An-Cheese Tarts by Tsujiguchi Hironobu @ Tokyo Station

Selling popular cheese tarts might be a good way to gain more business but not everyone can do it well and delicious. Unfortunately, celebrity chef Tsujiguchi Hironobu's latest foray into the cheese tart market doesn't seem to hold up remarkably against strong competitors. Being a consistent advocate for traditional Japanese elements in western pastries, he has created a version filled with anko (red bean paste) beneath the cheese (¥216). The other is a lemon flavored chilled cheese tart (¥270) 

Besides the soggy tart shells, the cheese filling was too sweet and leaned towards a cheesecake texture. To be honest, these were very disappointing. The strategic location inside Ecute Tokyo Station definitely sees a constant stream of customers. But I think he should just stick to the butter rusks which was originally sold here.

That was one of the best snacks I've ever had.

Waraku Beniya by Tsujiguchi Hironobu

ecute tokyo, Inside Tokyo Station 1F
1 Chome-9-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda, Tokyo 100-0005, Japan
Opening Hours 8am-10pm (Till 9pm on Sundays/PH)
http://www.h-tsujiguchi.jp/brand/warakubeniya/

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Ninja Cut @ Seah Street : Scrumptious Protein Bowls with Cheeky Brunch

 You don't need to be a Ninja to make the cut here. Neither would you face a Ninja who cuts up your steak. Ninja cut is the latest venture by The Astronaut Groups who run Chillax Cafe, Ninja Bowl and the now defunct Babette.


The food is similar to the popular protein grain bowls these days but things here move faster like a Ninja because you don't have to pick and match the ingredients of your food like Grain Traders or Subway. Order from ten carb-free, protein-based mains and add-ons such as signature Ninja rice, sushi rice, brown rice with seaweed flakes, soba or greens are available at $2 each.

Out of the 4 mains I've tried, my pick would be the Oh My Cod! ($18) because the baked miso cod fish was full of umami from the use of saikyo shiromiso and sake marinade. In fact, the flavors were less prominent in the fish than the dressing itself, which helped to pull other ingredients such as honey-glazed carrots, edamame and pickled beetroot into the big picture.

But that's not the only thing Ninja Cut offers. From the list of all-day brunch items, the Polenta Mash ($18) was my favourite dish all thanks to the truffle polenta mash which was cheesy to my liking but yet not overpowering. So good that I think it stole the limelight from the Aburi chashu, which was fork-tender but could probably afford a touch of caramelized glaze to reinforce its presence in the dish.

Meanwhile, there's the Cheeky Cheese ($18) was a dish that's born to please the tastebuds with the pairing of grilled cheese in sweet brioche. The 24-hour Braised beef cheek was meltingly soft and delicious but I'm contented with the cheese sandwich alone. 

The only sweet option, Marvellous Matcha ($16), would highly satisfy visual appetites with its flowy deep-colored matcha lava. It was slightly too sweet for me but the taste of green tea was evident. This wasn't as marvellous as its predecessor, a Matcha lava cake, at Babette but probably makes the cut as one of the better matcha desserts in town.

#TheNinjaCut
32 Seah Street S188388
9.30am-7.30pm (Weekdays) 9am-6pm (Weekends)
*All prices are NETT without service charge

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Far East Bazaar : Hidden Matcha Arabian Gelato that beats the "World's Best Matcha Ice Cream"

I've been hesitating whether to write this because it is SO GOOD that I wanted to keep this a secret. But I've decided to pen it down as this place exudes such a unique charm not found in other ice cream parlor. In fact, Far East Bazaar didn't start off as a shop that sells gelato. It's a company that focuses on organic dried nuts, fruits, spices, herbs and salt--practically everything that reminds you of a 18th century Middle East trader who sells his goods on the Silk Road


Anyway, what blew me away was the line-up Arabian Gelato that I spotted at its Shibuya Hikarie Outlet. I was expecting it to taste like the sticky, elastic Turkish ice cream but it didn't turn out that way. In fact, the texture Arabian Gelato doesn't differ too much from an average gelato in Tokyo.

Every order of ¥500 comes with 3 choices. I had the signature Hanamitsu (coconut flower honey) which had a really pleasant floral sweetness, Dates as well as Rikyu. The latter is the one that shook my senses with its unapologetic bitterness and took me seconds before I recover to realize that THIS is the one that I've been searching for. THIS has snatched the "the World's Best Matcha Gelato" title, in my opinion, from Suzuki En @ Asakusa  . Never did I expect to find it in a place that sells dry goods, if I were to put it in blunt terms.

The opulence of this gelato is way beyond sheer imagination......but not everyone will enjoy it for sure. So be mentally prepared that this is NOT the cup for you (but YES for me since there were the other two sweet flavors to provide a nice balance) The matcha gelato here could possibly be way beyond human threshold as even the ice cream lady warned me for the intensity before I took it.

