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
Usagiya Dorayaki: I first learned of the Japanese snack Dorayaki from Doraemon, a cartoon for kids about a robot cat whose favorite snack is the red-bean filled pancake. Since watching Doraemon as a child, I've enjoyed eating Dorayaki in the states mostly from the refrigerated aisle of grocery stores, where the packets always contain silica gel to maintain freshness. I was excited to try freshly made ones at Usagiya, a famous confectionary shop in Ueno specializing in this dessert. For a little under two d... (read more) 3.0/5.0
japanese ueno desserts redbean usagiya dorayaki 3.0
味自慢 木于卜饅頭: I treated myself to this unusual snack from the Japanese supermarket Tokyo Fish Market without knowing anything about what it was. Guided by just a few words of English, I understand that it's a wheat cake filled with a red bean paste dyed white and yellow and topped with black sesame seeds. Each cookie is generously sized, but at 235 calories each, you would hope so. The snack overall eats a tad dry and is best accompanied by milk (I imagine it would pair well with tea too). It's intere... (read more) 3.0/5.0
tokyofishmarket japanese redbean cake 木于卜饅頭 3.0
根津のたいやき Taiyaki: One thing I will sincerely miss when I leave Japan is the little mom & pop stands selling traditional Japanese treats like imagawayaki and taiyaki. This little stand in Nezu always seems to have a line, even in COVID times, and serves anko (red bean) filled fish-shaped pancakes. They cost just about $2 USD and they take care to snip off the burnt edges with scissors before placing your pancake in a to-go pouch, meant to be eaten quickly after it comes from the grill. Their red bean paste ... (read more) 4.5/5.0
exceptional japan nezu anko redbean tokyo taiyaki 4.5