Best Konbini Ice-cream Cone

The best Ice-cream Cone you can get from a convenience store in Korea, folks:
Name: Shooting Star
Company: 빙그레
It tastes really fluffy and marshmallowy without feeling fluffy and marshmallowy, hence dense enough to feel like real stuff-- and the nerd-like toppings crackle ever so slightly with amylase application.
Runners up:
2. Pistachio Bravo cone- but only because I love pistachio and Bravo is a classic
3. 빵빠레 - this is a wafer cone (I love wafer cone soft serves)
4. 구구콘 - says "full-flavored" on the wrapping. It's fully peanutycaramel--> diet snickers turned ice-cream

ps: like my nails?

Chocolate at Denny's

Motoyama Milk Bar

So Lisa and I booked a trip to Sapporo to see the winter snow festival and challenge my lactose intolerance with by chugging Hokkaido milk and other milky products. But that didn't pan out so well as it's impossible to find hotel rooms still open and because domestic travel in Japan is ridiculously expensive. So we decided to get our Hokkaido milk fix in tokyo. Roppongi hills, actually, only a few stops from school.




The interior is dainty and pink as appropo to anything Japanese. I thought the zebra patterned seats were a funny and ironic. There were also cow heads with different colored tongues sticking out. Surprisingly cute and not creepy.




This is their theme dessert plate. The cow roll cake with soft cream on the side.


This is their dessert plate with cake, pudding and iced cream.


I ordered the white day special that was supposed to have pink whitechocolate spots on the cake instead of their usual chocolate, but they had run out of the white day special cake. the staff was very apologetic and offered to replicate the same dish with their usual cake. frankly i didn't care too much because I had gone a month with no cake and felt this withdrawal that made me not want to complain. Everything was so milky and delicious. What made the plate so good was that they used crushed pistachios for garnish and on the side was this strawberry buried under a hillock of strawberry mousse and whipped cream. The mousse was so thick and marshmallowy and reminded me of a montblanc.

They also offer coffee and tea with Hokkaido milk. Too bad I take my coffee black.


Address

104-0061　東京都中央区銀座5-9-18
Tel (030)3571-5351

http://www.motoyamamilkbar.jp/shop/

Sweets One with Snoopy

edited 2/12/09:
don't bother with these and go to cafe crepe or anywhere else on Harajuku St.

--------------------

There are so many crepes in Tokyo. Lisa and I got these for lunch while shopping in Harajuku.


Lovely Crepe and Choco Banana Crepe
The Lovely Crepe had chocolate cake bits and cheesecake in the center.

Address

渋谷区神宮前6
TEL（ ０３）３４０９－３３４１
営業時間：10:00～2１:00

Beard Papa's

Lisa and I went shopping in Shibuya and coming out of the station, we smelled something...


Having heard that beard papa's in Japan is infinitely superior to those in other countries, I refrained from trying them in Taiwan. And I have to agree that Beard Papa's in Taiwan never had this wafting smell effect as this one did.


They were promoting their Strawberry cream


"It tastes like a strawberry smoothie" is what Lisa said and I think this describes the cream puff really well. I actually don't like cream puffs (soz!) but this one made me very happy and I forgot about my aching feet for a minute or two.



Address

東京都渋谷区渋谷2-24-1　
渋谷駅東急東横東館１Ｆ
TEL (03)5428-3560
無休　10：00～22：00

http://www.muginoho.com/

Denny's again

I'm just going to go ahead and make a label for Denny's because it's so close and we're bound to go here...too many times.

My commentary will also be short simply because there are too many dishes to talk about and because most are self explanatory.


This particular day we came just because we had filled out two point cards and were now ripe for a free dessert each. I have to say the surprise was a little disappointing because it happened to be a plate of ice cream. But all were better than most ice cream I've had so I've made my peace.


kiwi sorbet, strawberry sorbet, vanilla, blueberry, bitter caramel, and pumpkin (my favorite)

More Denny's

Updated pics 1/25

Spaghetti and Meatsauce　680円


Caramel Vanilla Pancake　390円


Omurice　880円


Salad with smoked Spanish ham　380円


After the commute...


Strawberry Mini Parfait　３９０円


苺のミルフィーユガレット　５８０円
This was actually my second time ordering this but I forgot to take a picture the first time.


Jambalaya　５８０円


Sirloin Steak １０８０円


Root vegetable salad　３８０円

Why is everything so good?

Denny's

デニーズ
There's a Denny's a few blocks down from our apt building but I'm sure they're scattered around Tokyo. Everything is decently priced and there's a big selection covering Western, Japanese, the usual breakfast lunch & dinner and seasonal desserts.


