Tokara

The most delicious and authentic mochi you could ever eat in Washington. Fresh, great texture and delicate, if you really appreciate mochi you will notice there's not many places like this. I've seen a some folks complaining about this place onlinr but it's because they are used eating overly sweet candies. This is not the place for that type of sweet.The owner is also very kind and lovely, it was a nice found! You can order through Uber eats Wednesday or Fridays and pick up or call and reserve a box to be picked up on Sunday. All details in her website.

Tokara is a local legend! If I could give this 10 stars, I would. The Wagashi is absolutely amazing, and she is the kindest person. Please go support such a truly unique local business. Great quality of food and great service.

Just a beautiful experience from the sweets, to the matcha, to the ambience of the space. I don't think they are open regularly, but my friend and I made it for an open house event as part of the Phinney Art Walk, and what a treat! I felt transported and also the staff were so gracious and welcoming. Hopefully I'll be able to visit another open house or will try ordering through their Uber eats or pick up at the local bakeries they supply. A special little gem!

Ok guys, this is a refined place that offers mildly sweet traditional tea treats to be eaten while drinking bitter matcha green tea at tea ceremonies. It is supposed to balance between the two, so if you are expecting something from American Snickers, forget it, however enjoy the ambience of the treat. Great thought and care goes into making these, and if we were in Japan, they would cost a lot more than this, so these are a bargain, and you just saved air fair and get to stay in the comfort zone of your own city. I would definitely say they are a labor of love, just try to make even a simple one and you will see. We are lucky a city to even get to try these at any cost.I wish they had a number on the container so I could reference that to her website and know what I am eating, flavoring is subtle, so it can be hard to tell, yet I would like to me more educated in my palate for what I am experiencing. What it really comes down to is this is experiencing a food poem, rather than simply fueling the body or feeding your feelings.Refined, low low sweet, delicate, pleasing to the eye, thought provoking, nostalgic, a very old traditional tea sweet from ancient Nippon. I have yet to visit her place, however I pick them up from various shops around the city, go early before they run out. Check her website for locations on where to buy limited quantities.

The wagashi is amazing! My girlfriend is Japanese and she said it's just like the wagashi she used to get in a Japan. I can't wait to have it again!

I started going to Tokara's Open House last year even though I had been a resident of Seattle for 5 years prior to that. It was such a beautiful, serene, and mysterious place and only open once a month! However, one day I decided that I should make a reservation and then went to pick up my order. Tokara-Sensei is a very gracious and kind host. Her studio at Phinney Ride is small and cozy. She even offered me green tea. I enjoyed having a conversation with her and exchanging tea notes. After that, I made it a goal to make it to almost every single one of her open house if I could.Her handmade traditional Japanese sweets are pleasant to the eyes and palate. While most people complain that the sweets are "bland," to me, they are just the right texture and flavor. The flavors must not overpower the palate with sickening sweetness like what most of the Western confections offer. Moreover, the designs of her handmade confections change every month so I'm always looking forward to what she has to offer on the upcoming open house.I highly recommend Tokara to anyone who wants to try traditional Japanese sweets. They are great with matcha or green tea and must be consumed as soon as possible to enjoy the optimal flavor and texture of such beautifully fine confections.

I felt like the desserts were tasty but lacking in flavor. It was very simple flavors and so I feel it was a bit overpriced to get 3 small desserts. However, there is artistry and handiwork that is invested to make the shapes of the desserts so beautiful. I don't know if I would try the things i got again but it was nice trying this place out. The owner was kind and offered me some free tea while I picked up my box. It's just a tad inconvenient with the space and the limited hours you have to pick up the items as well.

Tokara has an open house on the second Sunday of each month. Unless you want to buy in bulk, your best option is to make a reservation for a box or two for the open house.It's $11 for a prepared box of three. The sweets are handcrafted and seasonal. It's a good thing that I reserved a box, because she was already sold out by 3:15.I took the box home, made a pot of genmai cha, and enjoyed the sweets. The flavors and textures were spot on - delicate and subtle. The treats were beautiful and it makes you appreciate even more than they are handmade. My only gripe was that it was a bit expensive, but I will probably be back.

Tokara is so so lovely. Wagashi is thoughtfully and beautifully made, a delicate delight.

This is a fairly limited review as I've tried only two things from Tokara. When I buy something from Tokara, I'm not seeking value. I'm paying for an ancient art - elegance, artistry, delicacy, and simplicity that adds up to volumes. It's not cheap. A little piece of mochi is $5.50. But where else will you find this?? If it's easy, everyone would be making it! Tokara has "unusual" access to their goods. Look at their website for subscription, pre-ordering, open house and other businesses that carry them. I quite literally have to hunt for them! Today, we lucked out that I was betting on it being cherry blossom season that they might have some cherry blossom specialties on hand, and they did! I found:Sakura Robe - Silky thin layered mochi wrapping a white bean paste - Rice flour, wheat flour , sugar, red coloring, white bean.See photo, it's beautiful! I previously found a piece at Fresh Flours across the street. I believe it's called Young Grass. Not sure though. Anyway, their pieces are very pretty and delicate with mild flavors; please don't expect American sweetness.