Glico Dororich Cafe (product announcement)

Image courtesy of Glico.

I sometimes wonder if some sort of "assembly" is supposed to make a food more attractive to people or if it just is all about creating a unique end product by not preparing everything beforehand. This product has a layer of "coffee jelly" on the bottom and whipped cream on the top. You're supposed to shake the snot out of it and then some sort of fluffy, foamy beverage that you will be impressed by. Personally, I've never found the notion of drinking thin gelatin mixed with whipped cream through a straw a very enticing proposition. Of course, it's also not something I've ever thought would be offered to me either.

The truth is that coffee jelly in Japan is actually quite good, especially with a little whipped cream on top. However, I'm not sure that I'd like this considering that it's good because you can get the textural contrast between the gelatin and cream as well as the flavor variation between the bitter coffee jelly and the lightly sweet, milky cream flavors. By mixing them together, you're killing at least half of the fun.

Random Picture #152

Some people look at a hot dog bun and think about what types of meat it might accommodate. Those people lack the expansive imagination of Japanese culinary types. No, they look at such buns and do not limit the scope of their thoughts to such things as meat. They can heap spaghetti or ramen in there for a multi-carb fest, or, they can pipe it full of whipped cream and jam and turn it into a dessert dog. 

One of the things which struck a uniquely Japanese discord with me was the tendency to take regular bread products and put dessert fillings into them. You could find white bread sandwiches in convenience stores, for instance, that came filled with strawberries and whipped cream. These buns are filled with yuzu jam and whipped cream. For those who don't know the delights of yuzu, it's Japanese citron which tastes like a cross between an orange and a grapefruit with perhaps a bit of lemon. Yuzu remains one of the flavors of Japan that I miss, but even a yuzu lover like me would not be compelled to buy a hot dog bun full of this jam with cream. 

Mister Donut Snow Doll (Man) Donut

How cute... there's snow on his nose! Wait, that's not snow...

I hope everyone enjoyed the togarashi mayo rice chips review on Monday. I chose that to offset the utterly bland and typical nature of today's review of a new Christmas donut offering by the fine folks at MisDo. They're offering several flavor variations on this snowman concoction, but none of them is really something to get all worked up about the oddness of. There is chocolate, green tea, strawberry and angel cream. Because none of these is very exotic, at least not for Japan, I went for what I love, angel cream. That is to say, plain old sweetened whipped cream. If you want me to put something in my mouth, all you have to do is slather it in whipped cream... and, no, that's not how my husband won me over. 

Besides these little snowmen, there are also some vaguely modified versions of other standard Mister Donut offerings such as a churro "wreath" with white chocolate frosting and a few candy-coated bits for holy berries and two (strawberry and chocolate) frosted versions of the venerable "pon de ring" donut with sprinkles. I think that it's probably too much to expect that any chain store is going to invent an entirely new concept for the holidays. It's easier just to slather new frosting on an old one. If it's good enough for Krispy Kreme, it's certainly good enough for Mister Donut.

This is actually two small donuts of different types rather than one. The smallness of them is reflected in the fact that the whole thing is still only 253 calories. The top piece is a ball of yeast-raised dough with frosting and some supremely sweet cherry-flavored M-&-M-style candies on it. When fresh, it's a nice enough morsel, but a little too sweet for my tastes. The bottom isn't actually a donut, but rather a chou. If you don't know what a chou is, then you haven't lived in Japan in which chou cream are everywhere and the results of a long ago food fad. It's an area, slightly tough and chewy pastry which seems mainly geared toward acting as a receptacle for cream or pudding.

The chou base is pretty much like every other consumer-level chou I've had in Japan and as I described it in the aforementioned paragraph. A "scarf" (or "wreath) of whipped cream cements the top and bottom together and about 1/3 of the chou donut has cream in it. The rest is just plain old chou. I don't know if this is how it is supposed to be or if I got a defective one that had cream inside that it shouldn't have had or lacked cream throughout the interior as it should have had.

Experiences like this are hard to rate because this was a pretty nice donut. I enjoyed eating it, but given the other options, I wouldn't buy it again. That assertion is a reflection of how much I like other donuts, not that there is anything bad about this at all. The regular angel cream at Mister Donut has as much whipped cream, fewer calories, and has a more tender donut exterior which is superior to either of the donuts in this concoction, but I certainly did enjoy this so it gets a "happy", despite my feeling this is the last time I'll sample this. 

