Patisserie Sakura

[Winning the Grand Prix with Shaved Ice Made with Locally Grown Ingredients]

After training at a French restaurant in Tokyo, the owner opened the shop in the shopping arcade in 2002. Later, in 2012, he renovated the store, which had been a pharmacy until his grandfather’s generation, and moved to its current location in Okinohata. For this reason, the sign from the pharmacy days is on display inside the shop. Although it is located in the heart of a tourist area, “about 70% of our customers are locals and 30% are tourists,” he says. As many students also drop by, there is also an eat-in corner at the back of the shop.

The restaurant is particular about using local ingredients. There are few ingredients that are not locally produced, such as Yanagawa strawberries, gyokuro matcha from Hoshinomura, Yame City, and Yanagawa broad beans. The recommended Amaou Parfait uses strawberries from Yanagawa. The ice cream and sorbet are also handmade by the chef.

Looking around the store, a certificate on display caught my eye. It was from when Yanagawa represented Yanagawa at the Shaved Ice Grand Prix, sponsored by Marugoto Nippon in Asakusa, Tokyo, in 2017. After competing with representatives from all over the country, the chef at the store submitted a shaved ice made with smooth and rich Amaou fruit pulp, which garnered overwhelming support in the popularity vote and won the grand prize. A luxurious shaved ice made with locally-sourced ingredients. I’m already looking forward to summer.