Blog "Eating Around Tokyu Line" https://asante.blog/----I have been going to Ikebukuro a lot lately, and my favorite thing to do there is to visit the food floors of the two major department stores. Initially, I used to visit Tobu Department Store more often, but recently I have been exploring the west side as well. On this day, I visited this place located in the west side. I had previously tried the "Dorayaki" by Morisachi Shiro, a craftsman from Ginza Bunmeido, at "Morisachi Shiro Daimaru Tokyo Store" and it was very delicious, so I had high expectations this time as well. When I visited around 5 pm on the weekend, there were still some dorayaki left. This time, I bought 2 pieces of "Red Bean Paste" for 238 yen each and 1 piece of "Seaweed Salt and Red Bean Paste" for 238 yen to take home. I enjoyed them with a delicious cup of coffee at home. First, the "Red Bean Paste" was impressive with its fragrant castella-based dough. I felt that the red bean paste was sweeter than before. This elegant red bean paste goes well with black coffee. The "Seaweed Salt and Red Bean Paste" had a saltier taste due to the addition of salt, and I personally preferred this one more. Just like with watermelon, I feel that salt enhances the sweetness, but overall, this one had a milder sweetness. In any case, these dorayaki are of high quality. I think they are a special treat worth trying. Thank you for the meal.

There is a traditional Japanese sweets shop in Seibu Ikebukuro that is known for its dorayaki. In addition to dorayaki, they also offer castella and Baumkuchen, so I decided to try them out. The dorayaki had a moist and fluffy outer layer with a smooth red bean paste filling. The Baumkuchen had a firm and crispy texture. The castella had a strong egg flavor. Overall, the castella was good but I felt like I could have bought it elsewhere. The dorayaki and Baumkuchen were exceptional!

I have been interested in a shop that sells dorayaki and castella made by the castella craftsman Morisachi Koshiro of Bunmeido, and I have always wanted to buy them someday. The shop is located on the basement floor of Seibu Department Store Ikebukuro Main Store. It was a little after 4:30 pm on a weekday, so the shop was not crowded. Morisachi Koshiro's dorayaki (216 yen): They also had the usual Sanshuyama (they don't call it dorayaki at Bunmeido, but use this name). But of course, when you come here, you have to buy this! The difference from the regular Sanshuyama is that they use wasanbon sugar and mirin in the skin, giving it a moist finish. It is only available at three stores in Tokyo. The individual packaging is quite large, but the dorayaki inside is slightly larger. The skin itself is not very thick, and indeed moist. When you put it in your mouth, it has a fluffy texture with the flavor of eggs and the taste of honey. The texture of the red bean paste is smooth and melts in your mouth. The expiration date is 5 days. Baumkuchen (216 yen): I also love Baumkuchen, so I bought this one too because it was individually packaged. The surface is not flat but has a rounded shape with sugar glaze. It is firmly baked, and the sugar around it is crispy. The good aroma of almond powder spreads in your mouth along with the flavor of eggs. The size is reasonable, so it is enjoyable to eat. The expiration date is about 2 weeks, making it ideal for gifts. If a whole Baumkuchen is too much, this size is convenient for enjoying Baumkuchen. The dorayaki with the craftsman's name had a sweet taste, but it was gentle and flavorful. It is suitable for those who like moist skin. The Baumkuchen had a traditional taste with a touch of modern essence, and it was delicious. In addition to the products under the "Morisachi Koshiro" brand, they also had Bunmeido's classic products and various other items, making it easy to choose. The staff were all young, but they explained things politely, leaving a good impression. Bunmeido is famous for castella, but they also have Morisachi Koshiro's castella here, so next time I would like to try that.

I decided to resume my castella cake exploration after a long time and visited this shop. The shop is located in the basement of Seibu Department Store directly connected to Ikebukuro Station. I bought a castella cake. I had purchased one from their store in Tokyo Station before, but it was a while ago so I don't remember the taste. The expiration date was in 2 days, so I ate it the next day. The taste was stronger in egg flavor compared to the regular castella from Bunmeido, which I personally liked, but I prefer a slightly moister texture. However, when I ate the rest the following day, it had become moister and even more delicious. Since you can't buy it in Tokyo, I recommend it as a souvenir from Tokyo.

There is a shop next to Bunmeido that is supervised by Moriyuki Shiro, the chief technical advisor of Bunmeido, and it handles castella and dorayaki. While Bunmeido's castella and dorayaki are delicious, Moriyuki Shiro's products are a bit more expensive, giving off a special feeling. This time, I bought the autumn limited chestnut dorayaki. The skin is fluffy and sweet, and just the skin alone can make you happy. The filling, while you can't tell if there are chestnuts in it just by looking at it, has a delicate chestnut flavor when you eat it. It was a very elegant dorayaki.

I heard from a friend that there are only three stores nationwide in the Bunmeido series. I shared half of it with my friend, and it's more delicious than regular castella. ❤️

I have seen the name Morisachiro on Castella and Dorayaki before, but I always thought it was just a regular bakery like Bunmeido. Their Baumkuchen is also worth trying, even though I've had some bad experiences in the past. The smaller size ring-shaped Baumkuchen is a nice touch, and I prefer the wavy design over the straight one. The taste is reliable and well-balanced, which is not easy to achieve. I'm not sure why a Castella bakery like Bunmeido started making Baumkuchen, but they must have a good sense of balance given their reputation. It's important not to describe it as just "okay" or "safe." I definitely want to try the big size version. Thank you.

