Hot Hot Hot Pancakes!

Posted in eating, Japanese culture, restaurants, Shinjuku, Sweet Spot, Tokyo life, travel by tokyohamster

Pancakes are hot hot hot right in Tokyo! Here, they’re called ‘hot cakes.’ A couple brunch-type restaurants have popped up recently that specialize in pancakes, and they can usually be found by the crazy long line out front. When I say crazy, I mean 4-hour long wait crazy. In the rain in 90 degrees weather plus 80% humidity crazy. Although a few creative ideas have come out of the craze (like a cook-it-yourself restaurant similar to okonomiyaki), they’re usually just the same pancakes we get back home. If you want to see what the craze is all about (or just gawk at the queues), there are a few places to check out: Eggs N Things in Harajuku, Original Pancake House in Kichijoji, Slappy Cakes in Shinjuku. Find a more complete list here.

20Mar2013

Sweet Potato Bun

Posted in dessert, eating, Japanese culture, omiyage, sweet potato, Sweet Spot, travel by tokyohamster

Purple sweet potatoes must be one of the most beautiful vegetables. Their natural color is better than any imitation food coloring out there. So when I came across a shop selling these sweet potato-filled buns steaming in a wooden box on a side street, I had to buy one! … And then I bought another. Continue reading →

19Mar2013

Kawagoe: Penny Candy Alley

Posted in dessert, eating, Japanese culture, omiyage, sweet potato, Sweet Spot, travel, wedding favors by tokyohamster

One of my favorite parts of Kawagoe was Penny Candy Alley (Kashiya Yokocho) that’s made of small alleyways, old merchant candy shops, and tons of traditional candy and snacks. It has such a great nostalgic feel that makes everyone reminisce about a simpler time. Even my husband ran around like a kid in a candy shop, and with big eyes, he asked me for 100 yen ($1)! Continue reading →

18Mar2013

Kawagoe: A Day in Historic Japan

Posted in eating, Japanese culture, omiyage, specialty shops, Sweet Spot, Tokyo life, travel by tokyohamster

This weekend, I finally made it to the historic town of Kawagoe or “Little Edo”, and it was even better than I expected! If you’re visiting Tokyo and would like to experience historic Japan, don’t miss this spot. Just an hour train or car ride from central Tokyo (30 min from Ikebukuro), this area transports you with its original pharmacies, ramen shops, shrines, and candy shops. Some of the buildings are originals from the 1600s that survived the earthquakes, bombings, and fires. Continue reading →

11Mar2013

Taiyaki Shop

Posted in anko, dessert, eating, omiyage, specialty shops, Sweet Spot, Tokyo life by tokyohamster

I’ve been meaning to visit Kawagoe 川越市 for awhile now, and with the beautiful weather yesterday morning, I thought it’d be the day. By the time we got to Ikebukuro Station, the wind picked up so all of the trains stopped until they could travel more safely. Not wanting to wait around indefinitely, I strolled around Ikebukuro instead, where I spotted this small taiyaki shop (pronounced: tie-yah-key).

Taiyaki is a Japanese sweet snack made from pancake batter, cooked in a fish-shaped mold, and stuffed with red bean paste. It can be filled with other things such as chocolate, custard, or cheese, but red bean paste is the most common and traditional.

Shinjuku Tsubakian is owned by a sweet woman, who is nothing but smiles and polite words. She cooks everything to order so your taiyaki is fresh, hot, and crunchy! Everything is homemade, and her shop specializes in thick crust teriyaki for 150 yen.