Kyoyo Shoku Akatsuki 京洋食 あかつき @ Shibuya Hikarie : Kakigori and other Japanese desserts

Friends were looking for a dessert place after Okonomiyaki dinner at Shibuya Hikarie and I suggested Akatsuki, a Japanese-western fusion restaurant that serves Kakigori in its desserts menu. This is actually very rare as most Japanese restaurants, especially those located in department stores, usually offer predictable sweets like parfaits, ice cream or pudding. Everything but Kakigori.  I've always wanted to try the unique pumpkin miso Kakigori but it was unavailable as guessed since pumpkin is likely a seasonal flavor.

Nonetheless, I was delighted to find Kurogoma Kinako on the menu. The kurogoma flavor was present but the intensity might not satisfy avid sesame fans. I could barely remember tasting any kinako. I preferred the special matcha Kakigori, which uses matcha from Marukyu Koyamaen and served with a big scoop of matcha ice cream. The texture of the ice was very fine and melted effortless in the mouth. One person could easily finish this as it wasn't too big.

The Houjicha Pudding was robust and tasty as well, though some found the bitter caramel sauce rather overpowering. Overall, the desserts here are reasonably priced except for the two puny scoops of ice cream that cost \420. Delicious, but one might be better off at an ice cream parlour. One of my friends said that the food here is pretty good and I will definitely be back to check it out when I'm in the area.

東京都渋谷区渋谷2-21-1 渋谷ヒカリエ6F
11am-5pm (lunch) 5pm-11pm (dinner)

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Delifucius : Premium fish burgers by sushi chef

 Fucking delicious?

Well, not quite there yet but I must say the fish burgers here at Delifucious are delicious. Opened barely for a month, Delifucius has become the next hot spot in Nakameguro where one can find artisanal beer, cheese and pizzas. Delifucius means delicious + fucking, and it sells unique fish burgers which you can’t find elsewhere. And who could have been so upfront and confident in his food? Someone who has been dealing with fish, of course.

Chef Shinya Kudo has clocked over 10 years of experience in high-end sushi restaurants including the 2-starred Michelin restaurant Ginza Harutaka which takes in customers by reservation only. Just like any sushi chef who is exceptionally particular about freshness, Chef Shinya sources the fish from Tsukiji market daily. The signature item is none other than the Konbu-zime burger. The fish, which varies according to the season, is wrapped in konbu for 2 days to absorb the umami from the seaweed. It is then fried and sandwiched with homemade coleslaw and a special slimy tofu wafu sauce. The lightness and crispness of the fish is unbeatable and the taste of the meat was simply beautiful.

My friend loves this burger but I prefer the grilled saikyo-yaki (fish grilled with miso) burger. I can’t resist the caramelized sweetness from the fish even though it might be slightly less tender than the Konbu-zime burger. The buns are just small enough to hold the hefty fillings and no one will disagree that the food is truly value for money.

Expect to queue for at least 1 hour if you drop by during peak hours. Even if there are empty seats inside, the staff will still restrict the number of diners inside. But you’ll see that most people will still queue patiently outside. After all, how often do you get to eat cheap and tasty fish burgers done by a Michelin-star sushi chef?  

1-9-13 Higashiyama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo

東京都目黒区東山1-9-13 1F  http://delifucious.com/
11:30 a.m.-9 p.m.; closed Wed

Budget: ~1000 yen

 Saikyo-yaki burger

 Konbu-zime burger

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厨菓子くろぎ Kuriya Kashi Kurogi : Excellent MUST TRY Kakigori Hidden in Tokyo University

 WOW! How can Kakigori ever taste SO GOOD?

I was almost rendered speechless upon the first taste of the Kuromitsu Kinako Kakigori at this new Wagashi cafe that opened in May 2014. It is the sister café of high end Japanese restaurant Kurogi and strategically located right in Tokyo University aka Todai. Here, one can find modernized wagashi in stylish presentation which they call "artisanal works". Given that Kurogi is said to be one of the best ryoriya in town, one can expect standards of the sweets here to be no less remarkable.

This giant mountain of ice is like no other Kakigori I've ever had before. It's bigger than an average adult head size (not face) and doused generously in kinako-dusted cream. The key point here is  "generous" as there's more than enough to go with the delicate shaved ice. The cream, which I'm not too sure whether it should be called "espuma", is slightly denser than the usual espuma served in Kakigori shops but that's not a bad thing. The cream managed to hold its structure steadily till the end.

