Tag: Dessert

Traditional Japanese desserts at Takemura in Tokyo

Takemura is a traditional dessert cafe in Tokyo, in Kanda-Sudacho, an area full of interesting eateries (two of the best soba restaurants in Tokyo are located nearby). It was founded in 1930. This kind of stores are called kanmi-dokoro (甘味処, “sweets place”) and are rarer and rarer in Tokyo.

The visit

The venue occupies a traditional house and has both normal table seats and a few tatami seats. They do not like pictures inside, so I do not have an image of the interior.

Attention, the place is closed on Sundays and Mondays.

They offer you a bowl of hot water with cherry flowers when you seat down for an order.

They have a menu translated in English. The translation is impeccable, but there are no pictures. They have a lot of traditional desserts. In my first visit I tried their mistumame with boiled apricots (anzu). The main feature of mitsumame is small cubes of agar jelly called kanten, a white translucent jelly made from seaweeds. It came with a green tea and a syrup to pour over. It was an unexpectedly tasty dessert.

On my second visit, I tried their Age–manju that is a deep-fried version of the classic manju, a Japanese pancake filled with red bean paste. This is one of their signature dishes and they sell them also for “take-out”. I found them a bit heavy.

Since it was the end of the year, I also tried their ozoni (or zoni) a Japanese New Year mochi soup. It was a savory soup (probably with dashi stock) with rice cakes (mochi), nori, and some vegetables. I did not like it!

The check

The first dessert cost 750 yen (7 USD). Very honest price considering you also get a cup of tea.

The second visit cost me 1,320 yen (12 USD); the age-manju were 500 yen.

Where in Tokyo:
1 Chome-19 Kanda Sudacho, Chiyoda City.
In Japanese: 〒101-0041 東京都千代田区神田須田町１丁目１9.

Fabulous parfaits at Morinoen Café in Ningyocho

Ningyocho is one of my favorite neighborhoods in Tokyo for the array of traditional businesses that dot its streets. I have already described Amazake street in Ningyocho and this post is about a more in depth visit to the cafe operated by Morinoen, a roasted green tea (hoji-cha) shop on Amazake.

The visit

I visited the cafe twice in late December 2019. It is located upstairs from the shop selling roasted green tea.

It is a simple cafe in terms of decor. Of course they have a wet towel for you upon your arrival.

The menu is all in Japanese, but it is profusely illustrated, so ordering is no problem even if you do not read or speak Japanese. At the time of my visit they had some seasonal sweets with purple potatoes.

I did end up ordering their seasonal parfait that was massive. In addition to purple potatoes, there was also their signature hoji-cha ice cream. All the ingredients were creamy and tasted genuine to me.

On another occasion I had a more conservative hoji-cha ice cream with jellies and other ingredients. It was also great.

In both cases the dessert went with hot green tea.

The menu is quite extensive and they also have other sweets based on green tea and of course hoji-cha.

The check

Both sweets cost me around 1,400 yen (13 USD) that actually is not so bad in Tokyo for this kind of dessert.

I massively enjoyed the experience of great desserts coupled with a quaint authentic establishment.

Where in Tokyo:
2-4-9 Nihonbashi Ningyocho, Chuo-ku.
In Japanese: 東京都 中央区日本橋人形町２－４－９　 森乃園.
Website: https://morinoen.jp/.

Chiang Mai’s own bean to bar chocolate: Siamaya

Siamaya (fusion of Siam, the old name of Thailand, and Maya, the ancient population famous, among other things, for eating chocolate) is a Chiang Mai company that was founded, back in 2017, by two foreigners, Neil Ransom and Kristian Levinsen, and two local residents, Tangkwa and Bow Wannapat, with the idea to produce and market quality chocolate.

The catalyst for this initiative was the work of agricultural professor Sahn from Maejo university in Chiang Mai that had been teaching farmers in Chiang Mai valley how to grow high-quality cocoa beans. Chocolate cultivation in Thailand was unheard of until 20-30 years ago. Now it is a reality and Samaya is an artisan company handcrafting each bar starting from the beans. It is a story that has so many parallels with their Vietnamese counterpart Marou.

During my time in Chiang Mai in early 2020 I really came to love this chocolate and I visited both their new shop in the Old City (I was there on the first week of operations) and I took their factory tour.

Shop and cafe in the Old City

The new flagship shop underwent a soft opening in February 2020 and it couldn’t be more centrally located in the Old City: it is just a stone-throw away from the Three Kings monument. The store underwent a major remodeling shortly after; pictures are from the original set-up.

