We were aiming to go to Ichibiko - Strawberry Cafe at Taishido which is located near the Nishi Taishido Station on the Tokyu Setagaya Line but we were too early as it only opens at 11 AM. We didn't want to go anywhere too far just in case there was going to be a queue because this is one of the very popular places where it will take forever to get it.

Thankfully, there was a shrine nearby so we decided to go visit it while waiting for it to become 11 AM.

Taishido Hachiman Shrine

As it was smacked in the middle of the summer season, the area to cleanse yourself was decorated so prettily with blue flowers and the sounds of the cicadas were really memorable. I couldn't help but snap a couple more pictures because it was so beautiful.

Overall, it was quite a quiet and small shrine. The trinkets and charms that the shrine was selling were unmanned showing complete trust in the shrine visitors. I really like that about this place.

So the moment the clock struck 10:58 AM, we were already making our way out and heading to Ichibiko, the strawberry cafe. It's barely a 30 seconds walk so we still had to wait outside for another minute.

Ichibiko - Strawberry Cafe

I'll attach the map of the cafe too just in case you need it. There are many other branches which include Sangenjaya, NEWoMan Shinjuku, Lumine Kita Senyju just to name a few. If you can't make it to the physical shop, they have also started UberEats so you can check that out.

Thank goodness it was a weekday and right at the moment it opened so there was no queue and we were the first.

The interior was cozy and welcoming. There were baked strawberry goods and even champagne that was packaged in a cute aluminum bottle. I've tried the champagne on a separate occasion and it was quite nice. You can even use the bottle to keep flowers or even just as a pretty interior accessory.

To the left is the counter where the strawberry desserts are on display where there were so many choices to choose from.

Because we decided to have desserts before our lunch, our stomachs were empty and ready to devour everything we could so we went for three desserts! First up is the Strawberry Mascarpone Roll.

This was SO, SO, SO GOOD! Even though the strawberry on the side was a little sour because it isn't in the season, the entire roll was wonderful. I highly recommend this.

The chiffon and cream went perfectly together. The cream was soft and light. It was also not too sweet. This menu is only limited to this branch so if you go to other branches, you won't be able to see this~

Next up is the Strawberry Biscuit. This was okay, nothing too fancy but the strawberries used in this weren't that sour so we were lucky.

I liked the biscuit bits. The cream wasn't too much to handle too. This menu is currently not available and is scheduled to be available again in November but for the time being, there is the Summer Strawberry Biscuit which is also only available at this branch.

The Strawberry Brownie is also apparently only available at the Taishido branch. This was SO good. The brownie's richness was just nice and it wasn't too sweet. It crumbles in your mouth and the toppings on the top were a really nice accent. If you are planning to eat other things after this though, I'd recommend you to share this with a friend.

There are so many other things I would like to try in this shop. Maybe I will try the other branches next time and try out their drinks. Everything looks so interesting and delicious. I hope you will enjoy your trip to Ichibiko when you go too!