Thoughts on buying snacks in Japan

Part of the fun in travelling in Japan is buying the Japanese sweets and snacks. And based on my experiences this time in Japan, I realised that:

1. If getting snacks from souvenir shops, better to get the ones that are also sold in other countries or on online platforms.

Examples: Hiyoko, Tsukigesho, Shiroi Koibito, Tokyo Banana

2. If getting snacks that are unheard of outside of Japan, better to get from specialty stores or counters. And get more of them.

There is a good reason why certain brands have specialty stores or counters. High chance is that their products are delicious enough for the possibility of generating enough sales to justify a specialty store or counter.

3. Specialty vending Machine Snacks may be better than expected

In fact, the best yatsuhashi I have tasted thus far is from a vending machine. Of course, this brand, おたべ otabe, is also available in box form in souvenir stores. But I chose to buy another brand for the sake of trying something new. Well, the good part about this decision is that I realise that otabe is actually better and will be my choice of yatsuhashi the next time I go to Japan.

My guess for its availability in specialty vending machine is due to its popularity (most probably due to its good taste) to justify setting up a machine just to sell this brand of snack.

4. If getting something from souvenir stores, steamed cakes and cookies are safer choices. But they may be just quite nice only, not mind-blowingly good.

5. Mochi and yatsuhashi are risky choices. Buy with a sense of adventure, or buy the ones confirmed to be good.

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 no Koibito 大坂ピ—チの恋人

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.

京都純喫茶風 生ハツ橋 プリン

Pudding flavour looks interesting but I’m a little unsure how good it will taste, given that not all yatsuhashi will taste good.

And I'm really surprised to find that this brand of yatsuhashi taste pretty good. It has a nice rich taste of caramel that complements the super soft nama dough skin. The moist texture of filling makes it even better. This is actually one of the better yatsuhashi.

Esprit de Kyoto Petite Crepe Nama Yatsuhashi

I see this yatsuhashi at an Arashiyama store. The combination of jelly and cream as filling looks promising, so I get a box.

This yatsuhashi features very soft nama dough skin, which is good.

The taste is better than what I expected since the jam-jelly hybrid ganache is moist and tastes pretty refreshing. Making this a lighter snack than the ones with traditional filling. It got ribbons of cream to make it slightly more intense in flavour. This brand gets the strawberry flavour one totally right.

Banana tastes kind of artificial though. Matcha is decent. Chocolate is meh though.

京都宇治総本家 辻利 わらび餅

This is the best warabi mochi I ever have. No doubt about it. It is incredibly soft, moist, almost like jelly. The rich clear sweet taste of matcha mochi juxtaposes so well with the clean bitterness of the matcha powder. The powdery texture of matcha powder feels almost sugary when paired with the jelly-like mochi. Perfect.

It’s only until later that I realise that I also got Matcha Powder of this same brand from a cafe near Arakura Sengen Shrine, Cafe Yorozuya. This matcha is so good, being pure and clear in taste.

Kyoto Nomura Japanese Premium Pepper

Another one of my best random buys is Kyoto Nomura Japanese Premium Pepper.

It is a bit like dried pepper fruit, instead of the usual pepper. Dry on the outside, pulp-like in the core, making for a good bite. It is tangy, spicy, savoury and sweet. I love it. This will perk up the taste of any dish. I will buy this every time I see it.

Malebranche Nama Cha no Ka Okoicha Fondant Chocolat 京都北山 生茶菓

I actually pick this up wanting to try it and then put it back since I thought matcha chocolate is not exactly novel. Then I pick it up again because the moist texture of display looks so tempting. And the interesting, unique shape kind of hints at the potential of this sweet being unique and different. My curiosity finally wins this time, where I decide to get a small box of this sweets. This time curiosity gets the prize because this Fondant Chocolat is so amazingly good. This is one of the best unexpected buys of this Japan trip.

It is totally different from any other sweets, in a totally awesome way.

This is like lava cake full of matcha goodness.

When served cold, which is recommended by the brand, it is paste-like, similar to nama chocolate. When at room temperature, the exterior is like the softest moist cake that can break if I pinch too hard. And the interior is in my-oh-my molten form. Definitely a must-buy.

This is so good that I go ahead to get a box of five pieces of Fondant Chocolat from Kyoto Lovers on Shopee.

京都鶴屋 鶴寿庵 京ちゃふれ ここ Soft Matcha Sable

When I first see that this sweet is a kind of cookie, I actually want to look pass it since I'm not into cookies and its dry texture. But the moist look of its core makes me stop in my tracks and actually deliberate on getting this. Yes, it is a tough decision since I need to take into account the limited space of my luggage, so I want to get stuff that I really want. Well, finally, I decide to just go for it because I'm really curious if the molten core makes a difference.

