Mont Thabor Turtle melon pan: I stopped by a bakery on my way to the train station and stumbled upon turtle melon-pan, which some may remember was the original avatar of Tasty Snacking until I designed my own. Having never seen one in person, I had to try it. The bread has a fairly standard dinner roll flavor, which is to say pretty neutral, while the "shell" of the turtle is sweet and reminiscent of Chinese pineapple bun, though less rich. It doesn't taste like melon (I believe it's called that for its appearance rather than flavor). As decoration, the turtle has chocolate eyes and mouth. Overall, I found the baked treat to be surprisingly filling and well balanced, since the sugary coating was paired with a barely-sweetened base. Very happy to finally find this Japanese treat! 3.5/5.0

recommended japanese bakery bread montthabor turtle melon pan 3.5