Most importantly, the chemistry between this light brownish cream, kuromitsu syrup and kinako powder was fantastic. Well, how delicious could this be since kuromitsu-kinako has always been a fail-proof combination? Extraordinarily delicious, I say. And I can only advise you to taste it for yourself. This is my best and favourite Kakigori till date, the next best is probably the Pudding Kakigori from Cheka. Anyway, this has easily beaten the version from Kissho Karyo in Kyoto or even any matcha Kakigori hands down. There's more than just red beans or black beans--before you know it, you have crunched upon some tasty walnuts.

The seasonal kakigori was Sakura-ko, a sakura-themed kakigori with a substantial layer of sakura bean paste layered within and a mixture of sakura jelly and kinako jelly. The red beans here are well-cooked without being too sweet. In fact, this is even lighter than the Kuromitsu Kinako due to the pickled taste of the sakura and the subtle cheesy taste in the cream.

The issue here might be the price. It IS expensive for 1400 yen as most kakigori is way below 1000 yen. But for the excellent quality and huge portion, there is nothing much to complain about. The coffee set is priced at 2200 yen, with a choice of 3 coffee all using beans from from Sarutahiko Coffee. Our cold ice brew (mizu-dashi ko-hi)  was smooth and concentrated, without any bitterness or acidity. I don't drink coffee regularly but I loved the brew here.

But I felt the signature kudzu jelly was overpriced at 2500 yen. The warabi mochi version costs the same but I opted for this since kudzu jelly is lighter on the belly. Needless to say, the plate of transluscent kway teow strips went hand-in-hand with the black sugar syrup and kinako powder but did not stand far from those kuzu jelly sold elsewhere.

Just as you may be eagerly jotting this down on your to-eat list, here are some points to note:

• Avoid weekends if possible or just be mentally prepared to queue for 30 min or so even though you see empty tables around. That's just how inflexible and inefficient the place is run here. But you can use the waiting time to tour around the campus since this could be your first and last time stepping into the prestigious Tokyo University. If there's no queue, that's the best thing, of course.
• Go from the side gate "Kasuga" (kasugamon　春日門), else you have to figure your way through the maze-like university campus
• Come hungry. Don't belittle the size of one kakigori. It's really BIGGER than average.
• Come with a friend or more, if you wanna try at least TWO items.

Daiwa Ubiquitous Research Building 1F, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo *located nearby the Kasuga Gate inside Hongo campus of The University of Tokyo 5 minutes walk from Hongo sanchome Station, Marunouchi Line 3 minutes walk from Hongo sanchome Station, Oedo Line 東京都文京区本郷　7-3-1 国立大学法人 東京大学 本郷キャンパス春日門側 ダイワユビキタス学術研究館１階 丸ノ内線　本郷3丁目駅より 徒歩5分 大江戸線　本郷3丁目駅より 徒歩3分 Phone: +81-3-5802-5577 http://www.wagashi-kurogi.co.jp/

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Mercer Brunch @ Roppongi : Back for Uni Omelette

And so I went back to Mercer Brunch as Miss K. wanted to try the Uni Omelette, which is only available at the Roppongi outlet. Since I love uni and omelette too, I thought why not? 

The Uni & Scallop Omelette with Uni Cream sauce (1600yen) is found under the Homemade Bread Brunch Section, together with Lobster & Fresh Tomato Omelette with Lobster Cream Sauce (1600 yen). Eventually, we ordered both as the omelette serving was considerably small. Similar to omurice, the omelette is soft, semi-runny on the inside but rather salty. So that's when the bread comes into the picture. Just like the French Toast, the bread rolls were excellently fluffy and delicious for mopping up the sauces. But I can imagine myself having them alone with the butter. 

Ok, I almost forgot that the main star is the omelette. Both Uni and Lobster scream indulgence and it is hard to pick one if you ask me again. The Lobster Omelette tastes like lobster bisque with subtle sweetness from the tomatoes while the Uni Omelette has a more robust umami, slightly briny flavor typical of sea urchin. 

