In September 2014, I received Madeleines here. I got a big one and a small one. The small one wasn't in a cup, so it had a crispier texture compared to the big one. Both were made with pure ingredients and had that classic Madeleine taste. I think the Western sweets here are more delicious. In July 2014, the night market had discounted chiffon cakes. The 550 yen ones were 440 yen, and the 350 yen ones were 280 yen. When I went, the 550 yen ones were already sold out. Chiffon cakes can be eaten in about one bite. Walking down this street, I see the faces of young successors, and I think the future of this street looks bright. In May 2014, this place also participated in the Esashi Night Market. The special offer today was 20% off butter shortcake. I got two different kinds because there were two types available. Priced at 176 yen with the discount, I wondered if they were usually 220 yen. They packed two cakes nicely in a box, cautioning me not to get cream on the box when opening it. The sponge cake with buttercream was delicious, with a sweet and sour sauce on top. Have you had a cake like this in your town? In December 2013, there was a sale in this shopping street. The cake offcuts were being sold, and I decided to check it out. The offcuts were a bit pricey at 300 yen, but they were moist from the syrup. I also tried a luck draw from a nearby store and won a white bean cake. I thought it was a consolation prize. In September 2013, the last night market of the year was held here. They had a Chinese cooking demonstration, and I was interested in the freshly made Chinese food. The Chinese dish was cooked like pancakes with bean paste in the middle. It had a nice brown color. Eating it right away, I felt a bit of oil on the skin, but it was moist even on the third day. It seems Chinese food tastes better when left for a while and can last about a week. In June 2013, Maeda Seika, also known as French confectionery, was focusing on Japanese sweets, but at this night market, they had a half-price sale on Madeleines, pound cakes, chiffon cakes, dacquoise, and cookies. I love dacquoise, so I had to go. Handmade cakes waiting in the wagon. You could buy up to 10 pieces per person. Even at 100 yen, I sometimes buy them. The buttercream here is delicious, and I was very satisfied with this night market. In May 2013, this place was also on Hokkeji Street and participated in the Esashi Night Market. Daifuku was 90 yen, cream puffs were 90 yen, and I decided to try the specialty of this place. The Benzaiten ship-shaped monaka is a beautifully crafted monaka with a different pattern on the front and back. It comes in five flavors: white bean, black sesame, kelp, ground green tea, and azuki bean. If you buy one, go for the black sesame. It was filled with lots of sesame seeds. The Hinomaru sold at the restored Kaiyo Maru was like a chick-flavored bun.

Maeda Seika is located up the main street of Esashi from the national highway below, just before Goshote Yashop. Turn left and go about 50 meters, the shop will be on the left side. The most eye-catching items are the white mochi buns in a set of four, and the Benzaiboat, a boat-shaped manju filled with white bean paste and red bean paste. There is also a value pack of 10 pieces of "Dattan Soba Mantou", which are slightly misshapen but individually wrapped at half price. Additionally, there are chestnut manju and walnut manju available. The "Dattan Soba Mantou" was particularly delicious, with buckwheat flour in the skin giving it a fragrant and crispy texture. The red bean paste filling complements the soba flavor well, making it a satisfying treat. I thought there were 10 pieces in the pack, but there were actually 11, and they disappeared quickly!

I went to Kikonai Michi-no-Eki to take a photo of the newly installed Pokefuta this year (because the cutest one was in Kikonai... I think). I found it at Misogi-no-Sato Kikonai! The moment I held it, it was heavy and I fell in love at first sight. The chestnut dorayaki was heavy, probably because of the rice cake or white dumpling or kuzu-mochi... The red bean paste seems to use beans from Tokachi. The bean flavor is still there, but it's sweet. Surprisingly, there seems to be less red bean paste. I would be happy if there were a little more chestnut. The dough is a plump, slightly sweet type that seems to be sold at an old-fashioned local Japanese confectionery store. It's been a while since I encountered a heavy dorayaki! Thank you so much, wu-ta, for going all the way to Kikonai!!! (((orz