Nanae Nanameshi is written as Nanae in Japanese. I bought some apple jelly at the Kotsukai-kan. It's not crunchy apples like I thought, but soft cooked apples. The jelly has lots of small pieces of apples in it and is quite rich in flavor. It's more like a dessert than a light snack, with a strong apple taste. Overall, the desserts here seem to be on the sweeter side. The apple flavor is definitely there, delicious but not refreshing.

First visit in July 2021 (No.2868) Tokyo Kotsu Kaikan is a facility I frequently visit, but the other day while picking up some material, I found this restaurant while exploring the facility to pass the time until the lunch shop opened, so I decided to visit another day (laughs). Established in Hakodate in 1860 (Man'en 1), this confectionery shop currently operates 6 stores, with this being the only store outside of Hokkaido. It seems to have opened in February 2019, so I must have overlooked it because I always followed the same route. After checking their website, it seems like they offer a variety of Japanese sweets, Western sweets, and fresh sweets, so I purchased the following items without high expectations. Batadra (Matcha) 250 yen - A fusion of Japanese and Western flavors, with a fluffy soft dough, flavorful red bean paste, and domestic butter sandwiched in a "dorayaki". It was delicious, but not something I would crave to eat again. Thank you for the meal.

This weekend, I went around the Yurakucho and Ginza area visiting antenna shops. I discovered this traditional Japanese confectionery store located on the first basement floor of the Tokyo Kotsu Kaikan building, which I had never noticed before. The store opened two years ago and has a long history dating back to 1860 (Man'en 1). It is a well-established store from Hakodate, Hokkaido, and this is the only direct sales location outside of Hokkaido. They sell signature products such as dorayaki and "Hakodate Sanpo" castella manju, which have been popular since the Taisho era. I was in the mood for dorayaki, but didn't feel like going all the way to Nihonbashi or Ueno. So I bought two dorayaki for 250 yen each and took them home. The dorayaki with the Goryokaku emblem on top has a fine and moist texture, and the red bean paste made with carefully selected azuki beans for three days is refreshing. The dorayaki reminds me of Usagiya's products that I usually enjoy. It is delicious on its own, and also tastes great with butter. I later found out that the Hakodate store also sells a product called "Batadora," which is dorayaki with butter inside. I hope they will start selling it in Tokyo too.

There are many delicious dorayaki shops in Tokyo, so I think few people choose dorayaki as a souvenir from Hokkaido. I first learned about Chishuan when I received a free sample at Hakodate Airport lounge. When I passed by the historic main store of Chishuan during my visit to Hakodate, I didn't feel much because it wasn't very well known. I also learned for the first time about the history of Chishuan, where the Obihiro Chishuan stopped using the Chishuan name and became Rokkatei. I consider Royce, Kitakaro, and Rokkatei as the staple souvenirs of Hokkaido. I particularly like Rokkatei for its good taste and high product development capabilities. In contrast to the glamour of Rokkatei, I think Chishuan Honke has survived without evolving. I believe that their dorayaki is the most delicious type with a good shelf life.

I had dinner at Yurakucho's Kotsu Kaikan and on the way back, I passed by a shop that looked delicious, so I bought a snack. - Dorayaki ¥250 with chunky red bean paste. It was tasty, but just average. - Butter Dorayaki ¥210 also with chunky red bean paste. It's not overly buttery, but delicious!

Limited time offer at the transportation building for 3 days. There is a discreet discount notice posted in the elevator hall. You can buy it for 250 yen or 220 yen until February 3rd. The texture is fluffy, like a pancake. Unlike the thin ones that are common nowadays, this one is thick. The filling is chunky red bean paste, not too sweet but substantial. The fluffy dorayaki-like dough wraps around it, providing a satisfying bite yet easy to finish in one go. The visual resembles Doraemon, and the taste matches it perfectly.

When you think of Hokkaido, you think of ramen, seafood, Genghis Khan, Sapporo beer, and the variety of crabs like Taraba, Hanasaki, and Kegani. Oh, and cheese too. That's Hokkaido for you. But, one thing that doesn't immediately come to mind is dorayaki. However, there is a dorayaki shop in Sapporo with a history dating back to 1921. Originally a traditional Japanese confectionery shop making wagashi for tea ceremonies, this shop has been in business for almost 100 years. Their storefront in the Ekimae Building in Tokyo was their first branch outside of Hokkaido. The big sign saying "dorayaki" caught my attention, and I couldn't resist. Dorayaki is like a croquette, a convenient snack to have when you're a little hungry. I bought one for 50 yen. I didn't eat it on the go, but waited until I got home. The cake was soft, with a chewy texture that stuck to every part of my mouth when I took a bite. The sweet red bean paste filling was rich and intense. Nowadays, dorayaki tends to be less sweet and more refined, so this rich dorayaki was a real treat. The sweetness blew away all my fatigue.