So take your pick and you will unlikely be disappointed 

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Pariya vs Sadaharu Aoki : Seasonal Ice Cream Treats

The weather in Tokyo has been cranky lately but this can't stop one from having ice cream. Thanks to my makan kaki, I learnt about S.Aoki's seasonal edition matcha glacé, which took me by surprise because his only frozen confectionaries so far are the glacé sandwiches.

For ¥401, the order comes with 2 balls of matcha ice cream which are thick, dense but still had a strong white chocolate taste amidst the green camouflage.
Coincidentally, I bumped into Pariya on the same afternoon and decided to go for their Italian style gelato. Pariya has been around since 1996 serving interesting Japanese flavors such as Kuromitsu Kinako, Ichigo Shortcake alongside classic chocolate mint or coffee walnut. Lookout for weekly rotating flavors such as Avocado & Honey or Jasmine Cream. But it isn't strictly a gelato parlour as it also sells Japanese delicatessen (sozai) and bentos.

Of course, I went straight for the Uji Matcha & Chocolate Ganache is less sweeter than S.Aoki's matcha glacé and slightly more concentrated in the tea flavor. I liked the addition of dark chocolate bits which intensify the bitterness. However, the Sakura Mochi is rather weak in Sakura and tasted more like an Azuki ice cream. Single scoop is ¥432 while double is ¥497. No wonder most people opts for the double flavour as the serving is pretty huge for the price. But just be warned that you may be served by a rather unfriendly old auntie. Good Luck!

Shop List:
Sadaharu Aoki @ Shibuya Hikarie
Hikarie ShinQs B2F, 2-21-1, Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Daily 10am-9pm
http://www.sadaharuaoki.jp/

Pariya @ Tokyu Toyoko Foodshow Shibuya
Daily 10am-9pm
http://www.pariya.jp/shop/shibuya.html

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Patisserie Asako Iwayanagi : Another Pastry Jewel in Tokyo

If anyone sells a parfait for 2500 yen ($31) in Singapore, I bet nobody will buy it.
But here at Patisserie Asako Iwayanagi, almost every customer is willing to splurge on a 2500-yen parfait.


Barely opened for a year or so since Nov winter 2015, Patisserie Asako Iwayanagi is a stylish cake boutique that has attracted many cake fans for its gorgeous parfaits and modern French pastries. The design of the shop is almost like a chic fashion store--minimalist black with an open kitchen. I've always wanted to visit this shop as it is helmed by a female owner-chef, Asako Iwayanagi-san; a rare occurrence in the male-dominated patisserie scene here.


In fact, this isn't her first foot into the business as she has opened the popular Patisserie De Bon Coeur way back in 2005 and it has already expanded to 6 outlets in Tokyo till date. No wonder I got a sense of deja vu when I saw the Mont Blanc in this shop. Patisserie De Bon Coeur has now been passed on successfully to the next generation and she decided to open a patisserie that is named after herself in the quiet neighbourhood of Todoroki, a few stations from Jiyugaoka.

Despite the popularity of the parfaits, we decided to play safe by sticking to the cakes since it was our first visit. And the good news is, NONE of the cakes disappointed us. The seasonal Sakura Mont Blanc (550 yen) was not overpoweringly sweet and well-balanced on the intensity of Sakura flavour, with some sour accents from the rhubard compote to cut through the cream. My friend, Miss K, even gave this a big thumbs up even though she did not fancy sakura. The Crème a la pistache (580 yen) distinguished itself from the usual pistachio-cherry combination by sandwiching black cherries-figs compote in between the fragrant black tea dacquoise. Some would prefer the pistachio nut base to be crunchier but I enjoyed the slight chewiness of the nuts.

But the cake that triggered the WOW reaction was the Tarte aux framboises avec sa crème the japonais (550 yen) In short, Houjicha-raspberry tart. The houjicha flavour was intense and reminded me of Matchaya's Houjicha soft serve. We were surprised that raspberry coexisted so well with houjicha and we couldn't agree more that the choice of pate brisee was a non-conventional but smart one here to complement the sweetness.

The most expensive item we had was the Chocolat au lait et aux pistaches avec 3typs noix aka Milk Chocolate Mousse with trio of nuts (almonds, pecans and hazelnuts). Despite being on the sweet side, the milk chocolate cream was satisfying and you could imagine me and Miss K. dwelling in chocolate fantasy for some moments.

