Desserts in Tokyo

So you are a dessert aficionado?  You can not survive without a sweet fix after dinner??  Then you're at the right place - Japanese people are dessert-fanatics and there are TOOOONS of great places for dealing with your low glucose problem!

The problem, however, is to be selective enough to find the right type of desserts at the right places.  After a few business trips to Tokyo and Kanto area, I don't claim to be an expert at finding the best desserts, but I'd be happy to offer some advice to you.

Guiding Principles    

  • BE SELECTIVE!  Remember that just about everything, from buildings to trash cans - in Japan are nice looking and well-maintained.  A sharp looking cafe or bakery doesn't translate to a good dessert experience, not do nice packages mean high quality.  So don't deceived just by the looks but you must look a bit deeper - look at the menu, watch the crowd, research the web before you hit a shopping area, etc.
  • Great places to find safe bakeries and cafe that offer great desserts are in the department stores.  NOT all are created equal though.  One rule of thumb is go down to the basement and find the booths or cafe with the longest line.  Japanese people have remarkable taste for quality and normall the ones that are packed are the best ones.
  • Another rule is to look at where you are.  If you are in highly westernized and business areas like Shinjuku or Marunouchi, a French or Italian bakery is probably worth trying; however, in Asakusa or Nihonbashi, stick to the safest Japanese desserts.  Dept stores are tricky - I typically won't try something western if it's in an old and classic dept store, but if it's in a place with more international crowd then it should be fine.
  • My experience tells me that some of the simplest things can be as rewarding as the most complex.  For example, there many little shops that make freshly baked cream puffs, like Papa Beard which can be found around the world.  They are not expensive but amazing delicious.  Also, at many reasonably-priced Japanese cafe chains, like Fujiya (one in Narita, Terminal 1) or even Dennis have the classic hybrid desserts like ice cream with mochi or red beans that really unique and very delicious.
  • Finally, Japan is one place where you pay what you get.  If you prefer to sit in a ultra-slick French revisionist cafe served by cute Japanese ladies, you will have to PAY for it even if the dessert is lousy.  If ambience is not important to you, but you enjoy french-style meticulous and artistic desserts, you also PAY for it.  Labor is expensive here so you need to look at the price tags carefully before you point your finger at something behind the glass counter. 

Sample Bakeries and Cafes

There are simply TOOOOO many good places that I could include here, but frankly I don't remember most of them by name and here are just a few that I found memorable. 

1) This one is easy LADIES - Shiseido Parlour.  That's right, it's the cosmetics company, one division runs super high-end bakeries and cafes.  They have one right in the middle of Ginza's packed shopping section - you won't miss it if you go to Ginza (which you MUST!).  They supposedly have one of the best full-size cakes in town.  You can buy your cakes and bring them back to the hotel after your exhausting shopping adventure.

Another chain that makes Western-style dessert is called Harbs.  It's so hot you'll often see a line outside of it.  It's fruit cakes are excellent but just about everything is top-notch delicious IIIIF you like cakes with very silky and fluffy texture (ie you'd feel you've eaten air and paid $10 for it).

2) There's a chain called Andersen (HMMM, could it be a western one?) that you can find in many department stores and train stations, some just a shop and a few with sit-down cafes.  You'll find stuff like bread, cookies and strange looking "european" goodies are generally very good - but don't expect it to cure your homesickness because everything will taste a bit different.

3) If you are REALLY on a budget, try this all-you-can-eat dessert place, Dessert Okoku.  I wouldn't recommend it to anyone over 29 for the risk of triggering diabetes is too high!! 

4) There are like a million Japanese sweet shops all over Japan.  It's just too hard to distinguish which one is good or bad.  My rule of thumb is always go for popularity - if it's in a place like Asakusa and it survived for 100 years, or it's under Mitsukoshi and it's the busiest booth among the 100 or so selling sweets, you may want to try it too.

PS - Be sure to check out my article, So you want to travel on-budget in Tokyo??  Yes it's POSSIBLE.  It might actually save you a few buck in this ultra-expensive city! 

     

   

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