Cakes, Tarts, Pies, Cookies, Sweets

Cakes, Tarts, Pies, Cookies, Sweets

One of the advantages of living in Japan is the basement food market. Even better for me, I live near Shinjuku, one of the largest cities in Japan in which there are no less than 8 of these places.

In particular, one of the most tempting things about them is the desserts. The basement is made up of all these little stands each selling their own brand of foods. In fact, in the biggest store in Shinjuku, Isetan, has around 25 different stands just selling western style desserts (and another 25 or so selling Japanese style as well) and just one stand has 20 to 30 kinds of desserts. That over 700 desserts to eat!!!! Here are a few just to give you an idea

Here is some kind of banana cream tart thingy! I love bananas!

For you chocolate lovers of course there are lots of regular chocolates like Godiva etc but I'd prefer something like this

These are fancy cookies. I gotten these for my family for Christmas the last couple of years.

Some more banana creations. These are small cakes I think although if they were almost 100% banana I would not be surprised.

Here are some cream puffs. It seems like every department store's basement has at least 2 places selling them. Sometimes with flavored creams.

More chocolate dreams.

It was strawberry season when I took these pictures so several places had strawberry creations

Ooey, Gooey, soft and chewy. Could it be a rum cream cake?

I have no idea what that *white* stuff is. I've seen a yellow thing that's similar which is made from sweet potatoes though. I guess I'll just have to eat one to find out.

Strawberry cake with nama cream. Nama means "raw" but in Japanese "nama cream" means whipped cream.

I can't even tell what this messy looking dessert is. It looks like a cross between some kind of western dessert and a mid-eastern dessert on top.

Got to have your dainty cookies for tea with the neighbors.

And more puff cookies for the next visit. Like in America where it is common to bring a bottle of wine when you are invited to dinner. Here it's common to bring a dessert.

Japanese kabocha (pumkin) muffins with nama cream. I'll bet there is something in the middle.

I'll bet it tastes like purple. I think this is just frosting but there is a sweet potato that has purple meat that is used in lots of desserts in the Philippians and in some in Japan too.

As you can see I'd have no trouble fattening up if I wanted to. In fact it's quite the temptation as I'm in this area everyday and this is only the basement western style desserts. That still leaves all the Japanese style desserts and the delicious looking non-desserts. On top of which there are all the cafes that sell desserts but I'll leave that for another page.

All images not copyright me copyright their respective companies. Everything else copyright me.

Comments:

chou creams [ e ]

they're a bit down-market from the above stuff (nice photos, btw), but i've grown a serious fondness for "chou creams" in the short month that I've been here. i too have wondered the same thing, how do the Japanese (my wife excepted, natch) maintain such yasegata figures. I've also wondered how such wondrous creations can co-exist in the same country as vile natto.

posted by anon_anonymousApril 17, 2002 at 5:42

Cream-Pan [ e ]

My roommates hand looks like 'Creme Pan.' She's famous for that.

posted by anon_anonymousApril 17, 2002 at 14:47

OT: Re: Natto [ e ]

Natto tastes good. It wasn't even an "aquired" taste for me. I never understood what the big deal was. I was actually disappointed when I first tried it, because it didn't live up to it's horrible reputation.

posted by anon_ultragaijinApril 17, 2002 at 21:36

Natto [ e ]

I didn't like natto the first time I ate it but it's grown on me. I'm not sure I'd go out and buy it yet but if somebody gives it to me and I have some karashi (mustard) and shoyu (soy sauce) and maybe a few other spices it's fine. It's also fine as part of other dishes. But I agree, plain it's a little hard to deal with.

posted by greggmanApril 18, 2002 at 5:47

natto [ e ]

I don't like the texture. I have the same problem with Takoyaki and tapioca actually... But I love okonomiyaki, always confuses people.

posted by anon_sarathwaApril 20, 2002 at 22:36

なっとうは、おいしいよ! [ e ]

なっとうはおいしいよ!まいあさ、たべてます。わたしはにほんじんだけどね。

posted by anon_AkikoJuly 2, 2002 at 2:14

WOW [ e ]

OMG look at this! I recognized 3..maybe 4..I work in a confectionary in Holland, and I am SO going to visit Japan ^_^

posted by anon_AllyJune 8, 2003 at 5:28

More about Jap food outlets [ e ]

My very short stay in Japan (7 days) was enough to enjoy the incredible variety of food available at all "basements" and, true, Japanese dessert shops look much mor like jewelleries or boutiques than food outlets. Travelling around the world I seldom had the opportunity of seeing so many western and non-western specialties gathered under the same roof.

Great place for gourmets or greedy bears!

posted by lonelytravellerNovember 26, 2003 at 5:35

Isetan & Natto (but not the two together) [ e ]

Gregg,

Have you ever used Isetan's "I-Club?" It's basically a service for gaijin who don't speak or understand Japanese. I was coming down off a bad cold when I was in Tokyo, and I needed some codeine-free cough suppressant to be able to sleep (not to mention that it would help with the jet lag). It was easy enough to find cough syrup through hand motions and a bit of charades, but not the codeine-free kind (codeine makes me way sick)... I tried in vain to find something at a couple of different drug stores in Shinjuku and Chiyoda-ku, so when I heard about "I-Club," I hurried down to check it out. They hook you up with someone who speaks your language to find what you need--in this case, a young Japanese lady who had lived for a time in the US. She took me straight to the basement pharmacy where they hooked me up with some stuff that made me sleep like a baby without puking my guts out...