Last but not least, Terrine au the vert (450 yen), a half baked chocolate terrine cake that took us some time to digest its unique fudgy yet slightly cakey texture, somewhat akin to a brownie but much more moist and sticky. There's the sweetness of a flan that coincided with the bitterness of matcha. I gleaned in delight when my fork finally reached to the top layer of dark matcha glaze; so robust and delicious.

A sense of awe and pride swelled within me as I finished the cakes. It could be partially because of the rarity for a female patissier to helm her own shop and deliver excellence on the cakes at the same time. Each pastry has been carefully conceptualized in all aspects.

A stands for Asako,  and A for her creations

東京都世田谷区等々力 4–4–5
Tues-Sun10am-7pm
http://www.a-patisserie.com

『峠・桜モンブラン』
 桜あんと和栗を組み合わせた和風のモンブラン。...
甘酸っぱいルバーブコンポートのアクセントと共に。

クレームピスターシュ
純ピスタチオクリームに黒さくらんぼピュレで煮たイチゴのコンポートをサンド。...
仄かな紅茶の生地の香りが後から口に広がります。
ほうじ茶のクレムー
山梨県甲州市・宿沢フルーツ農園のフランボワーズをさくさくのブリゼ生地で焼き込み、とろけるほうじ茶のクレムーと合わせました

宇治抹茶フランテリーヌ
宇治抹茶のほろ苦さに濃厚なフランの甘さが優しい半熟テリーヌショコラ

ピスタチオショコラクレムー　～3種のナッツとともに～

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Schokoladen burg : Karuizawa Chocolate Factory

The streets were cloaked in white snow and the temperatures fell below zero degree Celsius. We were walking along the old Ginza streets of Karuizawa (not Tokyo yah?) that looked like a ghost town as there was barely any people or shop that is opened for business. Honestly I regretted subjecting my family and myself to such cold brutal winds by travelling all the way to Karuizawa, a 2.5-hour Shinkansen ride from Tokyo. I know, it's a place where most people head for summer retreat and winter skiing. But there was no turning back since we've trekked half-way on the cold pavement. Everything looked bleak until we chanced upon a chocolate factory.

CHOCOLATE FACTORY?!?! Did I read wrongly?


A chocolate factory not in London, Australia but in Japan? I immediately crossed the road and headed for the red house. All I want was a hot cuppa of chocolate, a cup that could thaw my frozen face and limbs. Our wish was granted. I had the rich frothy cocoa drink that wasn't overly sweet, along with the 2 little squares of chocolate in matcha and champagne flavor.

Those wickedly pricy treats were one of the best I've ever had; they melted gradually under the heat of the palates, leaving behind a cacao breath to behold. The dine-in menu was limited to the standards beverages like coffee, tea and a dessert--a chocolate Bavarian, became an oddity on the list. It was a long wait before the drinks and Bavarian mousse arrived as the duo (an old man and a younger one) took their own sweet time to prepare the stuff even though there were no customers.

I would probably be irritated if this was summer. But the plunging temperatures outside encouraged us to linger on. And now I finally understand why chocolate is exceptionally charming during winter.

Ｓｃｈｏｋｏｌａｄｅｎ　ｂｕｒｇ　軽井沢チョコレート館
〒389-0100  長野県北佐久郡軽井沢町軽井沢４－２
10am-6pm daily

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Crisscross Omotesando : Triple Sakura Pancakes

Crisscross Omotesando, one of the cafes under Tyler's Group has launched the seasonal Triple Sakura Pancakes (1500 yen), a trio of buttermilk pancakes layered with white bean paste that's mixed with salted Sakura petals and draped in a rich Sakura Sauce. The presence of Sakura was evident and not too sweet at all. However, the texture of buttermilk pancakes bordered on the average and reminded me of McDonald's Hotcakes.

As one order (either drinks or food) per person is required, we deliberated over the menu and picked the Omelette Sandwich (1300 yen) eventually. The bread comes from Breadwork, it's sister bakery next door, but sadly it was not toasted. The sandwich tasted strange due to the jarring presence of orange marmalade jam. There's a light spread of mayonnaise and chives within the egg layers but nothing particularly special other than that.

