and a small size that an adult male could easily eat 3-4 pieces. The "Custard Cream" is smooth and softer than typical taiyaki fillings, with a mild sweetness and a vanilla flavor that is just right. Should have bought the "Azuki Bean Paste" as well. Other branches include Sapporo Factory, Otaniichi, and Masa locations. There are also one store each in Amagasaki City, Hyogo Prefecture, and Osaka City in Honshu. I might encounter it somewhere else. Thank you for the meal.