I stopped by on my way home from work. I went to the shop a few times, but they were sold out of dorayaki probably because it was late. This time, in addition to the 250 yen dorayaki, I also bought a chestnut-filled dorayaki for 350 yen and a financier for 180 yen that caught my eye. The dorayaki tasted the same as before. The chestnut-filled dorayaki had a chestnut in it and the surface was different. The taste of the dorayaki was the same as usual, and the chestnut was delicious. The financier was too sweet. It was too sweet, but the taste was good so it was still delicious.

In the TV show "Takeshi's Japan's Mikata", they introduced the dorayaki from Hakodate Sennosuke Honke at the Yurakucho Traffic Hall. As someone from Hakodate, I felt nostalgic and decided to buy a box of 10 dorayaki (2260 yen) when I came to Tokyo for a business trip. The packaging with a tiger mark contains dorayaki with chestnuts, and I bought one to eat on the way back on the Shinkansen. When I got back to Hamamatsu, I shared them with my son and his wife, and we all enjoyed the chewy skin, large Hokkaido red beans, and thick anko filling. It truly brought back nostalgic flavors. Just for reference... Sennosuke Honke originated in Hakodate! They have branches in Sapporo, Asahikawa, and Obihiro. The Obihiro branch, known for its white chocolate, is the famous "Rokkatei".

I had some errands in Yurakucho and decided to stop by to buy some dorayaki. After purchasing the dorayaki, I became interested in another product and decided to ask the staff about it before buying it. It is a confectionery used as a tea snack on JAL flights arriving at Haneda, and it was selected for the Hakodate Walking series. Hakodate Walking was created over three years to coincide with the opening of the Hokkaido Shinkansen in March 2016. It is made with carefully selected Erimo azuki beans from Otofuke, Hokkaido, and moist dough made with Hokkaido wheat that pairs well with the azuki bean paste. There are four varieties embossed with "Senkyu-an Sohonke," "Special Historic Site Goryokaku Ruins," "Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse Group," and "Hakodate Orthodox Church." In simple terms, it's like something you would find in a souvenir shop while traveling. The castella dough has a moist texture and the azuki bean paste has just the right amount of sweetness. Delicious(^-^) The dorayaki is also delicious(^-^)

I was walking in the basement of the traffic hall and came across a shop I wasn't familiar with. It was called Senkyuan, a long-established shop in Hakodate. I decided to buy a dorayaki with the Reiwa era stamp on it (270 yen). Usually, dorayaki that are meticulously packaged like this are delicious, but this one was not. The red bean paste had a unique, somewhat overpowering taste of black sugar, and the dorayaki skin was disappointing, being too airy. It was not up to the level of dorayaki from souvenir shops like Usagiya, Kameju, or Kusado. Despite being priced much higher than Usagiya, the quality of this dorayaki did not come close.

"Senshu-an" opened in the basement of the Tokyo Traffic Hall on February 1st. This seems to be the only store of its kind outside of the local area. The Traffic Hall houses various antenna shops from different regions across the country, making it a fun place to visit. From Hakodate, there is also "Pâtisseries Snaffles" with products such as dorayaki, Yamaoyaji, and Hakodate Walk. I usually buy Yamaoyaji, but this time I purchased dorayaki (270 yen tax included). I have had it before and the chunky red bean paste was memorable. The dorayaki was heavy and thick, and when I opened it, I found a "Reiwa" stamp on it. The shiny and sticky red bean paste was indeed delicious ♥"

After eating ramen at the same floor at "Menya Hyottoko", my eyes were drawn to a poster for Dorayaki. As a fan of Dorayaki, I didn't hesitate to go for it! The shop is located on the same floor as "Menya Hyottoko", in a place where not many people pass by. Without a signboard, it's hard to notice the shop's existence. The Dorayaki costs 240 yen and is quite heavy and thick. It is filled generously with red bean paste, which is sticky and chunky with whole red beans. Since the Dorayaki doesn't contain any preservatives, the shelf life is short. The quality of the Dorayaki is good, but it tastes just average.

I received this as a souvenir and decided to try it outside of the usual occasion. This shop is located in a rather hard-to-find spot within the Tokyo Kotsu Kaikan in Yurakucho, and they mainly sell dorayaki. The dorayaki here is quite unique. The outer layer is thick and dry, with a subtle sweetness and buttery aroma. The filling is very sweet and moist, with a good balance of texture. Overall, the dorayaki is of high quality and can definitely stand on its own.

In September 2019, my family brought back a souvenir from Hokkaido. It was a fairly large dorayaki. We didn't eat it right away and instead kept it in the refrigerator to have as a dessert after dinner the next day. When we warmed it up a bit, the skin was soft and nice, and the filling was sweet red bean paste. It was not too heavy when eaten together. Lately, there are many delicious dorayaki with tasty skins!