japanese (359)
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Hontaka Ecorce : This Japanese line of cookies was first established in 1887 and is available in giftstores all around Japan. According to their website (translated to English via Google Translate), the cookie is made of just a few simple ingredients: flour, sugar, oil and fat, and eggs. What makes it unique is the thin and flaky layers, which are almost like a cross between a crepe and mille-feuille (though it's completely dry). Its buttery taste and precisely thin layers, along with its thoughtful packagin... (read more) 4.5/5.0

japanese ecorce hontaka cookies sweets exceptional 4.5 hontakaecorce
2016 02 06 16.38.20

Suzukake sogetsu Doriyaki: This Japanese treat was a gift from a visitor to my lab. The packaging had zero English, but with the help of Google Translate, I determined that the brand is Suzukake, and the snack is called sogetsu. I expected it to be dorayaki, but the pancake wrapper was actually made of glutinous rice instead of cake. As a huge fan of mochi, I am completely in favor of this substitution. Beside the texture, it tasted just like dorayaki, with a red bean filling that was sweeter than other Japanese confe... (read more) 4.5/5.0

sogetsu dorayaki japanese redbean 4.5 exceptional dessert sweets suzukakesogetsu doriyaki
2017 05 06 13.34.15

Riska Mentai Corn Snack: I love that Japanese culture is seemingly contradictory. There is the upmost respect for serenity and simplicity, along with an obsession with quality and workmanship (e.g., tea gardens, sashimi and sushi rice, Yurbai melons) - yet, at the same time, it can be loud, brash, and colorful (e.g., manga, Pachinko). This purple bag of Mentai (cod roe) puffed corn snacks is sensory overload all on its own, with multiple exclamation points, bold lettering, and metallic silver foil highlighting. I... (read more) 4.5/5.0

exceptional japanese mentai cod roe fish seafood junkfood riska corn snack 4.5 tokyofishmarket
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Wanderlust Creamery Green apple wasabi sorbet and yuzu cheesecake ice cream: Located on Glendale Boulevard in Atwater Village (LA), Wanderlust Creamery offers flavors inspired by locations around the world. Their unusual flavors made it very difficult to pick just two, but I went with their green apple and wasabi sorbet along with yuzu cheesecake. I loved the tartness and spicy aftertaste of the apple wasabi, which was expertly balanced, and the yuzu cheesecake had a delicious graham crackle crumble and yuzu jam throughout. The flavors were fantastic and some of t... (read more) 4.5/5.0

exceptional icecream la japanese wanderlustcreamery green apple wasabi sorbet yuzu cheesecake ice cream 4.5
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Satie Chocolaterie Koi no Teppoudama Chocolates: Translated as "Love's Tadpole" via Google Translate (though I doubt that's accurate), these earplug-shaped chocolates from Japan are much tastier than they look. The pieces are dusted in cocoa powder and begin to melt instantly on the tongue, with an exceptionally creamy and rich flavor. I'm normally not a chocolate person, but these were some of the best chocolates I've had, reminding me of the high quality hot chocolate from L.A. Burdick but more snackable and slightly less rich, which I... (read more) 4.5/5.0

exceptional japanese sweets dessert satiechocolaterie koi no teppoudama 4.5 chocolate
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Otafuku x Medetai Red Bean Taiyaki: Otafuku x Medetai is a small Japanese to-go street food shop in the East Village specializing in okonomiyaki, takoyaki, and taiyaki. Taiyaki is a classic Japanese dessert with a fish-shaped waffle exterior and different fillings inside (traditionally red bean). They make all their taiyaki from scratch here, filling their detailed custom molds with batter and producing 6 fishies at a time, all of which you can watch. This was probably the freshest taiyaki I've had -- it came out pipping h... (read more) 4.5/5.0

exceptional nyc japanese otafukuxmedetai red bean taiyaki 4.5