Baked potato cafe opened in 2019
OIMO Cafe Zenpukuji is located in Suginami Ward, Tokyo. Situated in a tranquil residential area, it’s about a 15-minute walk from JR Kichijoji Station.
The cafe is a specialist in baked sweet potatoes, operated by Musashino Natural Farm, a sweet potato farm from Miyoshi Town, Saitama. Miyoshi Town is renowned as a leading sweet potato-producing area with a street of direct sales outlets from sweet potato farmers, known as the Imo Kaido or Sweet Potato Road.
It started with a farmer’s tea time
The owner, Mr. Owada, who is a skilled sweet potato baker, offers freshly baked sweet potatoes and carefully selected sencha with the aim of bringing people together over sweet potatoes and tea.
According to Mr. Owada, sweet potato farmers in Miyoshi Town enjoy baked sweet potatoes and sencha during their 3 o’clock break, creating a bonding time.
The inception of the cafe was inspired by this break time. With the goal of creating a space and time where everyone can be happy with baked sweet potatoes and sencha, Mr. Owada opened OIMO Cafe Zenpukuji in 2019, aspiring to foster a community through sweet potatoes and tea.
Delicious taste of sweet potatoes
Their menu at OIMOcafe Zenpukuji features high-quality sweet potatoes sourced from Musashino Natural Farm and other regions nationwide. Their signature item, the “Tsubo Baked Sweet Potato,” involves baking individual sweet potatoes in a special pot, adjusting baking time and pot temperature to perfection over charcoal.
You can savor varieties such as “Silk Sweet,” known for its moist texture and deep sweetness, and “Musashikogane,” which boasts the characteristic fluffy texture of baked sweet potatoes.
With the concept of transforming baked sweet potatoes from a snack into a high-quality dessert, they offer sweet treats that maximize the original flavor of sweet potatoes. Items like “Chilled Baked Sweet Potato” and “Chilled Baked Sweet Potato Brulee” can be found on the menu.
Offering the finest sencha
For their sencha, they select tea from local producers in Sayama, a region famous for Sayama tea, and from producers in Shizuoka. Sayama tea offers a deep and unique flavor, while Shizuoka tea uses the distinctive “Koshun” cultivar, known for its fragrance. Both teas, with their distinct characteristics, pair well with sweet potatoes, creating an impressive combination.
The teas can be enjoyed in a tasting set consisting of three types: 1st steep (brewed at 70-75°C), 2nd steep (brewed at 80-85°C), and a combination of the 1st and 2nd steeps. They also offer a set that comes with the “Tsubo Baked Sweet Potato.” It allows you to appreciate the deep complexity of green tea flavors that change with different brewing temperatures.
Given the current Fourth Sweet Potato Boom, why not visit OIMO Cafe Zenpukuji and experience the new allure of sweet potatoes and tea?
Store Information
Address: 2-24-8 Zempukuji, Suginami-ku, Tokyo
Phone: 03-6454-7272
Opening hours: 12am-6pm
Closed on Monday and Tuesday
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