Multiple trends converge at green tea specialist Ochaba's new Asakusa location, which just opened on Feb. 22. This takeout-only outpost in the northeastern corner of the capital merges matcha with two still buzzed-about foods: crepes and bubble tea.
The less impressive option is the Warabimochi Japanese Milk Tea, which is basically just green tea with chewy tapioca pearls. While not bad, this beverage (¥580) is overly sweet, and the purported green tea flavor gets lost in all the sugar.
Far better is the variety of green tea crepes, which includes creations topped with strawberries and kinako warabi (chewy, roasted soybean flour-coated bracken starch). While having options (from ¥600 to ¥730) is nice, the key is the green tea base they all share, which is easily the dominant flavor. Although delivered in a trendy package, these feel like they have staying power.