The main attraction in the store of course is their bars. Along with classic dark and milk chocolate they have bars using Thai ingredients such as Thai Tea, bullet chili, coconut milk, and even durian. In collaboration with Chaseki, they also launched a high-grade matcha bar. Their line up is completed by cacao nibs, powder, and coated nuts.

In the store they also sell mini-bars (23 grams) ideal for a tasting collection.

They also offer cold and hot chocolate drinks.

I tried their cold chocolate drink with cacao that was massive. However the cacao did not fully fused with the drink. I was advised that the hot chocolate is more satisfying. They have plan to expand their cafe offering.

One important feature of their approach is that they offer a free tasting of the different flavors.

A 75-gram bar costs 180 THB, very reasonable for this kind of artisan product. The matcha bar costs a little bit more at 200 THB.

The dink was also very reasonably priced at 65 THB (just 2 USD).

Where in Chiang Mai:
127/7 Prapokkloa Rd.
Website: https://siamayachocolate.com.

Factory visit

On another occasion, I also visited their factory outlet and the adjicent factory.

Their outlet is really their office, but they have all of their bars lined up and available for purchase. Also tasting is possible.

The matcha and durian bars are award-winners.

The factory tour that I attended was led by Kris and was fascinating. It began with some basics about cocoa beans.

Then we followed Kris inside their factory (really an artisan workshop) where all the processes take place. We were shown the machines and the chocolate at various stages of production.

The tour lasted around 1 hour and I booked it with a message on their Facebook page. The normal cost at that time was 800 THB per person.

Where in Chiang Mai:
See tripadvsor page. Details of the tour may have changed since my visit.

Korean-inspired desserts in Chiang Mai: Cheevit Cheeva Cafe

Cheevit Cheeva Cafe is a dessert restaurant specializing in Korean bingsu with a local tweak. They have several locations; I visited the flagship shop in Nimman.

The visit

The cafe occupies a house in a backstreet in Nimman area.

In March 2020, they brought in a sister property: the bakery and cafe called Groon that now occupies half of the space.

The main dining room has high ceiling.

This was my favorite spot. You have to order at the cashier and pay, then they will bring you the order.

Their claim to fame is the bingsu that comes with Korean and Thai toppings (such as mango and sticky rice). Their bingsu is not made out of shaved ice; rather they use pure milk.

I did not have the bingsu (too big), but they had some “affogato” made with the same shaved milk. I had the chocolate version. The shaved milk was refreshing and a very interesting take on the bingsu.

On another visit I had their Nutella cake, that was quite good.

They had a selection of flavored coffee cold brews. I tried one and I was happy with the drink.

The check

The affogato (really a mini bingsu) was reasonably priced at 95 THB (around 3 USD).

The cake was only marginally more expensive: drink and cake cost me 210 THB (6.50 USD). Prices were reasonable.

Where in Chiang Mai:
6 soi 7 Sirimangkhalajarn Rd., Suthep, Mueang Chiang Mai.
Website: https://cheevitcheevacafe.com/
Other locations in Chiang Mai: Nim City Daily Shopping Mall, Star Avenue Lifestyle Mall, and Jampha Shopping Mall Lamphun. There is even a franchisee in Taipei.

A Japanese tea house in Chiang Mai: Magokoro

Over the past few years trendy instagrammable cafes mushroomed around Chiang Mai, eyeing selfie-obsessed young Chinese tourists. Some are there mostly for the pictures, but some also serves exceptional food and drinks. Magokoro belongs to the latter category: their tea and dessert offering is outstanding.

The visit

I have been to Magokoro several times because they have one of my favorite desserts in Chiang Mai. If you can, go on a weekday. On weekends you might need to queue (they even have a waiting room in the building next door). Yes, it is that popular.

The building has been renovated to look like a traditional Japanese tea house.

The main house is not huge, with a simple and elegant decor.

The most coveted seats are outside, facing a Japanese garden.

In my first visit I had a cold brew of hōjicha (roasted green tea). I am not an expert, but I liked that even in a cold brew the crispy flavor of the roasted green tea was very distinct.

But what won me over was the hōjicha parfait. The ice cream was ok, but what made it delicious was the tasty red bean paste. The jellies were also very good and I liked the layer of corn flakes that added a different texture. They have the same also with normal matcha. Both are among my favorite desserts in Chiang Mai.

Since I like the parfait so much I have not tried many other products. But their matcha panna cotta looks good.

The check

The parfait was 239 THB (7.50 USD) and the tea was 119 THB (3.75 USD). In Chiang Mai you can buy a large meal for this money. Even if it is not cheap by local standards, I think their tea and sweets warrant the premium price.

Where in Chiang Mai:
191/1 Sridonchai Rd.