I walked out of the shop as the last customer, smiling with a cup of sweet and bitter gelato in victory mood.

Far East Bazaar
+Shibuya Hikarie 
〒150-8509 Shibuya ku, Shibuya 2-21-1
Shibuya HIkarie, ShinQa B2https://www.facebook.com/fareastbazaar/

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Tatsuhito Satoi : The Next Pastry Star in Kyoto

Best cheese tart I've ever had. 

I dare say it's better than BAKE or Pablo. And who else could have produced this but the No.1 Patisserie's ....disciple, Tatsuhito Satoi. Opened only in May this year, Patisserie Tatsuhito Satoi has been placed under the spotlight of local media because the chef used to train under Yuji Ajiki. That also explains why his cakes are so similar or should I say, copycats of those in YA.  But my wild guess is that he must have received the approval/blessings from his master to open his own shop. 

Take for example the Harmonie (¥480) which is also available at YA. It was as good as the Honey Hunt or Noisette which I've had from Y.A and maybe even better. The chamomile creme anglaise poured magnanimously as I sliced through the Jasmine chocolate mousse. I don't even have to taste to know its flavor;  the aroma was already there. Excellent. 
While I didn't try the original legendary roll from Yuji Ajiki, the Tatsujin roll (¥350) here, though gratifyingly pillowy and bouncy, did not had the wow factor maybe because I had set my expectations too high. The roll cakes from Kissho Karyo were softer. 

Chestnuts often come across as saccharinely sweet but this was utterly light, balanced by a tangy raspberry layer. The base is a layer of cake that resembled our banana cake and a superb buttery and crunchy biscuit 

Cuivre (¥450) 

But if there was one item that could possibly surpass the excellence of Yuji Ajiki, it would be the Baked Cheese Tart (¥480). The creamy pudding-like cheese layer was intensely cheesy and not too sweet. It was so delicately wobbly that I'm surprised how it could maintain such a good structure. Think of it as having the best qualities of Pablo & Bake combined as one. 

Even the croissants punched it's weight above the rest despite its dainty figure. So gorgeously flaky and buttery that it makes me want to try the original croissant from YA as well which I've heard was superb. Other items like the Matcha Chocolate French Toast (250 yen) and Bacon Tomato Tartine(220 yen) were. 
Compared to the currently top ranked Kyoto patisserie Tenderesse, I prefer the cakes here as it is less sweet and I think Tatsuhito Satoi has the potential to beat Tenderesse easily (or just a matter of time haha)  There are slightly fewer cakes here than YA but the selection of breads are wider and looked so amazingly delicious that it can qualify as a full-fledged bakery. 

Totally impressed by how much this one single man can bake because I only see him in the kitchen. And one thing which he did better than YA was to have a small cafe space to eat in (breads can be toasted up too!) I'm glad I came before he gets too famous in Kyoto haha

Should my favourite chef Yuji Ajiki retired one day, I don't think I need to worry because I know where to go for my cake fix. 

Patisserie Boulangerie Tatsuhito Satoi
Address: 京都市左京区北白川追分町2 Eフラット北白川1F
Tel: 075-285-1171
8:00〜19:00
Closed on Wed 
Access
京阪電車出町柳駅下車 徒歩約15分
市バス百万遍バス停 徒歩約5分
https://www.facebook.com/Pâtisserie-TATSUHITO-SATOI-978434895584033/

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Suzette @ Esplanade : Picnic by the Bays

I never imagine myself to do picnics in the hot, humid weathers like Singapore. But after experiencing a uniquely #SuzetteSG picnic at Esplanade by the Bays, I think I'm a convert now.

Suzette, the younger sister of Lola's Cafe, is the latest dessert bar in town that offers desserts and drinks with a touch of playfulness. "Playful" is the word here because you get rather unconventional pairings of flavors like Matcha and Mango or even a white chocolate durian tart inspired by the Esplanade architecture.

The cakes belonged to those dense buttercream Victorian-style cakes which I'm not a fan of. However, I highly recommend the tarts as the pastry shell was thin and crisp as they should be.

The Black Sesame Tart with Matcha Cookies Shavings ($6) might not be aesthetically attractive but the gooey and rich black sesame cream within would leave a lasting delicious imprint on your taste memory.

From 5th Nov onwards, they will launch a weekend brunch and takeaway picnic concept which brings cafe dining to another whole new dimension. Pay a deposit of $50 for the picnic basket and you can bring it anywhere around the Marina Bay to enjoy outdoor dining with your loved ones.

Highlights of the menu include Cold Angel Hair Pasta with Seared Salmon ($18) that is fit for any weather. Tossed in a light dressing of miso, furikake and vinegar, the springy pasta provided a refreshing vibe that didn't make me feel sluggish unlike most carbs. This is served with a generous hunk of salmon that is sous vide at 59 degrees before finishing with a caramelized tan in a quick sear.

