A Stress-Free Food Sample Making Experience in Asakusa

 

Did you know that you can experience food sample making in Asakusa?
Food samples were created in Japan about 100 years ago and have developed into a unique part of Japanese culture. When walking around Asakusa, you’ll often see incredibly realistic food samples displayed at the entrances of restaurants and cafes.

At Food Sample Making Cafe, you can actually create these food samples with your own hands. It’s a popular hands-on spot that’s easy to visit while sightseeing in Asakusa.

However, when you hear about food sample making, you might wonder:

“Is it difficult to make?”
“Is English support available?”
“How long does the experience take?”

Don’t worry. I joined the experience with my 7-year-old child, and there were no complicated steps at all. Both children and adults can enjoy it at their own pace. The calm and relaxed atmosphere makes it a truly stress-free experience, even for first-time visitors.

In this article, I’ll guide you as your “friend in Asakusa,” sharing tips on how to fully enjoy your experience at Food Sample Making Cafe and easing any concerns you might have!

Goma's Tips for the Perfect Food Sample Making Cafe Experience

Even if it’s your first visit, keep these three points in mind to make sure your experience goes smoothly.

1. What Food Sample Making Courses Are Available?

There are two types of food sample making experiences:
a course with a meal and a course without a meal.

The Food Sample Making Experience with Meal (Making Experience + Meal + Drink) takes about 1.5 hours and costs 5,600 yen per person.

The Food Sample Making Experience without Meal (Making Experience + Drink) takes about 1 hour and costs 4,600 yen per person.

For those who are not joining the making experience and are just accompanying someone, the following options are available:

Accompanying person set with meal (Meal + Drink + Entrance fee): 2,000 yen per person

Accompanying person set without meal (Drink + Entrance fee): 1,000 yen per person

The first floor is a cafe space.

The second floor is the workshop space.

2. The Process of the Food Sample Making Experience

① Choose what you want to make
You can choose one item from the following options: omelette rice, spaghetti with meat sauce, crepe or jelly parfait.

② Make your own food sample
Choose your ingredients, measure them, mix them, and decorate your creation to make your own original food sample.
A friendly staff member will guide you step by step, so even first-time visitors can enjoy the experience with confidence.

③ Wait for it to be finished
Except for the jelly parfait, the food samples need to be heated in an oven, which takes about 10–15 minutes. While you wait, you can relax with a drink in the cafe space on the first floor.

④ Enjoy your food sample and the real dish!

If you choose the meal-included course, a real dish that looks just like the food sample you made will be brought to your table. It’s fun to take photos and videos and ask, “Which one is real?”

⑤ Take your food sample home as a souvenir

You can take your finished food sample home the same day. It’s perfect for displaying in your home, and gift wrapping bags (¥200) are also available if you’d like to give it as a present.

3. An Easy and Enjoyable Food Sample Making Experience for Everyone

The recommended age for the food sample making experience is 6 years old and up (elementary school age and older).
Aprons are provided, so there’s little need to worry about getting your clothes dirty. However, for peace of mind, it’s best to wear clothes that you don’t mind getting a little messy.

The sample food displays are incredibly realistic, so you might think, “Isn’t this difficult to make?”
But don’t worry—during the experience, one staff member is assigned to each group and will guide you carefully through every step. Even first-time visitors can enjoy the process with confidence.
I joined the experience with my child, and we were able to relax, chat with the staff, and enjoy making our food samples all the way to the end.    

My Experience

This time, I tried the Food Sample Making Experience with Meal.

We chose the jelly parfait and crepe from the menu and jumped right into the food sample making experience. 

For the jelly parfait, my daughter first measured and mixed the ingredients used to make the “ice cream” part and shaped it into a mold. 

While it was being heated in the oven, we moved on to making the jelly layer, which is created using slime. Once the slime was ready, we placed it into a cup, piped whipped cream on top, and finished it off with decorative toppings.

For the crepe, the base was already prepared, so we simply made the strawberry and chocolate ice cream, piped whipped cream, and added the toppings. The process was very smooth from start to finish.
Before we knew it, we were completely absorbed in making both food samples, and time flew by.

We ordered an iced cafe latte, barley tea, and apple juice as the drinks included in the course.
Then came the exciting moment—both the food samples we made and the real parfait and crepe were brought to our table. We were so excited.
Being able to compare them and ask, “Which one is real?” is a unique experience you can only have at this café.
It’s fun to look at, delicious to eat, and perfect for taking lots of photos and videos—making it a wonderful memory of Asakusa.

Basic Information

🏠 Name: Food Sample Making Cafe

📍 Address: 1-13-13, Hanakawado, Taito-ku, Tokyo

🕘 Hours:  Saturday: 10:00am – 6:00pm (last entry 5:00pm)
🕘 Other than Saturday: 10:00am – 5:00pm (last entry 4:00pm)

💤 Closed: Irregular days

🚃 Access: A 5-minute walk from Asakusa Station on the Ginza Line

💡 Payment: Advance reservations are required, but you can also place additional orders on the day at the shop. Payment is cashless only.

If you want to see more delicious food in Asakusa, be sure to check out my Instagram too📸✨Just click the icon below!