It was located in a quite hard-to-find area near Setagaya Park. Since the opening days and hours are limited, I decided to go there at the right time. It was run by a mother alone, and the atmosphere was like a home kitchen. The handmade rice cakes were full of homemade charm and seemed addictive.

It's a delicious rice cake that is chewy and satisfying! I always make sure to get both sweet and savory flavors to go. I especially love the classic mitarashi dango and the yomogi mochi with sweet red bean paste on top. These two are irresistible! It's a nostalgic taste.

While strolling around Setagaya Park, I came across a charming Kyoto-style dumpling shop with a traditional Edo period vibe. The shop was run by a woman and I purchased the popular mitarashi dumplings for 100 yen and red bean paste dumplings for 160 yen. They were served in a plastic container with a divider to keep the flavors separate. The dumplings were freshly grilled and had a delightfully chewy texture. The mitarashi dumplings had a perfect balance of sugar and soy sauce, making them easy to eat. The red bean paste was a bit on the sweet side, but it had a nice textured bean paste with plenty of it on top. They even provided a plastic spoon so I could enjoy the leftover paste. Thank you for the delicious treats!

I visited a Kyoto-style dango shop near Setagaya Park after seeing it on Tabelog. I turned at the intersection near the police box on the side of Setagaya Park, thinking it was the right direction. There was a sign saying "dango," but the building seemed too upscale for a dango shop... Upon closer inspection, I noticed a sign that read "Hyotei"... I was confused about where the dango shop was supposed to be. But then, following the direction my big dog was pulling me towards, I found the shop that seemed to be the dango shop I was looking for. It appeared to be set up in a corner of the first floor parking lot. It was a small takeout shop, so the inside was cramped. However, it was nice to see the process of baking after placing an order. The mother was running the shop alone. After the dango was baked with a nice crispy surface on both sides, she added sweet bean paste, seaweed, and mitarashi sauce. While waiting for the dango to bake, I looked around the shop and saw cross-stitch dog artwork. When I asked, I found out that the shop owner, who loves dogs, makes these cross-stitch embroideries. Some people come to buy the artwork based on word of mouth. I forgot to ask if they could make custom pieces based on a photo, but each piece seemed to be made with care. I took home the freshly baked dango. It was warm and the sweet bean paste was quite soft, almost spilling out of the container, which came with a small spoon. Instead of the three dango siblings like in the song, there were five small dango on a skewer. This smaller size seemed to complement the sweet bean paste and sauce well. The chewy texture was also delightful. Now that I know where it is, I look forward to visiting again and spending some time learning more about the artwork while waiting for the dango to bake.

March 22, 2013. It had been a while since I last visited Mishuku. While taking the Setagaya Line to Sangenjaya, I picked up the Tokyu Line free magazine "Salus" which featured a special on Mishuku. The cherry blossoms in Setagaya Park were in full bloom, so I decided to get some dango (rice dumplings) from this shop (mitarashi dango and koshian dango). The shop is located a bit off the main road, tucked away in a residential area, so it might be hard to notice for those unfamiliar with the area. It was still a bit chilly in the park, so having warm dango to eat was a delight. I sat by the fountain, enjoying the dango and the peaceful atmosphere. It was a soothing moment for my stomach and soul.

Yesterday, I was saying that the cherry blossoms are still good to see, but with this rain, it feels like they're all gone in an instant (lol). There's no point in regretting that they're gone! After all, I prefer dango over flowers!!! There's a dango shop in the basement of a building in my neighborhood called "Nagatacho Hyotei" that had temporarily closed, but has now reopened on the side of the building on the 1st floor. It's a very small shop, but they have chairs inside and outside where you can sit and eat. They grill small fresh dango on charcoal for you. It's nice to be able to eat them freshly grilled. From left to right in the photo, there's mitarashi dango for 100 yen, tsubuan (plenty of it) for 150 yen, shoyu yaki for 100 yen, and isobe for 120 yen. You can enjoy sweet, salty, and sweet-salty flavors. The tsubuan has not only a generous amount but also tastes delicious. The dango isn't extremely chewy, but I personally like its light texture. They also have countryside zenzai and gelato. Gelato is nice for this season. Walking around with gelato in hand, what's the problem?? (lol) If you happen to be nearby, definitely check it out. Their mascot dog, Danbo-kun, will also greet you.

When I visited Setagaya Monozukuri School, I was drawn to the sign that said "Kushidango" and decided to stop by. The shop was located in a small hut built in the parking lot, with space for only 2-3 people inside for takeout. The Mitarashi and An dango were ready immediately, but the Soy Sauce dango took about 5 minutes to cook after ordering. I rarely come across Soy Sauce dango, so I ordered it along with Mitarashi. As they started cooking, a delicious smell filled the shop, making it look very appetizing. While they were cooking, I chatted with the staff. "Aibou" was being rebroadcast on TV, and we had a fun conversation about it. I took them home, so I couldn't eat them hot, but even when they cooled down, they were soft and chewy, with a delicious burnt soy sauce flavor. The Mitarashi had a slightly loose texture and was not too sweet, which I found delicious. Each skewer had 5 small dango balls, providing just the right amount of volume. Next time, I want to eat them hot, so I'm thinking of enjoying them at a nearby park.

When I went pottering in Setagaya Park, I found a dumpling shop run by a grandmother. It's a cozy dumpling shop where the grandmother manages everything by herself. They also sell gelato. The prices are quite normal, with mitarashi dumplings for 100 yen, soy sauce dumplings for 100 yen, and sweet bean paste dumplings for 150 yen. The taste is just like regular dumplings, but it's a bit unusual that they are skewered in sets of five. It's a nostalgic and soothing shop that has been around for a long time. I would like to buy some dumplings here and have a date in Setagaya Park when it gets warmer.

I was heading to Setagaya Park for a walk with my child when I spotted a banner that said "Kyoto Dango"! It looked delicious, but I couldn't stop at that time. On the weekend, I went with my husband and found a small hut in a regular house's parking lot, where an old lady was selling dango and gelato (¥300). What was interesting was that when you ordered gelato, she would say, "Make it with that machine over there!" I didn't go inside the store, but my husband made gelato with a machine that seemed like a soft serve machine (laughs). We tried mitarashi (¥100) and soy sauce (¥100) dango to go. Honestly, the taste was average and the price was a bit high for dango at ¥70, but it was near the park, and the atmosphere of the place, with the old lady running the business alone, was charming. I might stop by again not necessarily for the food, but for that cozy feeling.