Another must try is the French Toast ($16) that was well-soaked in maple milk before being brûléed to a nice golden crisp. It turned out less cumbersome to eat than I had imagined for a picnic and its appropriately soft and eggy interior was perfect for mopping up the melting vanilla ice cream. Yes, the ice cream survived through the picnic despite the photo-taking time. This dish got even better with the chewy bacon and bananas spiced with masala chai.

If French Toast works so well already, I guess putting a Crepe Suzette on the picnic brunch isn't a bad idea right? 

Suzette

8 Raffles Avenue #01-13 Esplanade Mall. Singapore 039802

Tue – Thu: 3pm – 10.30pm
Fri & Sat: 3pm – 11.30pm
Sun: 3pm – 10.30pm

https://www.facebook.com/suzettesg/

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OHAYO Biscuit オハヨー ビスケット : Quaint Kyoto Cafe selling Traditional French Sweets

Ohayo Gozaimasu!

What a rare find to chance upon a cafe owned by two ladies that bakes their own countryside French sweets! Pies, tarts, poundcakes, animal cookies...these old-fashioned rustic treats are arranged in front of the kitchen without any flamboyance to speak. It's simple, minimalist, just like any Japanese kitchen. 

There's only a counter table that sits 3 customers at the same time so it won't be such a nice thing to hoard the seat for too long if there are customers around. While I love those sophisticated entremets from posh cake boutiques, I also adore these humble, down-to-earth pastries that bring a sense of warmth to my heart. I had the popular Carrot Cake in the shape of a peculiar cylinder frosted unevenly with cream cheese.  

It probably did not look as attractive as those classic carrot cakes and it was a nightmare for me to find no more cream cheese inside the cake! Look how much a habitual animal of cream I've become!


But the cake itself was actually not too bad. It must have been the least sweetest carrot cake I've ever eaten in my life and the blend of spiced cinnamon was subtle at best. Some people might complain that it's too bland but the more I taste, the more I got accustomed to the simplicity. It was the perfect sweetness for me. The cake was tender but could be less dry and crumbly. 

I guess the baking philosophy here was "less is more" but I still wish there was more cream cheese. Since its named "Ohayo Biscuit", I couldn't leave without the signature Raisin Sandwich, a chunky block of sable cookies prised with buttercream and raisins. It looked like a tasty jigsaw puzzle to me but the sheer thickness made it less crispy than the superior ones from Hokkaido and quite difficult to chew as well. 

If they could serve a complimentary glass of hot milk or chocolate with the cookies, it will be perfect for dunking.

Ohayo Biscuit

〒602-0923 京都府京都市上京区中立売油小路東入油橋詰 96-2

11am-6pm daily (closed on Mon, Tues)

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うめぞの Cafe & Gallery Kyoto: Best Matcha Hotcakes

Those who are frequent travelers to Tokyo might be familiar or aware of the famous 梅園 Umezono in Asakusa which sells traditional Wagashi. There's also a traditional Wagashi house called 梅園 Umezono in Kyoto (actually more than one if we count all its outlets) but it is not affiliated to the Tokyo counterpart. 

The one in Kyoto was established in Kawaramachi and has opened several outlets, including this うめぞの Cafe & Gallery (pronounced as "u-me-zo-no) which is targeted at the younger crowds with a menu that includes hotcakes, French toast and raw gluten parfaits. 

In fact, I first learnt about this place through the Matcha Hotcakes (¥930/¥1330 with drink), which I have always assumed was pancakes until I actually arrived at the cafe and scrutinized the description on the menu. I didn't expect much as the pale green colors weren't appetizing at all. 

I was totally wrong. This was the BEST hotcakes I've ever had. The two pillowy stacks come with azuki paste and azuki butter which melted gradually under the heat of the pancakes. 

Instead of a pair of fork and knife, chopsticks were served and I finally knew the reason--the hotcakes are so soft and cloudlike that chopsticks alone will do the trick. The matcha taste was pleasantly mellow and  nothing too sweet here even if you have emptied the maple syrup. Even if these were not matcha-flavored, I am very certain I would still love it.

Any trip to Umezono would not be a completed without their signature Mitarashi Dangos which happened to be my favourite Wagashi too. But the grilled rice skewers were too firm and over-chewy, nowhere comparable to the ones from Mitarashi dango near 下鴨神社 even though the sweet soy sauce was tasty. 

Expect to wait a while for the Hotcakes to be ready but it's obviously worth the wait. And I'll be back for the Black Sugar French Toast next time. 

うめぞの Cafe & Gallery
180 Fudocho, Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture 604-8215, Japan
11.30am-7pm daily (LO 6.30pm)
http://umezono-kyoto.com/cafe/

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