Monteur Custard and Whip Waffle

There was a Belgian waffle craze in Japan sometime in the late 80's or early 90's when I first arrived. I don't know if that set off placing waffle-based snacks as permanent fixtures in markets and convenience stores or if they were there greatly prior to that time. However, if you ever hanker for a cold, pre-cooked waffle, nearly any store has your back in Tokyo. These types of things are everywhere, and this brand can be had at nearly any major supermarket.

Since I've seen these packages of 4 waffles (usually for around 300 yen) for quite some time, I finally decided to take the plunge. The main appeal is that they are full of two of my favorite substances in the world - cream and custard - and are only about 100 calories each. Occasionally, I get an angel cream of custard cream donut for breakfast, but that requires a 10-minute walk each way and having something like this on hand means I can have the fatty goodness without the groggy semi-conscious trek. Of course, this is no donut.

The company that makes these, Monteur, manufactures quite a few similar types of sweets sold in the refrigerator sections of markets and konbini.Their range is not broad and focuses on cream-filled things like Swiss rolls, crepes, and chou creams. They do make a limited range of puddings and Japanese-style sweets as well. However, I rarely see those offerings in shops in my area.

It's growling at me.

The waffles are soft and fluffy and dominate the flavor profile. The custard comes in second, but doesn't have much flavor. Both the cream and custard lend texture for the most part, but that doesn't have to be a bad thing. The waffle itself has a good "baked good" thing going on for it. It's not too sweet, which might not work for some people, but was good with me.

As a small, portion-controlled sweet for tea time, this makes for a pretty nice snack. It would probably also work as a component of breakfast in a pinch, particularly if it is served with fruit to round it out. Though I only picture one option here, I tried two varieties. Besides this mix of whipped cream and custard, there is also a blended version which has a light yellow version of custard and whipped cream together. I got that version on sale for a mere 125 yen ($1.63) because its expiration date was 3 days away. I actually liked it even better than this, but I'd go for either if I was in the mood and stumbled across them.

Les Ricesses Sweet Strawberry Roll Cake

Since I haven't lived in the U.S. for quite some time now, I wonder how many domestic creations are offered under French brand names as compared to Japan. Not only are many sweets and baked items offered under French names, but it's also incorporated into a lot of apartment building and business names. Does this lend an air of sophistication? Is it conjuring up the odors of fine cheese and wine? I guess back home after the whole "freedom fries" debacle, it's not likely that American businesses are thinking using French words is going to

The truth is that I have never studied a bit of French (I studied Spanish) and only know that "les" is "the". I checked a translator and it appears that "ricesses" isn't a French word, so I don't know what the deal is supposed to be with the brand name of these cakes. Is anyone out there has an idea, let me know. If it's something vaguely pornographic, well, perhaps that'll add some spice to things.

My husband and I encountered this line of individually wrapped cakes at Seiyu supermarket. There are three flavor options, each quite conventional: strawberry, chocolate, and vanilla. He wanted to try strawberry, so that's what we paid our 268 yen ($3.27) for. The bag has ten little cake nuggets at 77 calories each. For dainty sorts, it's about 3 bites. For more robust eaters, I'm thinking 2 tops. For Japanese people, who based on my T.V. watching experiences seem to want to cram as much into their mouths as possible, I'm guessing this is just one bite.

The cake is extremely soft and fluffy which is good because if it was firmer it'd probably squirt out the filling onto your computer screen from the pressure your teeth places on it to bite through. The filling is fatty, sweet, and decently flavored with only marginally fake strawberry filling. One thing I really do like about cakes in Japan is that the whipped fillings are generally more "real" than those in the U.S. They always feel decadent on the tongue. The only thing which my husband didn't care for about these was that they have an aftertaste or chemical which he associates with Japanese snack cakes. I'm guessing this is a preservative of some sort, and, while it annoyed him, it didn't bother me.

I liked these, a lot, but there are economics to be considered when reaching a conclusion about a repeat buy. These 10 tiny servings cost a lot more than a single roll of a Lawson's Value Line roll cake and those cakes are easy to find, and offer as much and possibly more total cake quantity. The flavors are also generally more interesting and varied since Lawson's issues seasonal flavors like chestnut and green tea. The main benefit of these Les Ricesses cakes (besides the fancy name) is that they are preserved and packed such that you can keep them around for several weeks without their going stale. Since the Lawson's is one big roll, you have to finish it up in about 3 days before serious staleness sets in.

