Mitsuimo Kennkyujo

This place talks like a lab because it kind of is one, kennkyujo meaning research insitute. They’re built around a custom setup, including a Japan-first, fully automated ‘nano-mist and rapid-cooling’ yakiimo kiln, which is exactly the kind of ridiculous niche engineering that makes the results feel unfair.

The menu leans into honey-sweet roasted imo, plus versions meant to be eaten chilled (the texture goes dense and candy-like), with rotating varieties depending on supply. Mitsuimo may also be the most obsessed with potatoes on this list. The owner is a real lover of what he does: they work with top-tier, award-winning farms, he judges contests, and he’s won plenty too. You can feel it: this spot lives and breathes yakiimo.