Green Bean to Bar Chocolate, an amazing chocolaterie in Meguro, Tokyo

First of all, I would like to acknowledge that I was first made aware of this little gem by watching a video about the area posted by Paolo from Tokyo, a very reliable youtuber from Tokyo who knows what he is talking about. Check out his videos.

The visit

I slowly arrived at the shop from Daikanyama Site Station, but you can as easily reach the place walking from Naka-Meguro Station (actually the latter is recommended because technically Daikanyama is not a metro stop, which makes thing more complicated, and the walk along the canal from Naka-Meguro Station is certainly more pleasant).

The storefront facing the street bordering the canal is in a nice light blue.

Inside they have many chocolate products for sale. “Green bean to bar” means an artisan production from the beans to the finished product. They seem to handpick quality beans from various locations and mold them in delicious chocolate bars and more.

I was particularly interested in their fresh pastry creations that were nicely displayed at the counter. The desserts were clearly inspired by French classics, but with a twist. The shop is directed by Chloé Doutre-Roussel, a Parisian chocolate connoisseur.

This place is not only a shop, but also a cafe.

I ended up ordering their special eclair (“special” because I have never seen it in this nice shape), a chocolate pudding, and, an iced tea.

The two chocolate desserts were just perfect, with the right balance between sweetness and bitterness (at least for my taste).

The check

I spent 1,485 yen (13.5 USD): a very honest check for thirty minutes of bliss in this place.

In my opinion, Green Bean to Bar Chocolate is one of the great chocolaterie you can find in Asia.

Where in Tokyo:
2-16-11 Aobadai, Meguro-ku.
Website: https://greenchocolate.jp.

Snacking on Amazake Yokocho in Tokyo

Amazake Yokocho (alley) is a lovely street in Ningyocho neighborhood in Tokyo. The name comes from the old days, before the big Kanto earthquake, when there was a popular shop selling amazake (a sweet drink made from fermented rice). The street, less than 400-meter long, is dotted by interesting shops and eateries.

The visit

I spent some time checking out the shops after a meal in Futaba restaurant.

The first obvious stop was Futaba shop itself specializing in tofu products.

In the shop you can find tofu in all imaginable ways. Most of their offering seems to cater to households or other restaurants, but…

There is a product you should not miss. Made out from soy milk, their donuts are something to try. Just a few hundred yen.

in front of the shop they have a bench and a couple of chairs where you can enjoy the donuts.

Next to Futaba, there is a shop called Morinoen specializing in toasted green tea (houjicha). You can smell the aroma of the green tea being toasted from the street. They have a nice houjicha soft-serve ice cream that I tried. They also have a tea room upstairs. The place deserved another visit.

Across the street there is a famous seller of taiyaki (the popular cake filled with read bean sauce shaped as a fish) called Yanagiya. On a Saturday afternoon the queue was just too much for me. Go on a weekday.

I did go back and got my prize during a weekday later in December (just 160 yen for one). It was peeping hot and the red bean paste was tasty, but I am not so expert to judge what makes people queue.

Next to the taiyaki place, there is a shop selling traditional sweets that I highly recommend. A lady that I suspect was the owner spoke English with me.

One of their signature product is a type of dorayaki, pancakes stuffed with red bean paste that have a tiger-pattern (for this reason is called torayaki, tora meaning tiger in Japanese) . Hence the tiger in the shop window. These are very nice gifts.

The choice was pretty amazing. In the end I tried a cake with chestnut. This sweet is called gyokuman, which consists of a chestnut surrounded by five stacked layers of red bean paste.

They even had some parfaits and their own soft-ice cream good for your stroll.

One more snack

Ningyocho is the place where ningyo-yaki were originated. These are small pancakes filled with sweet red bean paste shaped as heads. Literally, it means “cooked dolls” and is yet another reference to the doll-making businesses that were once located in the area (Ningyocho means “doll town”). The head actually are a reference to the faces of the Seven Lucky Gods. There are a few places selling those in Ningyocho. The ones pictured above were purchased from Amamidokoro Hatsune (甘味処 初音). On one of the corners of Amzake street Itakuraya is another shop selling them.  

The check

All the snacks mentioned above cost a few hundred yen each (just a few dollars). I highly recommend this street for a good snack or two.

Where in Tokyo:
Nihombashi, Ningyocho 2.
In Japanesse: 日本橋人形町2.
Website: http://amazakeyokocho.jp.

Three absurdly good chocolate desserts in Shanghai

Stop reading if you do not like chocolate or sugar is not your thing. Also, I urge moderation. But if you have a sweet tooth, these three desserts are to die for.

