Salt and Lemon Baumkuchen: Ever had a salted lemon flavored cake? I hadn't up to this point in my life, and I wish I had. This import from Japan is very well balanced, with a concentrated acidic flavor. Like most Japanese pastries, it's lightly sweetened. Texture is a bit dense but not dry. Honestly better than many fresh cakes I've had. 4.0/5.0
recommended hmart japanese baumkuchen lemon saltedlemon cake dessert sweets 4.0 salt
Steamed red-bean peach-shaped buns: A sign of longevity, these peach-shaped buns are typically gifted to the elderly in Chinese culture. I found this particular brand of pre-made, frozen buns in a Chinatown grocery store in Boston. Though a serving size is a single bun, I eat two for breakfast to feel satiated. The buns are surprisingly good steamed in a rice cooker; the amount of steamed white bread feels substantial, and the red bean filling is sweet, but not overpoweringly so. The air-brushed peach accents are impressive, e... (read more) 4.0/5.0
redbean chinese peach pastry bread recommended dessert 4.0 steamed red-bean peach-shaped buns
7th Ave Donuts and Diner French cruller: Here’s another donut from a 24-hour shop, this time based in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Mostly diner but partially donut shop, 7th Ave Donuts and Diner has a selection of unfussy classics from glazed to jelly to toasted coconut. I judged the quality of their donuts from their French cruller. Its thick vanilla icing was far too sweet, but the donut itself was surprisingly good, with its toasted exterior, crispy at the edges, but eggy, slightly raw custard-like interior. I would gladly come back fo... (read more) 3.5/5.0
recommended nyc donut dessert 7thavedonutsanddiner French cruller 3.5
Akagi Gari Garikun Ice Candy Soda Popsicles: These are popular soda-flavored popsicles that taste like a combination of Sprite and Ramune, with a slight pear flavor but mostly tasting of sugar. It has an ice-blue color and is sized just like fruit popsicles in America. Overall, it's so-so - something you might like as a kid but not particularly interesting or delicious as an adult. 3.0/5.0
dessert japanese Daiei akagi gari garikun ice candy soda popsicles 3.0
Amausaan uji Matcha Matcha Ice Cream: Green-tea-flavored soft serve from Japanese sweets stand Amausaan uji Matcha in the Richmond district of SF (they also have a location in Berkeley). At $5, this large portion comes in a waffle cone and is topped with matcha powder. Most of the bitter matcha flavor comes from the powder, but the ice cream is creamy and smooth; the cone is standard in both flavor and texture. I enjoyed it overall, but sampling it at the Berkeley location the next day, I found the ice cream to be too sweet, ... (read more) 3.5/5.0
sanfrancisco sf dessert icecream amausaanujimatcha matcha ice cream 3.5
Bake Cheese Tart Original Cheese Tart: While walking through Tokyo station, I came across this small shop with a sizeable, but not intimidatingly-so, line and the aroma of baked goods. They specialize in cheese tarts, some flavored with chocolate or seasonally with strawberry, but I went for the original, which is a little smaller than a typical Portguese / Chinese egg tart. The pastry base is twice baked, and the interior is largely cream cheese that has a baked browned crust of brueleed cheese. The texture of the cheese unde... (read more) 3.5/5.0
recommended tokyo tokyostation dessert tart creamcheese bakecheesetart original cheese 3.5