If you are the type who likes to keep a little nibble of cake about the house for times when your sweet tooth is aching, this is a tasty choice, but if you just want a Swiss cake roll treat for a day or two, the Lawson's is a much cheaper and less wasteful option.

Bourbon Fuwa Maki Milk Cake

I believe that cows, if they were the size of dogs, would be pets, and we wouldn't be eating them. Sure, they go around dropping big cow pies, fart a lot, and they chew their cuds, but cows are cute. They have big, brown eyes and they're not particularly noisy. If one had a cow instead of a dog, neighbors would never complain. All you'd have to do to keep your pet cow in line is set it out for grass eating in the backyard. I'm guessing you could also get your miniature cow to give you enough milk on a daily basis for your coffee or tea. Frankly, I'm surprised no one has started to breed "toy cows" for such purposes.


At any rate, I'm not necessarily big into cuteness, but I like cow motifs. I couldn't resist buying this Bourbon "milk cake" because it not only has a cow motif on the outside, but cow spots on the cake itself. That's just too cool to pass up. These cakes have been around in convenience stores for awhile. They usually sell for 100 yen ($1.10), but I got mine for 89 yen (98 cents) at Okashi no Machioka.

The cake is a bit on the small size at 11 cm x 5 cm (4.3" x 2"). Note that these are designed to last for awhile as the expiration date on mine was 4 months after the purchase date. I ate mine within 3 days of purchase though because I didn't trust that it'd be the same quality after a few months. There are 179 calories in the entire 43.5 gram (1.5 oz.) cake. One might compare this to one of the best known snack cakes with cream in the center, the Twinkie, which weighs in at 150 calories for a similarly sized amount of cake.

The cake mainly smells like sweet vanilla and milk. When you touch the cake, it's texture is slightly sticky and tacky on the outside, and the cake is rather dry. The filling is super creamy, and fatty. I read recently that "fat" is actually detected by the tongue as a taste, and if you're big into fat "flavor", this would be a delight. Note that this isn't made with butter though. It's made with shortening and "creaming powder". It also includes Sorbitol, a sugar alcohol, and maltose.

There is an odd aftertaste associated with these types of cakes made by Bourbon that are supposed to last awhile. It's hard to pin down, but it seems like something that's hiding under all of the sugar. Mostly, this is just sweet and fatty. There isn't much of a "vanilla" flavor so much as a "milk" one, which is no surprise since this is a "milk" cake, but us foreign folks are accustomed to vanilla in white cakes so I figured it was worth mentioning. My husband wasn't fond of this because it didn't taste like much of anything to him. This is despite the fact that he likes sweets (and very sweet things) more than me.

This is good, and reminds me a lot of a slightly off-brand Hostess snack cake clone. If I was in the mood for this type of thing, I'd certainly choose this over any other options. That being said, I rarely eat snack cakes (which is why they don't get reviewed very often). I'm unlikely to buy this again because I imagine that it'll be off the market before my tastes turn toward sponge cake with cream filling again. I'd certainly recommend giving these a try as long as you're not very sensitive to preservatives.

Twin Dome Vanilla Cream Cake (Japan's Twinkie)

Imagine finding a Twinkie that had a sponge cake that was fresher and softer. Further, imagine the cream filling is actually made with whipped cream and milk rather than vegetable shortening. If you can wrap your head around such a fantasy notion, then you can imagine what the Twin Dome cake by Fujipan is like. This cake is the closest Japan has ever come to the Twinkie in my experience.


You can pick up a package with two cakes for about 100 yen (about a dollar) at some convenience stores. The cakes are 202 calories each and each is about 8 cm (3.1 inches) in diameter at the widest point along the base. Note that a Twinkie, which is the closest comparison, has only 150 calories for 1.5 oz. of cake and cream filling. I'd say that the Twin Domes are about the same total volume as a Twinkie, but the higher calorie count is the price you pay for the real cream filling with its higher fat content.


Each cake is blessed with a generous dollop of very soft and smooth whipped cream in the center. The cream is lightly sweet and the cake tastes like good, fake vanilla and is sweeter than the filling. The cake is a soft, fresh sponge. It's not really dry, but also not really moist. It's an excellent combination of textures and mild flavors. It's a little more on the sweet side than usual for Japanese cakes, but not cloyingly so.