On natto, I took to it pretty quickly. In fact I get natto cravings every now and then, so I always have some in the freezer. Like ultragaijin, I was disappointed on the first try after hearing so much about it before.

posted by SluggoJanuary 25, 2004 at 19:56

WAGASHI 和菓子　 [ e ]

if you in Japan you should try to wagashi tasty its sweet simple mochi (rice cake)world!

Warabi-mochi Mame-daifuku Kusa-mochi Sasa-dango Mitarashi-dango and what eles...Sakura-mochi with coffee:- )

posted by kumApril 15, 2004 at 4:21

My Goodness!! [ e ]

Look at all these gorgeous variety of desserts!! I wonder how come Japanese are soooooo skinny?! Dont they eat these kinds of desserts? And how come they dont put on any fat around their waist? As compared to Americans, we are 'obese'!!! I wonder why?

These desserts certainly look sweet to me.

posted by JudyApril 15, 2004 at 18:29

Probably cuz [ e ]

Japanese desserts are small. 1/2 to 1/3 the size of most American desserts. At first as a fat American I was like "Oh my Gawd!, that's too dang small. That will be like 3 bites!" but after the initial shock I decide it was better. I took smaller bites. I still got my dessert fix and I wasn't eating so much as to get fat.

Getting a scoop of ice cream might be as small as a golf ball were as in America it's more like a soft ball.

Also, Japanese don't eat dessert everyday I think. I know lots of American's that eat like a pint of ice cream a day.

The same goes for their other food as well, generally the portions are smaller.

On top of all that, they walk a lot. I get about 40 minutes of walking a day just from commuting. That doesn't include walking around for other stuff like shopping or visiting friends.

posted by greggmanApril 15, 2004 at 22:42

Oh Yeah [ e ]

That's right. American cuisine usually serves HUGE portion. No wonder obesity is becoming a serious issue here in the States. Do you know that some schools no longer put those 'junk food' in the vending machine? The students can only choose those trail mix, nuts or yogurt in the vending machines instead of soda, candies or chocolates.

That is pretty interesting & it is true (about the ice cream size here and in Japan). That's right, we dont walk around enough, just sit at our office, sit in the car for commute, sit for dinner & sit on the couch after dinner watching tv. what else do we do?? hahahahaha

So which dessert is your favorite on top of those banana flavors? Did you happen to try all of them?

posted by JudyApril 16, 2004 at 17:01

hey [ e ]

hi guy that made this web site You Rock make more web sites please

posted by CrystalMay 7, 2004 at 15:57

Thanks for the pics! ^^ [ e ]

I accidently came by your site and was pleasently surprised by your pictures of these yummy creations. Thanks for sharing them! heheh...hopefully I'll get to eat some of them soon. ^^

posted by TeaAugust 15, 2004 at 1:02

Plz Help I need a Birthday Cake for my sister! [ e ]

Hi I was just wondering if anybody could help me. I need to get a birthday cake to my sister (who's living in Nagoya) but I'm in australia and my japanese isn't that good. I would appreciate if anyone knew of a website for a store that would deliver a cake or something like that! Thanks!

posted by BullSeptember 12, 2004 at 21:51

[ e ]

Dear Greggman,

Thanks for posting the Japanese desserts, they bring back so many memories of my time there. Since you lived in Shinjuku, have you ever been to the stand there that just sold yellow sweet potato desserts? I remember going on my way home in to Yamanashi and stopping by this place it smelled like apple pie, probably because of the cinnamon. Anyways there was this dessert I got a couple of times made of yellow sweet potato and I don"t remember if it was apple or pear slices on top, but really yummy, I"m actually trying to find the recipe online if there is anything like it out there, but can recall if it was apples or pears. They also sold yellow sweet potato fries coated with syrup as well and was about the only thing they sold besides those desserts I described earlier. The line would always be really long and snake around in front of that place and they had member cards they would punch for you. Anyways, just wanted to know if you know anything about that place

posted by xhaMay 3, 2005 at 19:48

hmm... [ e ]

are they expensive? maybe thats why they dont eat alot... maybe..

posted by chefsanjiJuly 20, 2005 at 14:11

[ e ]

ide never be able to resist this

posted by chefsanjiJuly 20, 2005 at 14:12

[ e ]

the *white* stuff you talked about,i think it's called mont blanc.

posted by janineFebruary 15, 2006 at 20:17

I loove Japanese desserts [ e ]

I've only been to Japan once, last summer. Since then I have been craving strawberry cake. This page really made me hungry and want to go back to Japan. Thanks for putting this up. I like the rest of the website too.

posted by NanaNovember 10, 2006 at 18:38

Japan Wave...Yum! [ e ]

Some some reason Japan just did it for me culinary wise. I guess having a friend who is a nutritionist and her always photographing her food is what rubbed off on me. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE JAPANESE DESSERT SHOPS. My country has very few of them but these all over Japan are fantastic. The basement ones have so much. You can pick just about anything you want for a tea party if you want. Because of these shops I now want to become formal dessert creator!

posted by JinaDesuJune 2, 2007 at 14:31

[ e ]

THIS FOOD LOOK GOOD YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH OOOOOOOOOOOOOO YEAH YEAh

posted by rickiJune 6, 2007 at 15:17

omg [ e ]

creme puffs! i should just move to tokyo. i could lose weight faster! .... well, if i didnt eat too many of these!

posted by fatamericangirlJuly 29, 2007 at 4:49