1. Le Bec’s chocolate cream pudding

Épicerie & Caviste 62 Le Bec sells some great sweets. My personal favorite is their chocolate pudding: I am not sure what chocolate they use (probably milk), but the result is a delicious pudding with chocolate flavor emerging at any bite. Check: 35 RMB (5 USD).

Where in Shanghai: 62 Xinhua Lu, by Panyu Lu.

2. Yuzu and chocolate cake from Baker & Spice

Baker & Spice is a popular bakery and cafe chain in Shanghai. All of their cakes are pretty good, but the yuzu and chocolate cake is a stunner. The yuzu offers a nice counterbalance to the chocolate natural bitterness. Check: 35 RMB (5 USD).

Where in Shanghai: 195 Anfu Rd, Xuhui and many more locations.

3. Valrhona chocolate cake from 325 Roof

Valrhona is a French premium chocolate manufacturer and is a premium ingredient for pastry. Roof 325, the rooftop restaurant perched on top of the Shanghai Museum, has an outstanding cake made from Valrhona chocolate. One of the interesting things is that the cake has two layers with two distinct textures. The restaurant location on top of what used to be the Race Club House is another highlight. Check: 68 RMB (around 10 USD).

Where in Shanghai: Shanghai History Museum, 5/F, 325 Nanjing Xi Lu

Cafes and food in Hayashi Department Store, Tainan

Hayashi Department Store is a characteristic five-story retail venue originally opened in 1932 in Tainan during Japanese rule. After decades of abandonment, it was refurbished and reopened in 2014. It is today a big touristic attraction in Tainan. The Japanese influence on the building is apparent; notably there is a restored Shinto shrine on the rooftop.

The visit

The building has such an old-times charm that I keep visiting it every time I am in Tainan, even if I am not particularly interested in the merchandising they sell (even if it includes many quality products from local makers).

Food can be found on the first (ground) floor and in two cafes, on the fourth and fifth floor. Let’s start from the top (the elevator stops only on the ground floor and the fifth floor by the way).

The fifth floor cafeteria

The fifth floor cafeteria (“Delicious Tainan”) is a good place where to relax and have a light meal.

The menu is based on Chinese comfort food, sweet soups, and milk tea.

I tried their Dan Zai noodles (a specialty from Tainan) and I found them bland as compared to the one that I had in another traditional restaurant.

On the other hand, their cold tofu pudding with red beans and peanuts was very good and refreshing. On the menu, they have several variations of this dish.

I spent 235 NTD (7.75 USD) for two sets of noodles and two bowls of tofu (I was with a friend). Very affordable.

The fourth floor cafe

On the fourth floor (one level down) there is the namesake Hayashi cafe mostly catering to cakes, smoothies, tea, and coffee.

I had their chocolate smoothie that was excellent, even if it probably shortened my lifespan.

It cost 180 NTD (6 USD). In this cafe prices are a higher than upstairs.

The first floor shopping area

The first floor of the Department Store is dedicated to cakes and traditional snacks (it is called Tainan Feast, 台南好客廳). These make very welcomed gifts.

One of the signature snacks was the Hayashi’s sweet cake (filled with red beans) made in a century-old bakery in Tainan. Each cake bears the Hayashi seal (back in the day, this was a big innovation). They were popular with women after giving birth, as a dietary supplement.

Brown sugar maltose crackers sandwiches were recommended as a complement for tea time.

Pineapple cake (another classic from Taiwan) was available in many formats.

The most affordable snack was this popped rice crispy cakes made by a bakery in Tainan with natural ingredients: one, individually packaged, could be bought for 40 NTD (a little over 1 USD).

This is just a small selection of the goods available that include mango cakes, dried fruit, and teas.

Where in Tainan:
No. 63, Section 2, Zhongyi Road, West Central District.
Website: http://www.hayashi.com.tw.

Possibly the best ice cream in Macau: Lemoncello Gelato

Honestly, this is the only ice cream I tried in Macau. It is hailed as the best by many websites and it is even recommended by the Michelin Guide. I did like it.

The visit

I visited the main shop of Lemoncello Gelato (sometimes referred as Lemon Cello) on a Sunday evening. It is near Cathedral Square and Senate Square. Other outlets are in the ground floor of Lisboa Tower and in Taipa village.

They have a nice spread of flavors that are made fresh daily.

I tried their Ferrero Rocher flavor that was outstanding. It really tasted like the Italian chocolate candy. My friend had a sweet grapefruit that was also very good.

I am not sure this ice cream can qualify as gelato, but it is thoughtfully made.

This is the story… in Chinese.

The check

Two flavors cup or cone cost 40 MOP (5 USD). Honest.

Where in Macau:
6 Tv. do Bpo (Main shop).