And yes, it does!

Best sable or should I say, cookie. It is so soft and moist, full of the astringent aroma and light clear vegetal bitterness of matcha. The core is of even softer and packs more moisture, creating a slight lovely contrast, akin to a lava cake, in sable form. The exterior has a nice sugary, gritty bite, to make the texture exciting.

I'm so happy with my choice to get this. There is this satisfying feel of buying something based on feelings and hitting the jackpot with it.

551 Horai

One distinctive feature of 551 Horai is its queue. Yes, and its queue was what caught my attention. Actually, I wasn’t that interested in trying Chinese food in Japan. But when my sister said this is the only Chinese she wanted to try, I decided to get up early on one of the days to specially queue for it.

I arrive half an hour before opening time, and a queue is formed already. The good part is that the queue now is significantly shorter. So I get a big box of four pork buns and another box of twelve shrimp shumai since I figure that I got to buy more  to make the wait worth it.

The dough skin is fluffy and slightly stretchy, which is different from the pork buns in Singapore. The magic is in its meat fillings, which is super juicy. Juiciest pork bunnmeat fillings? Yes! And the gamey taste of pork is light, which is how I like it.

Shrimp shumai is juicy and full of umami.

Japanese Instant Vermicelli and Kobe Curry Ramen

Pretty good Japanese instant vermicelli. Very tasty. But best to add more water than recommended to yield softer vermicelli.

Kobe Ramen is pretty good too, full of savoury flavours with a slight spiciness.

Gion Tsujiri 祇園辻利

While window shopping at Kyoto Train Station, the wooden signboard with Japanese calligraphy at Gion Tsujiri attracts us into the store to look around. And upon seeing financier available in Gion Tsujiri, and with my coincidence in the deliciousness of financier recently boosted, I grab a piece of matcha financier to try.

I totally love it after trying it. This has the sweet richness of cake with a layer of slightly sticky glutinous rice paste on top. This makes the texture interesting.

The lovely buttery taste comes through as I bite more into it, and it pairs so well with the clear astringent taste of matcha. This is a must-try. And I actually go back to get more of this cake.

I prefer matcha over houjicha, which is stronger in taste and seems to have chocolate added in.

Matcha Latte is so pure and creamy in taste. Everyone says it’s really good.

8-3 Higashishiokoji Takakuracho, Shimogyo Ward, Kyoto, 600-8214, Japan

聖護院 八ツ橋

Looking for some unique Yatsuhashi snacks, Kyoto Plusta at Kyoto Train Station has so many varieties that it is pretty hard to choose. And the strawberry filling of this brand catches my attention. So I get a box of strawberry yatsuhashi and a chestnut type also.

But I don't think I can finish neither the strawberry nor the chestnut one. This brand of yatsuhashi has the smell and taste of preserved fruits, typically present in packaged mochi. The reason I avoid buying mochi is because of this smell and taste.

 I guess I'm sticking to Otabe for choice of yatsuhashi.

京都 伊藤之右衛门 宇治茶 みどりの散步道

I got a box of 京都 伊藤之右衛门 宇治茶 みどりの散步道 because matcha cheesecake sounds good.

And it is a very nice matcha cheesecake with distinctive Uji Matcha flavour and awesome moist texture due to the cream cheese. A safe choice to get that will please all palates.

Breakfast plus Lemon Cake from Kyoto Sizuya and Kyoto Plusta

It's free and easy morning. So I decide to go to Kyoto Train Station to do some shopping for my breakfast and some nice sweets to bring home.

Actually, all the restaurants that serve breakfast are full-house, with a queue formed outside them. No kidding. So I decide to grab some takeaway food for breakfast instead. Then I chance upon Sizuya and decide I should try the baked goods of a Japanese bakery.

I got the Assorted Sandwich, which tastes really good. This features two types of sandwiches. One of them is the Tamago Sandwich that is full of soft boiled mashed egg mixed with mayonnaise. So rich and satisfying to eat. Then I alternate with the other sandwich, which is the refreshing, tasty Tomato and Cucumber Sandwich that also has mayonnaise added.

I also got a Lemon Cake while at it. And I love it for its light lemony taste amid the buttery taste of cake, with a good balance of zest and sweetness. Now I wish I got more of this cake.

Now looking back at the pictures I took of Sizuya's other bakes, I wish I had gotten them.

I also got an Onigiri from Plusta, which is vinegar rice with green leafy vegetables and sesame at the centre. It is is delicious and healthy since it is packed with lovely flavours of vegetables.

Higashishiokoji Kamadonocho, Shimogyo Ward, Kyoto, Japan