Crisscross Omotesando
107-0062 東京都港区南青山5-7-28
8am-9pm daily
https://www.tysons.jp/crisscross/access/

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Gomaya Kuki ごまやくき: World's richest black sesame ice cream

That's another marketing slogan that sounds familiar because Suzuki-en ya has used it before. Opened on 12th March 2017, Gomaya Kuki is a tiny café in Omotesano that sells 6 flavors of gelato revolving around black and white sesame. The shop is a collaboration between traditional sesame producer 九鬼 and favy gourmet group. Needless to say, the shop uses the sesame oil and sesame from 九鬼.

You can't choose between the single or double, cup or cone because the standard order is 2 flavors for 500 yen. My friend and I went straight for the richest Black and White Goma (though I was inclined to pick the Goma Shio). And the verdict? Both were  thick, creamy and robust flavour but the kurogoma has a sharper and lasting sesame taste to it. Very delicious and enjoyable indeed. 

Sesame seeds and sesame oil are self-service at the counter table. Some people might be hesitant to add the Sesame oil but my advise is to go for it. It adds a lovely nutty aroma to the ice cream, just like how sesame oil brings steamed chicken to life. 

Ok, don't mistake it as maple syrup. 

One cup is said to contain 9000 sesame seeds. How true I can't tell. I'm not too sure if it's the world's richest Goma ice cream but if you can't get the kick, there's always black sesame paste. That's what I call rich. 

Gomaya Kuki （ごまや　くき）
東京都渋谷区神宮前４丁目６−９　南原宿ビル１F
11:00〜23:00 daily
http://gomayakuki.jp/
Eat-in available but order of beverages is required. Terrace seating is available for those take-away only. 
 

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Atelier Kohta : Atas Plated Desserts at Kagurazaka

Tasty desserts but I'm not convinced or crazily impressed.

It was more like a dessert showmanship at L'atelie Kohta, a dessert cum patisserie in Kagurazaka which have had positive reviews on tabelog. It's one of the places on my list but not of any high priority because I actually left empty handed after visiting the shop once after realizing that none of the cakes attracted me. I know it's not very accurate to judge by looks but I guess it was that sixth sense that prompted me to stay away from them. Maybe I should give the counter desserts a chance. After all, this place is more popular for the counter desserts with so many pictures of Chef Kohta setting an orange peel on fire for his Crepe Suzette.

And alas I did.



It was a weekday afternoon and the counter tables were seated with ladies. No guys. I was told to wait 30 minutes before I could be seated despite the empty seats. Not a problem as I understood that it might be tough for one chef to handle too many orders at that same time. And hence when I finally got seated, I ordered two desserts; a parfait and a French toast .

The Coffee & Chocolate Parfait (\1300) was a chocolate symphony of coffee granite, dark chocolate mousse, Brandy ice cream, Brandy cream and coffee gelee. Bitter and mature, it tasted more like a coffee jelly dessert and tiramisu combined rather than an opera cake like the Chef had suggested. If that's the case, I think I would rather buy an opera cake. Neither the booze nor the chocolate was strong enough to give a satisfying kick even though the textures were still acceptable.
・ブルーチーズのフレンチトースト
ブルーチーズのソース、蜂蜜、ロゼシャーベット
I prefer the French Toast with Blue Cheese Sauce and Honey (\1300) as the flavors are heady even though it was stinky. Since I've always had a soft spot for cheese and honey, this combination worked for me but I'm not sure if it would suit everyone.

However, the French toasts were too eggy and sturgid. It tasted like those that anyone at home can make. Not that it was extremely bad but I was expecting a lot more since this is almost like a fine-dining dessert place to me. Furthermore, the Rose champagne sorbet was too icy to bring out any taste of the wine and thus seemed rather redundant. Just a simple glass of dessert wine that pair with the strong cheese umami will be good enough.

While there's a real live performance of dessert preparation right in front my eyes, I don't see how it added value to my dessert experience. Overall, I find that the dishes are quite cold, somehow lacking the passion and sincerity of a patissier. If I were to compare this to Toshi Yoroizuka's dessert atelier at Roppongi, this isn't a place I would return again.

A person's experience with food is not just about the food itself, but also the ambience and the form of human interactions that exist in the environment. As Chef Kohta was busy interacting with the other customers, I overheard his conversation which left me rather disappointed. I won't share in detail here.

I thought I saw a chef who is more driven by profit-making than passion.

I left the place disenchanted.

Atelier Kohta
Kagurazaka 6-25
http://www.atelierkohta.com/index.html

 

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