野良パンダム
First visit. Not one of the stations on the Rinkai Line running between Osaki and Shin-Kiba, but a western confectionery store in Kuramae. Although it is a western confectionery store, they do not sell fresh confections. It is a shop specializing in baked confections. It used to have a cafe attached, but due to its overwhelming popularity, the cafe has been relocated to a nearby location. By the way, am I the only one who thinks that "Shinonome" looks cooler in kanji rather than in katakana? After having lunch in Midori-cho, I took a stroll to Kuramae to experience the scent of Edo. Oh man, it's been a while since I last came, but Kuramae has changed a lot. When the old Kokugikan was there, it had an atmosphere of a fighting sports town, but now it's a town with no downtown feel, lined with stylish cafes. The Edo charm has really faded away. The destination, Shinonome, is one of those stylish establishments. When you enter the neatly arranged store, it feels like your posture naturally straightens. It doesn't really feel like a confectionery store! It used to have long lines, but perhaps due to the relocation of the cafe section, there was no line even on a weekend afternoon, and I was able to enter smoothly. They only sell baked confections. So there's no excitement of looking at a showcase of fresh cakes. I purchased a few items and enjoyed them with coffee at home. The items I purchased were: Florentine (510 yen), Maple Cookie (400 yen), Chocolate Cookie (400 yen), and Black Tea Cookie (400 yen). In terms of the cookies, to put it negatively, they lack distinctive features. However, while I was thinking "Hmm" when eating the first one, by the time I was eating the second one, I was like "Oh?!" and before I knew it, I was eating them one after another. They may not have a strong personality, but they are mild, high-quality cookies that everyone would find delicious without getting tired of them. They quietly work well. My favorite was the Maple Cookie. Despite its name, it is not too sweet, and at first, I was like "???" but as I ate it, I noticed the subtle sweetness seeping out from the powder. The Chocolate Cookie was also well done. The Black Tea Cookie had too strong of a milk flavor, overpowering the tea flavor (it was Earl Grey) and didn't appeal to me. Maybe a different tea leaf would have been better for a milk tea flavor? The Florentine was not bad, with a mild sweetness and texture, but personally, I preferred the cookies. I don't often go to the Kuramae area, but if I'm nearby, I would like to visit again. As long as there's no line.