Day: January 25, 2017

Japanese confections

Here are a few Japanese confections that I liked during my trip to Osaka and Kyoto:-

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Warabi mochi

This was one of my favorite confections to eat when I was in Osaka. Unlike the traditional mochi, which is made of glutinous rice, warabi mochi is made of bracken starch covered in kinako (toasted soybean flour). Its texture is more jelly-like and translucent.

 

 

 

Matcha ice cream

If you love matcha and ice cream, then you have to try the matcha ice cream! It is sold pretty much everywhere.

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Mitarashi Komochi

Mitarashi komochi is a famous mochi in Osaka. The mochi is filled with mitarashi (a sweet syrup made from soy sauce).  An important note about the mochi is its relatively short shelf life.  I was unaware of this and kept a box for almost two weeks before opening it, only to find out that it had already expired. So pay attention to the expiry date!  I bought this at a shop in Dotonbori.

 

Mon Loire financier

I first got a box of Mon Loire financier as a gift from a friend who traveled to Japan. The one given to me had three flavors – matcha, plain, and chocolate. The cake was light and moist.  The cake finished within a day (I shared some with friends), leaving me wanting more. When I finally planned my trip to Japan, I made sure that it was on my itinerary.  I bought mine from the Takashimaya department store in Osaka.  Mon Loire specializes in chocolate. If you want to try out their chocolate, you can look up their store locations on their website https://www.monloire.co.jp/shop.html. Also, note that not all stores sell the financier.

Soda crackers (tansan senbei)

image via http://feel.kobeport.org/_ch/shopping/spot/?sid=367

Tansan senbei is a specialty of Arima onsen, a famous hot spring area in Kobe. These crackers are fragrant, savory, sweet, crispy, and crunchy and taste a little bit like a waffle cone. They are lovely with a cup of tea or coffee. I bought mine at  Mitsumori Honpo, which is along the path on the way up to Rinkei-ji temple. We were looking at the making process of the crackers, and the guy came over and gave us each a freshly baked cracker to sample – nothing like a freshly baked cracker. A few other popular stores are selling tansan senbei along that path – Izumido factory and Yunosato Honpo.

 

Wired Cafe

 

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The Wired Cafe is located on the 7F of the Lucua mall at Osaka station. It is a vibrant, cozy, and work-friendly cafe, also a perfect place to chill and hang out. There are power sockets and free WIFI available. There is also an outdoor smoking dining area that overlooks the inside of the station.

The cafe offers a rich menu of rice bowls, pasta, soups, sandwiches, desserts, and various drinks. Set meals are also available.

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The cappuccino was not how I liked it. It was somewhat bland, and the taste of the milk was overpowering. I am sorry to say I did not enjoy it.

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The nachos came with beef sauce, sour cream, lime, corn, tomato, and lettuce. The nacho chips, paired with the beef sauce and sour cream, were delicious.

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The clam chowder soup set came with bread, ham, and salad. The clam chowder was decent. I would say this was an average dish.

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The cafe offers a variety of interesting rice bowls. I ordered the white gravy hamburger steak combo. I was impressed that it had a good balance of protein, carbohydrates, and vegetables.  The potato chips were good; they had a natural potato sweetness to them. The vegetables were lightly sauteed and seasoned with salt. The white gravy wasn’t too rich; it went well with the rice, egg, and steak (that’s how I ate it).

Some dishes here are good; I would recommend the rice bowls. The atmosphere is definitely a plus.

 

Wired cafe

Website: https://www.cafecompany.co.jp/brands/wiredcafe/#shop8

Opening hours: Daily 11:00 a.m. – 20:00 p.m.

Telephone: +81 661511329

Address:  Japan, 〒530-8217 Osaka, Kita Ward, Umeda, 3 Chome−1−3 7F LUCUA