I recommend sampling these with no reservations. This is one of the best snack cakes I've ever had, and even my fussy husband likes them. The only thing is that I'd recommend buying one only if you have someone to split it with so you don't end up gobbling down 400 calories of delicious cream-filled cake in one sitting.

Mister Donut Fukubako and Fried Bread Donut

The unopened "lucky box". The box is about 40 cm/15.7 in. x 30 cm/11.8 in. x 25 cm/9.8 in. in size.

Around the New Year's holidays, many Japanese shops sell the equivalent of a "grab bag" or what translates to a "lucky bag" (fukubukuro - fuku=lucky, bukuro=bag). Often the contents of these bags are unknown, but sometimes they are known in whole or in part. The main selling point of these grab bags is that the value of the contents exceeds the sale price of the bag.

Contents of the box as originally packaged. (Click this picture to see a larger version for more detail.)

Mister Donut, a chain of doughnut shops which is very popular in Japan and originated in the United States, sells a "lucky box" (bako = box) rather than a bag. The boxes cost 2000 yen ($22.16) and come with a variety of items as well as coupons which can be used to redeem 20 doughnuts. Since the doughnuts range in price from a little over 100 yen ($1.10) to a little under 140 yen ($1.55), the coupons alone are worth the cost of the box. If you would normally eat 20 doughnuts in a three month span of time, you can't lose on the deal. It is important to note, however, that the coupons expire at the end of March. If you tend to buy slightly more expensive doughnuts, you can save about 700 yen ($7.45) and will pretty much break even if you buy the cheapest ones.

The contents of the box unwrapped.

In addition to the tickets for 20 doughnuts, you get a variety of souvenir Mister Donut Pon de Lion goods this year. Last year's box focused on the Pingu the penguin character and was rather a different mix of items. In fact, it was far more oriented toward adults and had more useful items (particularly dishes) than this year's box, which seems to have a lot of things for young children. There's always a cutesy calendar in every box since calendars are distributed by many companies for the New Year's holidays. There are also Pon de Lion themed items as follows: a cell phone strap, a flat square plate, a coin bank, a clock, and a baby blanket.


The baby blanket could double as a lap blankets for someone in winter (or overly air conditioned summers). Lap blankets are very popular among office ladies in Japan because they seem to have reptilian metabolisms and be constantly in danger of freezing to death. The blanket is super soft, but very thin, so I doubt it'd provide good warmth.

Everything in the box is amazingly cute and I'm sure that any kid would be delighted to have the items to play with for a bit. For an adult, mainly the coupons are where the value lies. You also get an envelope with five 20% off coupons, but they're also only good until March 2009. Last year, similar coupons were included in the back of the schedule book in the fukubako we bought but we never used them. Eating 20 doughnuts in 3 months even between 2 people had us donutted out so the coupons went unused.


In addition to picking up this year's fukubako, we decided to sample a new doughnut. This is a custard and whipped cream "kara-age" pan doughnut, or "fried bread doughnut. In addition to the custard and whipped cream version, there's also a whipped cream and red bean (adzuki) version, but I wanted to get something my husband would sample, too, and he would not partake of adzuki. This is a slightly large pastry because it's about the size of a modestly proportioned hot dog bun so it's a good treat to share.


It smells pretty much like a generic doughnut smell though it's missing the "sweet" smell you associate with glazed donuts. The texture is very coarse and airy. It is true to the idea of being "fried bread" rather than a dense cake or light risen yeast doughnut. It comes closest to a crueller in terms of taste and texture, but it's less fine than a crueller. It's a bit dry and a bit chewy. It actually is a little sandpaper-like on the tongue, but it's hard to tell if that's due to the sugar sprinkled on the outside or the texture of the fried bread. The filling is good, but seems a little on the sparse side when you look at the proportion of cream and custard to fried bread. It's especially lacking near the ends where it's not piped in quite so evenly.

I enjoyed this. It's not too sweet and has a nice flavor to the donut itself. If it had a little more cream, I'd be happier, but I think this would be a nice, not incredibly sweet treat to have with breakfast on occasion. If your tastes run toward sweeter donuts, or you are fussy about the texture, this may not be to your liking.

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Happy New Year, to all of my readers. Thank you for reading and I hope you have a wonderful 2009!