Hyperlocal Tokyo

It's rare to be able to enjoy delicious Japanese sweets with a cup of fine matcha right there. It's great to be able to try before you buy when choosing souvenirs. I became a fan after receiving one of their dorayaki as a gift. They have so many delicious Japanese sweets. It's a shame that the eat-in space is just a corner of the supermarket without any partitions, so you can't relax and enjoy your tea because shoppers are constantly walking behind you. It's unavoidable due to the environment, though.

The nearest station is JR Sobu Line. It's located on the B1 floor of Termina, which is connected to the station. After visiting Book Off Kinshicho, I searched for sweets and found Shirakabe. I went there immediately. I bought a Maneki-Neko (beckoning cat) shaped Tarafuku Monaka and a Gin Dora Kuro. The Tarafuku Monaka is filled with white bean paste and has a moderate sweetness. On the other hand, the Gin Dora Kuro has a black sugar flavor and the dough is fluffy and soft. I personally preferred this one. Thank you for the delicious treat.

The Shirakaba Termina store, established in 1950 in Koto-bashi, is a popular spot. I visited on a weekend afternoon and morning. In the afternoon, some items like the Tarufuku Monaka were sold out. As it's located in Termina, they accept cashless payments. (Although I tried other items as well) I'd like to share my thoughts on the black and white Kin-dora, which I've been enjoying. They cost ¥220 (tax included) for about 95g and have a shelf life of 3 days. I enjoyed them on the day of purchase and the next day, but I highly recommend eating them fresh. The white dough is simple, characterized by its use of eggs, honey, and rice flour. It's chewy and fluffy. The subtle aroma of honey and the sweetness of rice flour are irresistible. The filling is moist and smooth, with a gentle sweetness (it's not white bean paste). The black dough doesn't contain rice flour, but uses refined sugar, brown sugar, mirin, and agar-agar. The fluffy texture is even more pronounced, with the sweetness of brown sugar spreading throughout. Personally, I was happy to find that despite using mirin, it wasn't overly moist. Is the filling different from the white one? I'll have to try it next time. While the black and white have distinct characteristics in their ingredients, the dough texture is similar, so I think those who like one will likely enjoy the other as well. Personally, I'm a big fan of Nihonbashi Usagiya, but I'll definitely be visiting Shirakaba regularly from now on. They also provide bags depending on the amount you purchase. The packaging is cute.

Grilled Dumplings with Drink (#Chilled Matcha) ¥1200 Kin-dora Black ¥220 Kin-dora White ¥220 I visited this shop to pick up some sweets for a business gift. If I were only buying sweets, I would go to the main store, but since they recently renovated and added an eat-in space, I went to the Termina store this time. For me, this is actually the main attraction (laughs). The dumplings are served raw and you grill them yourself on a tabletop grill. They also provide a sand timer, so you can bake them perfectly without fail by using it as a guide ♡ There are two dumplings per skewer, and four skewers in total, with mitarashi (sweet soy sauce), koshian (sweet bean paste), soy sauce, and bonito flakes. There are both sweet and savory options, so you can keep eating them endlessly (laughs). The grill was so shiny that I didn't have the courage to grill them again after dipping them in soy sauce (laughs), but they were still fragrant and delicious even without the second grilling. As it's a wagashi (Japanese confectionery) shop, the koshian and mitarashi are of course delicious, and the chilled matcha is freshly whisked in front of you and is so refreshing and delicious! The shop is located in a corner of the department store basement, and the eat-in space is quite open. People shopping around walk by, so it might be a bit noisy in the evenings or on weekends (laughs), but it wasn't a problem at all on a weekday afternoon. The atmosphere of the shop isn't really conducive to lingering, but the staff are friendly, the shop is clean, and the food is delicious, so I'll definitely go back again if I want a quick break in Kinshicho. Next, about the dorayaki (sweet bean paste filled pancake) I bought for myself as a treat. I had the "Tarafuku Monaka" (a type of monaka, a Japanese confectionery) before, so I didn't buy it this time. The skin has a uniform browning, it's so beautiful... The dough has very fine air bubbles and is moist, and the bean paste is also moist and glossy. The white one has a subtle and elegant flavor, while the black one has a rich brown sugar flavor. Both are delicious and not too sweet. For gifts, there are sample gift sets displayed in the store, but you can also choose individual items and have them packed in a box. This time I chose the items myself, but if you tell them your budget, they can put together a selection for you. The limited edition Tarafuku Monaka is sometimes available, and you can order it in advance and pick it up at this store. The shelf life is 3 days for dorayaki, 7 days for Tarafuku Monaka, 2-3 weeks for Kinshicho's sweet potato, and 1 month for Kuchi-doke Mizu Youkan (melting water jelly) and Kan-ten Zenzai (agar jelly with sweet red bean soup). Please use this as a reference for gifts. The bag has a picture of dumplings on one side and a picture of dumplings on the other side. The bag is really cute, making it perfect for gifts.

I enjoyed eating in, so I bought dorayaki and monaka for my parents as souvenirs! It's a system where you bake them yourself, and there's an hourglass to indicate how long to bake each side, but I personally prefer them well-baked! There were so many different flavors, and they were all delicious (ㅅ´꒳` )! I didn't take a picture of the dorayaki, but my parents pointed out that the beans weren't as distinct as in the official photos, which was a bit disappointing. However, the taste was absolutely delicious!