Morsels of Délice

Monday, December 15, 2025

大坂はちみつ　Quattro Formaggi

This sweet is like soft Biscuit with a nice chocolate glaze on top. The photo looks like it have molten core, which is why I got it in the first place.

Peach manju looks interesting and I have yet tried any Japanese snacks with peach flavour before, so I got this without hesitation. This got everything right about manju: soft thin nicely baked dough skin and slightly sweet bean paste. But the peach flavour is kind of like too in-your-face, lacking the subtlety.

Banana Manju by 丸三食品株式会社

Banana Manju looks very interesting, so I got a box. The soft manju skin pairs well with white bean paste carrying the distinctive aroma of banana. Though I will prefer it if it tastes more natural.

Okasa Applico

When I first saw Osaka Applico at a store in the train station near Dotonburi, I thought the cute florid box looks familiar and gad a vague impression that it is good. A scroll through my previous posts proved that. So I immediately get a box. This is like Apple Pie with softer millefeuille pastry. A good and balanced combination of sweetness plus zest of fruit and savoury sweetness of baked wheat.

Tsukigesho Matcha 伊石衛門みるく饅頭

One of the absolute Must-Buy in Japan is Tsukigesho Milk Manju. The skin is so soft and thin, featuring the sweetness of baked wheat. The bean paste filling is so moist, milky and smooth due to the condensed milk and butter added. Still one of my favourites.

Shops and Streets of Osaka

Dotonburi of Osaka is super crowded, where takoyaki, tall buildings with giant posters, giant signboards, giant mascots rule the landscape. The place definitely has a very different vibe from that of Tokyo, Kyoto and Kobe. The feel is very Japanese, in a loud, direct, hearty, lively way. As compared to other places in Japan that I have been to, saved for Oishi Park and Arakura Sengen Shrine, there are a lot more tour groups here.

Gyukatsu Kyoto Katsugyu Kyoto Yodobashi

After trying the absolutely delicious gyukatsu in Kabuki-cho, we both developed a craving for more gyukatsu. So we really specifically searched for gyukatsu restaurants in Kyoto, and we found Gyukatsu Kyoto Katsugyu Kyoto Yodobashi.

As expected, there is lots of people waiting to dine at this place. The restaurant has a very efficient system to manage the crowd though. First, there is a queue to choose the menu you want and the make payment for it. Second, there is another queue (sort of, since we all are just waiting around there in line, which makes it look like a queue) where patrons wait to go into the restaurant when there are available seats. While waiting, the friendly front counter staff will collect the receipts to get the kitchen to prepare the dishes first. So when we get seated at the open kitchen counter, just a few minutes later, voila, gyukatsu set meal is served.

We got the premium wagyu, 黑毛和牛, since its marbling will yield a lovely buttery flavour based on our experience at another restaurant. And yes, the gyukatsu here also showcases the highly coveted buttery taste after I sear its surface on the small stove provided. And there are five types of condiments to pair with the gyukatsu, from ponzu sauce, pepper, katsu sauce, onsen egg, grated radish to wasabi. I love the variety in the options of condiments. All of them go so well with the gyukatsu.

But if I’m asked which gyukatsu do I prefer, I will say I prefer the one tried at Kabuki-cho because the texture of the wagyu there is more tender and more even due to the precise cutting of the gyukatsu for each piece to be of almost same width. The wagyu at Gyukatsu Kyoto Katsugyu has some tougher parts and the kitchen staff there cut the katsu unevenly, where one side is thicker than another side, causing uneven cooking.

If this area will be improved, it will be perfect.