I had delicious castella cake! It is a shop affiliated with "Bunmeido" and named after the Living National Treasure, Koshirou Mori. He is said to be the most skilled in making castella among the "Bunmeido Castella Artisans." The shop is located in the Seibu underground area in Ikebukuro. The castella has a stylish appearance with the "Koshirou Mori's Castella" brand stamped on it. It is the type that you can cut yourself as there are no pre-cut lines. It contains plenty of egg yolk and is made with honey and traditional Japanese "wamisato" sugar from Tokushima Prefecture. It has a good elasticity and moist texture, making it easy to eat. It is delicious (*´∀｀*). It seems to be less sweet compared to the famous castella from "Fukusaya." The amount of sugar coating at the bottom is also less. I am interested in trying their dorayaki too. I have also introduced it on my blog.

【Reason for visiting】I had some business to attend to in Ikebukuro, so I did some research beforehand.【Atmosphere】The store is located just a 3-minute walk from the station, on the B1 floor of Seibu Department Store. The store's exterior is marked by the name on the wall, and it is a face-to-face sales setup.【Taste】● Koshiro's Dorayaki 216 yenThe dough is soft and dense, with a strong sweetness. The red bean paste in the center has a soft sweetness with a strong flavor, which unfortunately masks the natural sweetness of the ingredients. It may be good for everyday consumption at home, but lacks elegance as a gift. Rating: 3.2 out of 5 points (average rating: 3 points)【Overall】Both the dough and the red bean paste are too sweet.

When I bring souvenirs, I often use this dorayaki which costs 216 yen each, quite expensive. At first, I was skeptical about what it was like and whether it was really delicious, but as soon as I tasted it, I knew. First, the dough is fluffy and soft. It has a slightly moist texture. The sweetness is moderate, and there is a slightly crispy and fragrant aroma. The red bean paste is grainy and has a strong azuki bean flavor. It has an elegant sweetness, and it smoothly fades away as you eat it. The presence of the red bean paste is quite strong, but in a good way, the taste of the red bean paste stands out. And the compatibility with the dough is excellent! The fluffy and moist texture of the dough gently wraps around the red bean paste. The fragrant aroma is similar to the fragrant aroma that comes out when grinding azuki beans, and it goes very well together. It's delicious! Whenever I bring it as a souvenir, it is always appreciated for being delicious, so I want to continue buying it for souvenirs and occasionally for myself.

There is a Seibu department store with a dorayaki made by Yukishiro Mori. I was drawn to this dorayaki by the traditional craftsmanship of the confectioner, who puts great care into each one. The skin, made with plenty of egg yolk and wasanbon sugar, is truly exquisite. It was moist and delicious, but I wish it had a more fluffy texture! The aroma and texture were just average. I tried both the regular dorayaki and the black bean dorayaki, but I couldn't tell the difference. I was a bit disappointed. If you think of it as just a regular dorayaki, it's delicious.

I wandered around the Seibu department store basement... Oh! I found a Baumkuchen from Takumi. I wonder if it's delicious? Let me buy a little bit. I'll share a tiny bit with Teto. Surprisingly refreshing. There were also some castella sweets. These castella sweets were quite delicious. And then, ah. Looking at other people's reviews, it seems that the dorayaki is famous. Hmm. I'm glad I bought it. It was also delicious, not too sweet. The staff were smiling and helpful.

I have been curious about "Morisachi Shiro" for a while. It is a brand shop located in Seibu Ikebukuro and Tokyo Daimaru by Bunmeido. This dorayaki is always sold out at night. It was around 3:00 PM on a weekday, and there were less than 20 left. I managed to buy dorayaki and baumkuchen. First, the dorayaki... To put it simply, it was "sticky". Both the skin and the red bean paste were extremely sweet and sticky. Maybe they put too much honey...? Moving on to the "Takumi", which I tried for the first time. I have always loved Bunmeido's baumkuchen. I always check out new trendy shops, but my roots somehow lead me back to Bunmeido. I like the crunchy sugar on the outside. However, I couldn't tell the difference between the regular baumkuchen and the "Takumi". It felt like a bit of a letdown...

Mori Koshirou, who recently opened a new store at Seibu Ikebukuro, offers a delicious black bean dorayaki for 262 yen. The texture of the cake is moist rather than fluffy, reminiscent of Kasutera. However, the black bean paste was a bit unexpected - the beans were finely chopped, giving it a different taste. The sweetness and texture were well-balanced with the cake. I look forward to trying a different item on my next visit.

I decided to visit my wife's parents' house and was thinking about what souvenir to bring. Since my wife's mother likes dorayaki, I decided to get dorayaki. I wanted to go to Suzume-ya, but they were closed for Golden Week. So, I went to Seibu Department Store instead. I bought several dorayaki from different shops and tried one at the rest area. One of them was from Morisuke Shimpo, a brand featuring Morisuke Shimpo as the chief advisor of Bunmeido. The taste was amazing, with a perfect balance of red bean paste and dough. It was very satisfying and I chose this shop to gift to my wife's mother. It's a place where you can get delicious dorayaki that lives up to your expectations!

Dorayaki 216

Delicious dorayaki with an elegant flavor that conveys sophistication. (Sakura bean paste and red bean) Castella ♡