Kurikoan

Taiyaki is one of those quintessentially Japanese sweets that I haven’t managed to find in Australia. I don’t think we even have an equivalent, but that just means it’s more important to get it when I do go to Japan! One of my favourite places for taiyaki is Kagurazaka – Kurikoan makes them traditionally (compared to Fujiya’s take), using the fish mould and offering a range of fillings. I couldn’t help but order the red bean paste flavour, which is the original/recommended flavour. We each picked different ones (red bean paste, custard and a third one I can’t remember, maybe red bean with a nut of some sort?) and the staff were kind enough to let us dine in. I’d visited twelve months earlier and had their taiyaki set, which came with an iced tea – I’d highly recommend that option, especially in the warmer months! The taiyaki itself had a lovely slightly-crunchy, still slightly-soft shell, and the inner cavity was packed with red bean paste filling. I enjoy red bean paste as a not-too sweet option, and like taiyaki for being a light but filling snack. Give it a try when exploring Kagurazaka.

Kurikoan, Porta Kagurazaka 1F, 2-6-1 Kagurazaka, Tokyo      http://kurikoan.com/cafe.html

The Annex Cafe

I’ve walked past The Annex Cafe a few times now, but only recently got the chance to stop in and treat myself to one of their beautiful sweets! The small space is made welcoming by wooden furniture and succulents in planters on each table – otherwise there are lovely outdoor seats around the corner. The cake display cabinet is full of dietary-requirement-friendly treats, and it was hard to only pick one. Finally, I chose the lemon and raspberry cake ($7), which is gluten and dairy-free (yay!). Whilst much smaller than a slice from, say Nutrition Republic, given the density of raw cakes I probably wouldn’t have wanted it too much bigger anyway. The cake was in three layers – the coconut base, a white lemon layer and the red swirly raspberry layer, with extra coconut dusted over the top. I could clearly taste each flavour when trying the layers separately, and when combined the dominant flavour was coconut, closely followed by lemon. The raspberry seemed to fade just to add a bit of tartness to the overall taste. The whole thing was so moreish, with that fabulous texture that raw cakes have. Yum!

The Annex Cafe, 3 Waterloo Street, Glenelg SA

Paul

I’m not generally one to shy away from a good sweet, and seeing Paul on Kagurazaka-dori, it’s pretty hard to just walk past. Their window display is just a sample of the baked goods heaven inside, and I was drawn in by the promise of a good canelle. I had my first canelle in Paris at a street stall on the Champ-Elysees and have been smitten ever since, so was keen to see how this French patisserie in Tokyo compared to the real deal. The outside was lovely and crisp, with a slight burnt flavour, but not overpoweringly so. The inside has the good stuff – a custardy cake that is spongy and soft but thick, with a distinctive milky flavour. It was small, but it passed the test. Next up was the apple danish – this was a real winner, with crisp, flaky pastry and glazed, soft apple pieces inside. The lady initially got the order wrong, but happily swapped for the apple turnover she’d given me for the danish. Both of the sweets had great flavour and texture, and I was disappointed not to have stomach space for more.

Paul, Kagurazaka Terrace 1F, 5-1-4 Kagurazaka, Shinjuku-ku Tokyo Japan  http://paul-inter-release.fo-02.naxeo.net/

National Press Club

I was lucky enough to attend a function at the National Press Club which included lunch (my favourite kind of function!). Often catered menus can be uninspiring – meals made ready to serve in large quantities sometimes favour simplicity over flavour. Not here. The savoury course was a roast chicken breast with fois gras, mushrooms, puy lentils, Mount Majura truffles and a cognac vinagrette, served with a rocket and parmesan salad. Yeah. That’s right. The chicken portion was still on the bone and was quite large, resting on top of the bed of lentils. Cutting in to the chicken, the meat was really juicy and tender, but the real highlight of the dish was the lentils – I’m assuming that they absorbed most of the cognac and truffle flavour, because they were to die for (believe me, this is not something I commonly say about lentils). The rocket paired with parmesan added a nice amount of bite. Dessert was banoffee pie with peanut brittle scattered over the top and a whole heap of cream. The serving was really decadent and I couldn’t finish it all, but the caramel and banana inside were gooey perfection. Definitely not your typical catered lunch.

National Press Club of Australia, 16 National Circuit, Barton ACT, http://www.npc.org.au/

Nutrition Republic

I’ve been following Nutrition Republic on Instagram for a while now and have been impressed by how fresh and amazing everything they make looks! On a recent trip to Adelaide we stopped in to try their raw cakes for afternoon tea. It was close to their closing time (4pm), so we go our cakes in takeaway trays rather than on plates. The staff were really friendly and happy to answer my questions about the food – everything here is designed to be considerate of dietary requirements, and the raw cakes ($8 per slice) are all dairy and gluten free, as well as being vegan to boot! I picked the vanilla bean and berry cake with its pretty layers of colour. All of the cakes do contain nuts of some kind, and these (cashews and almond) help make the base of the cake. I love the texture of raw cakes – they remind me of cheesecake – thick (but light), rich and smooth. The vanilla flavour was nicely combined with the berry flavour, so it wasn’t a strong artificial vanilla taste, but a blended, more complex flavour. The slice looks small but was really filling – a lovely treat!

Nutrition Republic, Shop 2, 92-94 King William Road, Goodwood SA, http://www.nutritionrepublic.com.au

Autolyse

When the gentleman behind the counter at Autolyse told me the cake I was pointing at was a “parry breast”, I probably gave him a very odd expression. After futher explanation, I realised he’d said “Paris-Brest”, referring to two cities in France, which developed this cake to celebrate a bicycle race between the cities. Points to the Autolyse guy for knowing his pastry history! The pastry in question is a choux piped into two rings, sandwiched together with hazelnut cream. Obviously I had to order it, despite it being large enough for at least two, maybe even three. My friend grabbed an eclair so no luck trying to share. We managed to get a table inside and I got straight into it. The choux pastry was lovely and light – it broke nicely without crumbling too much and had a light dusting of icing sugar on top. The flecks in the pastry made me wonder if there was hazelnut in it as well? Mmm. The cream inside was just the right consistency, and the hazelnut flavour was subtle, so that it didn’t overpower the flavour of the choux. I would happily order this again, but definitely to share!

Autolyse, Lonsdale Street, Braddon ACT  http://autolyse.com.au/

Spats Coffee Lounge

I’d never heard of Spats when my friend suggested we stop in, but was happy to roll with it given how similar our tastes are in dining venues. Spats announces itself as ‘Adelaide’s first and finest dessert lounge’, and not having a point of comparison, I’m inclined to agree. The store is wonderfully cozy, with dim lighting (chandeliers, candles!), red walls and velvet drapes creating a sense of quiet buzz that is rare in this world of wood and tile-floored restaurants. We were seated on couches under the stairs – despite being a small place, there’s plenty of space between tables for privacy. We ordered a sticky date pudding to share and couldn’t have picked a better dish on a chilly night. The slice of cake was just the right size to share, served with a large scoop of vanilla icecream and a jug of butterscotch sauce. The cake itself was so fluffy and was served warm, as was the rich butterscotch sauce which was quickly absorbed into the cake. I was delighted that the cake was light rather than dense and the chopped dates inside were divine. Great service, atmosphere and cake? Definitely a winning combination.

Spats Coffee Lounge, 108 King William Road, Goodwood SA, no website