Hop Shu-Kuri-Mu Matcha and red bean bread: There is a small bakery in the heart of Azabu-Juban in Tokyo that has the most delicious cream puffs – they also sell a variety of other baked goods, including fresh loaves of bread with visually striking swirls of flavor baked in, similar to what you might see for flavored milk bread loaves at Asian bakeries more generally. Their loaves tend to be about half the size of what you might see in the US. I really enjoyed the spongy, stretchy texture and faint sweetness of this loaf. If you ev... (read more) 3.5/5.0
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Breadtop pork floss and honey bread: This sweet and savory (but mostly sweet) bread has a flaky, croissant-like crust and is topped with nori and corn. Inside is a scattering of pork floss. The combination of ingredients is surprising and would be worth purchasing again if the glaze were not so sweet 3.0/5.0
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Meisum Bakery Asian Pastries: I previously reviewed this bakery's mochi peanut dessert, which remains my favorite product. During my last visit to this small Chinatown bakery, I tried the egg tart and pineapple bun, both of which were fairly standard as far as Asian bakeries go. The egg tart was firm and cold, a sign that it had been sitting out for some time. Still, the flavor was not bad but ordinary. The pineapple bun was a bit better, with a nice crispy crumble that was just the right level of sweetness. Overall... (read more) 3.0/5.0
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Cheeseboard X-Bread: Slightly spicy roll with jalapeno, scallions, and cheddar. Best served warm, as most baked goods are, when you can most enjoy its warm and fluffy interior. The flavor is bold but relatively one note. Still, if you enjoy cheesy breads, you will likely have no complaints. 3.0/5.0
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Sprouted Go Raw Banana Bread Sprouted Bar: Recently, my office has started getting free snacks / advertising from various organic energy bar companies. This one from Sprouted contains four ingredients: flaxseed, banana, coconut, and dates. It appears sizable but is in fact very thin, perhaps giving off an illusion of substance or value. Consistency-wise, it's slightly chewy and sticky. By color, you may not guess it's banana bread flavored, but you can definitely taste it, though the addition of dates gives it a unique sweet flav... (read more) 3.0/5.0
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Mont Thabor Hot dog bread with cabbage: I ate this for my last lunch in Azabu Juban, purchased at the neighborhood bakery Mont Thabor. For some reason, a lot of asian pastry shops feature hot dogs in their savory breads. This hot dog bread had sour cabbage on top along with a drizzle of ketchup. It pretty much tasted exactly as it looks: salty from the hot dog, bitter from the cabbage, and sweet from the tomato ketchup. 3.0/5.0
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