During the state of emergency, I can't sit still, but I don't like crowds... I know, it's contradictory. The keywords for the day were "breakfast at McDonald's," "snack at Shatorizu," and "lunch bento." So, I went to McDonald's in Marutamachi Tokiwadai, Shatorizu in Uzumasa, and Uzumasa Bentomura for lunch. It was a nice drive from my home in Minami Ward to Uzumasa. Shatorizu is located on Marutamachi Street, heading west from Tokiwadai Station on the Randen line. They have a parking lot and offer reasonably priced individual items for sale. I bought 9 items, planning for 5 days while checking the expiration date. Among them, the "Fuji no Meigetsu" with black sugar paste is delicious and my favorite. I look forward to enjoying it slowly as a snack at home. The store is similar to other branches, with alcohol disinfection at the entrance and dividers at the register with floor markings for waiting in line.

I like Shatresé's low-carb sweets, but honestly, their bread was just average. It lacked oiliness and took away moisture in my mouth, giving me a feeling similar to cheap supermarket bread. I'm a bread enthusiast and have tried many high-end breads from different shops, so that might have influenced my opinion. Toasting the bread made it more crispy and enjoyable.

The strawberry daifuku here is reasonably priced, and the whipped cream daifuku is also wonderful. Unfortunately, they were sold out of the ones with strawberries on top and milk cream and red bean paste inside, so there were only a few left with whipped cream. Oh well, I love those too, so I'll buy them. Meanwhile, my wife is looking at cakes... We ended up buying a few, and it ended up being quite expensive for the strawberry daifuku. Oh well, what can you do?

I went on my scooter because my daughter wanted something at night. Crossing the Keifuku Railway crossing, the temperature dropped like entering a different world and the cold air on my face was painful! Despite the challenge of opening early on New Year's Day, I was grateful. There were only about a third of the usual items on the shelf, but I bought the classic shortcake and cheesecake and headed home. The cashpo point card has become a smartphone app, so I no longer have to worry about forgetting my card. In the end, the dorayaki filled with red bean paste and margarine-like cream that I bought together was delicious.

I couldn't get a Christmas cake so I came to this shop in a hurry. It's really crowded today, with 5-6 groups waiting at the register. I chose a half-and-half decoration cake with chocolate and cream. It had a huge cream puff and something like baumkuchen on top. It's a bit difficult to cut though. The taste is okay, but it feels a bit expensive now, which is a bit disappointing. I hope they can go back to being a cheaper and reasonably delicious cake shop like they used to be. Thank you.

The cake has gotten more expensive, but it may still be considered cheap. It was a half-and-half cake with chocolate and cream, but I'm not sure if it was worth the price. It was a bit questionable.

Hmm! I quite like it. I couldn't find the cake I wanted because it was 1 hour before closing. Too bad.

The ice bars are delicious, such as lychee, tapioca flavor, almond, matcha, etc.

The price of the cake has gone up, perhaps due to a change in direction. It used to be easy to buy, but not anymore.

When staying at the Utano YH, I came across this shop while exploring the neighborhood. You might think it's a shop you wouldn't choose when visiting Kyoto, but you should definitely try their freshly made egg pudding from a contract farm, it's delicious! There are plenty of delicious puddings all over the country, but if you transfer this pudding onto a plate and serve it to guests, it would taste just like the ones sold at local pastry shops for around 300 yen. However, this pudding only costs 84 yen! Isn't that too cheap? I purchased the mini size for the first time this time, but it tasted exactly the same as the regular size. It's more than enough for children. The rich custard-like flavor created by the eggs is truly impressive for the price. It's wonderful to be able to make such a lovely product at almost the same price as the ones made by major companies. It was a perfect dessert to enjoy at the accommodation during a trip. Instead of buying mass-produced items at convenience stores or supermarkets, be sure to visit this shop and give it a try!

I went to buy wine. I reserved Stardust (105 yen) yesterday, so I came to pick it up. I also bought a Fruit Pudding a la Mode (294 yen) that was released on 10/5, and a Halloween cake (294 yen) because it looked cute. The Fruit Pudding a la Mode was the most delicious. I chose the smoother of the two types of barrel-aged red wine. The bottle was 740ml (720 yen) and there was a bottle deposit of 150 yen, which won't be charged next time. Even though it's a bit early, I went to Chateraise Uzumasa store to buy a cake for Hina Matsuri. I was surprised to find out that they sell wine there, so I'm looking forward to buying some next time. I tried the Hina Matsuri Special Strawberry Shortcake (294 yen), Hina Matsuri Shortcake with Fresh Cream (168 yen), Seasonal Limited Edition Macaron (Yuzu Matcha) (147 yen), and Chestnut Ohagi (126 yen). They have a variety of Japanese and Western sweets and wines, so I'm excited for my next visit.

At the cake shop, they sell regular shortcakes and whole cakes, but they also offer traditional Japanese sweets like dorayaki as souvenirs. The dorayaki is quite large, filled with plenty of red bean paste, and has a luxurious appearance. They also sell ice cream, which is popular among nearby high school girls who often come to buy some. Personally, I enjoy the soft serve ice cream in a cup cone with just the right amount of vanilla flavor.

Recently, I have been hearing a lot about Shatoreze, and I had been wanting to try it someday. Coincidentally, I received a gift set twice! It seems like it's really popular now! One set included financiers, madeleines, and additive-free baumkuchen, with two pieces of each. They were all delicious buttery baked goods, and the fact that some of them are additive-free was reassuring. It's a great gift to receive, and also to give to others. The other set was a rusk assortment, with crunchy caramel almonds, chocolate-infused rusk, and rich sugar. I didn't know that their headquarters are in Yamanashi! I also support the acquisition of Kameya Mannendo and the continuation and development of brands like Nabona.

I received some sweets from Chateraise as a gift. There were various assortments, but I enjoyed the simple Baumkuchen. Nowadays, there are many specialty Baumkuchen shops offering unique flavors, but I personally prefer the old-fashioned ones that are slightly firm and not too sweet. The Baumkuchen here is very simple, with a restrained sweetness and firm texture that makes you want to drizzle syrup or whipped cream over it... it's just my type of Baumkuchen. It seems like it would keep well, so I want to keep some in stock. It's nice to feel this way about a gift, as I'm not inclined to buy it myself. I still have a few pieces of Baumkuchen left... its mild sweetness pairs well with wine, so I plan to enjoy it again tonight. This was my evaluation during my visit in 2014. (The restaurant had a rating of 3.01 during my visit.) Overall: 3.3, Food/Taste: 3.3, Service: 0.0, Atmosphere: 0.0, Value for Money: 0.0, Drinks: 0.0