Showing posts with label Japanese sweets. Show all posts

A Lazy Saturday


Guess what I found in Jiyugaoka today! I saw pictures of this bridge and little canal on guide books about Jiyugaoka, but I was never able to find it until today. It is a lot smaller than I had anticipated, but it looks like a small slice of Europe in my backyard. Once again, I'm reminded of just how thankful and blessed to be living in this neighborhood. 






One of the most interesting things about this neighborhood is the juxtaposition between the trendy, European influences and the reminder of old, traditional Japan. The canal shown above is right next to the Kumano Shrine. 






I also tried Nana's green tea for the first time~ I had the 白玉あんずき抹茶ラッテ. It costed about 600 yen for this. Quite expensive, but I think it's worth the value, especially if you like green tea. 



There's also a shop that specializes in nuts and beans. I bought this strawberry- flavored cashews. It's so good! The shop itself is also extremely trendy with samples of the products hanging down so you can see what's inside the package without opening it.  


Today, I woke up, did my chores. Afterwards, I just strolled Jiyugaoka, taking my time to really take in everything this neighborhood has to offer to me. Jojo and Lei met up with me a little later and I took them to see the shrine and the canal. Afterwards, we walked to this store called Accent Style where they had funny looking bunny dolls and stuffed animals. Jojo bought a Fuku- bukoro- a big bag of mystery products. The things inside were extremely cute and I kind of want to buy one of my own! 
Then, they came over to my place. I love playing host and I would like more people to come over so I can host them ^-^.

Later, Emma joined us and we had Thai food. It's deemed authentic and judging by the 40 mins we had to wait, it's super popular. Although I was not terribly wowed by the food, it was pretty good. The music there was also great. 



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Taiyaki + Croissant= Taiyaki Croissant!!

Trains that actually come on time, bustling streets laden with attractive shops and restaurants, amazing food... there are so many perks that comes with living in Tokyo. And did I mention amazing food??

One of the best perks is the easy access to creative and wonderful food hybrids. Today, I went to Shinjuku to try one of the latest culinary inventions-  Taiyaki Croissant!

My friend, Emma, and I met at JR Shinjuku Station East Exit. It's literally one minute away from the East Exit. Once you head outside of that exit, in front of your eyes should be a big shopping mall- Alta Studio.


As you walk towards Studio Alta, you will see Croissant Taiyaki right in front of the entrance. You cannot miss it. Aside from the big "Croissant Taiyaki" across the banner, there are those side- flags indicating what's sold there. The moment you step near the store (which is located outside btw), you can smell the powerful scent of the sweet pastry. It smells amazing!



The Croissant Taiyaki is by Gindako, a popular chain takoyaki restaurant. The Croissant Taiyaki are also sold at certain Gindako spots- you can check the website here http://www.croissant-taiyaki.com. 







I bought one for 200 yen and it was worth every yen. You can also purchase a set of them to bring home and share with your friends and family or eat them all by yourself! 
The Croissant Taiyaki is made from croissant puff pastry sheets and pressed in Taiyaki mold. On top, you can see sprinkled drops of hard, crystalized sugar. 


The inside is filled with warm Anko (red bean) filling. The crispy outside and the soft filling complements perfectly. It's sweet, warm, and delicious! 
I recommend this to everyone who loves sweets and food in general~ 





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