福丸饅頭 Kusa Daifuku : This mochi is from a small confectionary shop in Yanaka, Tokyo that serves a variety of fresh, seasonal mochi. I purchased this green mochi thinking it was matcha-flavored, but it’s actually made of mugwort, a type of medicinal plant of Chinese origin. It has a slightly bitter flavor that’s not at all sweet, like a mix of spinach and peppery parsley. It reminds me of a green smoothie in that people would enjoy it as a dessert, but it’s mostly savory. The texture of the mochi was perfect ... (read more) 5.0/5.0
exceptional japanese mochi kusa daifuku 5.0
Hop Shu-Kuri-Mu Matcha Cream Puff: I randomly passed this pastry shop in Azabu Juban and made a mental note to return based on the quality of bread in their window. I'm glad I did, because their cream puffs are insane. The exterior has a crispy baked texture, similar in some ways to dutch crunch bread from San Francisco, and the filling is of the highest quality I've had in any bakery, with a creamy and not too sweet flavor and ideal matcha bitterness. The most interesting part to me was a bruleed base that resembled a nor... (read more) 5.0/5.0
japanese exceptional azabujuban creampuff tokyo sweets hopshukurimu matcha cream puff 5.0
Sun Fruits Apple Juice: In the basement of the swanky Tokyo Midtown department store is a speciality fruit shop called Sun Fruits, the type of shop where sumo oranges (dekopan) are individually wrapped in a form-fitting web of styrofoam and boxes of pale white strawberries go for 8,000¥ ($73 USD). The one item I felt I could afford, and also I was most interested in trying, was a bottle of what I presumed to be a barely-pink fruit soda, which cost $3.50. It turns out that it was a bottle of apple juice, with frui... (read more) 4.0/5.0
exceptional drinks applejuice tokyo japan sunfruits apple juice 4.0 japanese
Milk Bar Cereal milk panna cotta: This special cereal milk panna cotta, available at the Flagship Milk Bar in NoMad, is topped with roasted matcha meringue, corn flakes crumble, and dark chocolate shards. It's available just until the end of the day. It's really excellent, a dessert that could easily cost $11 in a restaurant without seeming out of place (it costs a little over $6). Surprisingly light, the panna cotta has a just-set fluffy texture; the matcha flavor is immediately identifiable in the chewy bruleed meringue, ... (read more) 4.5/5.0
exceptional desserts pannacotta meringue matcha cereal milk nyc chocolate milkbar panna cotta 4.5
Morgenstern's Sumo Yuzu Pop: This is the last review I'll be writing of ice cream treats from Morgenstern's collaboration with Action Bronson. This double dipped yuzu pop is pure citrus in its highest form. Several layers of coating, with a smooth and somewhat slick texture, add to an intensely tart yet balanced citrus ice cream center. Anyone that loves citrus will be able to fully appreciate how excellent and singular it is. 4.5/5.0
exceptional dessert yuzu nyc icecream fuckthatsdelicious morgensterns sumo pop 4.5
Morgenstern's Stingray Creamsicle: This is the best creamsicle I've ever had in my life. The vanilla ice cream contains bites of chewy lemon jam and is double dipped in both lemon and concord grape flavoring, giving it an impossibly smooth shell and layers-on-layers of flavor. The perfect combination of swert, creamy, tart, and fruity. Part of the limited edition #fuckthatsdelicious special at Morgenstern's in NYC. 5.0/5.0
exceptional nyc lemon grape morgensterns stingray creamsicle 5.0 icecream