Floresta Nature Doughnuts

I’d seen adorable animal doughnuts on Pinterest and Instagram, so did a bit of a search before we went to Japan to try and find them – I felt a quest coming on. In fact, it took a while to find the store – given a bum steer from an English website, we ended up at Kyoto City Hall where the map said the doughnuts were inside… They weren’t. Luckily, when we did get to the stall they had plenty of animal doughnuts – I picked three to try. The cat was first up – it was chocolate-flavoured, and had almonds as ears (so cute, and tasty too!). The doughnut filler was quite dense and didn’t have as much flavour as I expected, but the actual doughnut was much nicer, with a spongy texture and a nice richness in the chocolate icing. Next was the pumpkin-flavoured rabbit – sadly I couldn’t taste the pumpkin at all, but the strawberry-flavoured frog was very clearly strawberry. The doughnuts were quite heavy so we ate them over the course of a couple of days. Worth the adventure, maybe a bit more for the photos than the flavour, but fun nonetheless.

Floresta Nature Doughnuts, Shinkyogoku street at the intersection with Shijo street, Kyoto Japan http://www.nature-doughnuts.jp/index.htm

Ink Bake Grill

Ok, so maybe this post is cheating a bit. I organised a lunch at Ink Bake Grill, but sadly ended up getting stuck at work, so didn’t visit the restaurant. But, one of my lovely friends brought me back a pastry, so here’s what I thought of that, until I can break free of the office and head out there (they’re only open on weekdays). The pastry my friend chose, knowing my love for raspberry, was a raspberry danish, and it was a really great size. The outer pastry was incredibly flaky and crisp, but amazingly not too messy (meaning I wasn’t embarassed eating it at my desk!). The custard inside was really luxurious and rich, and there was plenty of it so no complaints from me. Finally the raspberries dotted in the centre packed in so much flavour I couldn’t believe that was coming from so few pieces! They had a real bite, but weren’t as tart as unbaked raspberries, and they melted a bit into the custard. Mmm. Highly recommended. I can’t wait to try some of their burgers, bao and tacos too.

Ink Bake Grill, Shop 3, 7 Geils Court, Deakin ACT, http://www.inkbakegrill.com.au/welcome.html

Afternoon Tea

One of the best things about visiting Tokyo is getting to catch up with old friends. On this visit, my friend suggested meeting at Afternoon Tea in Marunouchi, near Tokyo station. We arrived to find an elegant cafe with a great view out over the city – the tables had fresh green flowers on them and the seats were welcoming and comfortable. There’s also a lovely homewares store out the front of the cafe, which we spent some time browsing afterwards. There was plenty to choose from on the menu, but having already had lunch, we decided to stick with the drinks (although the scones sounded tempting!). After much deliberation, I chose the orange iced tea, which was an earl grey mixed with orange. It came out and immediately looked refreshing with a vibrant orange colour, a segment of orange and a sprig of mint on top. Given how warm the day was this was exactly what the doctor ordered. The flavour was stronger on the orange than the earl grey and was quite sweet. I couldn’t imagine a better setting in this city for afternoon tea or meeting lovely friends.

Afternoon Tea, 4F Shin-Marunouchi Building, Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Japan   http://www.afternoon-tea.net/

Fujiya

Fujiya is another haunt I used to frequent as a student, which I revisited on this trip to Tokyo. On Kagurazaka-dori (my favourite part of the city), this is the only store in Japan that turns Fujiya’s mascot, Peko-chan, into cakes! Well, Japanese-style cakes. Peko-chan yaki are a play on taiyaki, the traditional Japanese sweet of a pancake-waffle like shell filled with red bean paste. Peko-chan yaki are available in a range of flavours, including mango, custard and chocolate, the latter of which I picked. There’s quite a lot of the cake shell to get through to reach the centre, but when you do, I can only liken it to the best chocolate fondant you’ve ever had – the chocolate was slowly solidifying, but was melty enough that once you bit into it you got both cooled and liquid chocolate. The quality is excellent, and makes you feel a bit less guilty for biting into that cute face! It’s quite a filling snack, so if you want to try lots of flavours I’d recommend getting them take away, but they’re definitely best when eaten fresh out of the store. A fun take on a traditional sweet.

Fujiya, 1-12 Kagurazaka, Shinjuku, Tokyo Japan                                      http://pekochanyaki.jp/

The Copper Pan

On a stop at the St Ives shopping centre to pick up a few bits and pieces, Dad and I decided to grab a snacky lunch. We wandered the food court, and then discovered The Copper Pan – hello! The setup here is so lovely – lots of pot plants and a nice mix of metal and wood in the decor. The staff happily let me just order a juice, while Dad had a beef pie. My juice came out quickly in a huge mason jar with a handle and had the excellent combination of watermelon, apple and orange – it was so refreshing and the fruit had obviously been freshly cut. I do love a frothy juice and this one had plenty. Dad found his pie a bit lacking on the filling, but with a nice pastry. We didn’t have a lot of time to enjoy our snack-lunch, but I’d happily come back here for a more leisurely meal. It seemed quite family-friendly too. We picked up a couple of pastries on the way out and the caramel slice was to die for. Yep, will definitely be back!

The Copper Pan, 166 Mona Vale Rd, St Ives NSW, no website

Cow & the Moon

When you’re awarded the best gelato in the world, you have some serious bragging rights. Cow & the Moon has earned those bragging rights – but does their gelato live up to the hype? I visited on a Saturday after lunch and was delighted not to have to line up. We got a few flavours to share, starting with the sorbets – apple & wasabi and black on black (blackberry). First up, let me say that the texture of these sorbets is really something special. They’re so thick and creamy for something without dairy! Black on black was tasted just like biting into a blackberry chewy lolly – rich, a bit tart and really luscious. I expected the wasabi to hit me in the face with the apple sorbet, but instead it was beautifully subtle, rounding off the sharpness that green apple usually has and adding complexity on the back palate. Yum. We also tried the hazelnut roche (so, so good), but my highest praise went to the divine fig and walnut gelato – it tasted golden and I could have devoured bowls and bowls of it. So the answer is yes, it does live up to the hype – check them out!

Cow & the Moon, 181 Enmore Road, Enmore, NSW, no website

Brewtown Newtown

Brewtown has been on my to visit list for a while, so with an afternoon to while away in Newtown, I made a beeline for their store. It occupies the former home of Berkelouw Books on O’Connell Street, and is well-known for their take on the cronut – the Brewnut. I was seated right away at a share table near the window, and ordered a soy hot chocolate and a fruit and nut Brewnut. While I waited, I admired the tasteful decor – from the white tiled tabletop, to the fresh flowers and old-fashioned Newtown fire department sign on the wall. My hot chocolate arrived first and was a real delight – Sydney’s inner suburbs really know how to steam soy. There was just the right amount of sweetness, given the sugar hit that was about to follow. The Brewnut was a towering cavalcade of fruit and nuts – pistachios, almonds, pecans, crystalised ginger, raisins and dried apricots all vyed for space on the layers of luscious, deep-fried pastry. Yes, it was sugar overload, but oh man, these guys know how to bring the flavour. Without a doubt it was the most creative, well-executed cronut interpretation I’ve tried to date. Yum.

Brewtown Newtown, 6-8 O’Connell Street, Newtown, NSW               http://www.brewtownnewtown.com/