Above are the Pumpkin Milk Pudding Mini Parfait（３９０円） and Chocolate Mini Sundae（３５０円）.　Lisa liked the sundae enough to order it twice in a row. And I'm neither a fan of pudding nor one of parfaits but thoroughly enjoyed かぼちゃparfait. The pumpkin icecream has great flavor and texture. Sandier than the vanilla that sits below it but sandy in a good way.





This is the 400円　パパイヤ　
I have talked myself into thinking of it as a healthful investment.

PBJ bars

Last night I was looking through my Barefoot Contessa cookbook and decided to make Peanut Butter & Jelly bars. Creaming butter and adding peanut butter (creaming peanut butter?) is something I've never done before and it gives you this beautiful butterscotch color that browns into a caramel in the oven. The end product is dense and wet. If blondies a pbj came together, this would be their lovechild. What's great about these are that theyre sweet but the peanut topping is salty so that there is a lovely contrast.


I used strawberry jam for mine but I think raspberry would do even better.

ps: eating these in portions greater than two-inch squares at a time may result in death.

Borba and Bakery

Sorry folks, for being MIA
I am pretty bad about making posts during the school year at my home campus.
I'm on my winter break as of now and I will spend the spring semester in Tokyo so you can expect blogs of my Japan food adventures. ^^

I recently took a trip to Saks 5th in the city (jerseyspeak for ny) where I stumbled across... this.

Borba is a facial skincare line with creams and gels and now, this, vitamin waters in trendy flavors like acai berry which is the new celebrity weightloss food icon. There was a little refridgerator with these zero calorie drinks in four to five flavors and even gummies which promise healthier skin.
I seriously doubt their potency but I bought a few anyway. The bottles are reusable and very pretty.



The same day, the rockefeller center magnolia did not have a two-mile line wrapped around the block *gasps* probably because it was the day after christmas and tourists kept the crowd concentrated near the tree and other displays. Anyway, magnolia's cupcakes are just as good, even without the sixty minute wait. I got myself doublechocolate and buttercream cupcakes but be sure to try the banana pudding--excellent reviews.

Best Scone

If Amherst/Umass has the best pizza (Antonio's), then CMU has the best scone.

La Prima Espresso is probably my favorite thing about going to CMU.
This semester I don't have any classes in Wean Hall so I don't go there as often but the past two years have seen a lot of sconing.
There are two kinds of scones they sell, and the better kind are triangular, bigger, a bit dry, and always in the display case. Those are my favorites. But they do have smaller oblong ones in the in front next to the muffins and brownies. They're sort of undercooked--which could be a good thing but that's for you to decide.
Apricot and Chocolate Chip are winners.

Stuffed Pretzels

I came across Kim & Scott's Gourmet Pretzels in the freezer aisle of the Geagle (Giant Eagle) in Squirrel Hill. It's a short busride away from CMU campus.
"Chocolate Crumb" stuffed pretzel. My shopping buddy Christine decided to restrain herself but I went against my culturally instilled groupism tendencies and stood by the pretzel. I even put back some other junk to make junk space. And I think this was one of the best choices I've ever made in my life.


Chocolate is the best bet because it's chocolate. But there are a lot of different kinds including savory varieties. To name a few:
Sourdough Asiago
Apple Cinnamon
Mixed Berry Cobbler
Cheesecake
Bavarian
Cream Cheese and Herb
Grilled Cheese
Cheddar Jalapeno
Pizza
Omelette
Spinach and Feta
They're not as big as the average soft pretzel so you can stop freaking out. If you have asian girl hands like mine, you can say the pretzel is a palm and a half in diameter.
You zap it in the microwave for about a minute and it becomes this soft, gooey thing you get to break up and consume slowly. But not too slow because it'll cool down. Plus finger licking.
The trick is though, to heat it up for just the right amount of time so that it becomes just hot enough but not overheated and tough. This a matter of whether to microwave it 55 seconds or 58.
Perfect for a college student with lazy mornings.
I often wake up and compulsively eat random things I don't really like and end up feeling unsatisfied to the ex-treme. "Should have showered and gotten that coconut chocolate cake donut at Entropy." That kind of thing.
Anyway. This is good. You're stupid if you pass it up.

More goodies from IJY

They do not fail




If you like tiramisu





Or

chocolate mochi with chocolate dipping sauce

Previously reviewed here




Address

IJY Sheng
一之軒時尚烘焙
台北市師大路 53 號 電話：(02)2362-0425 傳真：(02)2362-2625
http://www.ijysheng.com.tw/

Hua Xi St. Night Market

華西街觀光夜市

What better way to spend 情人節 (Valentine's Day 8/7) than at a night market eating snake?


There is this one snake house that does snake-gutting demonstrations. They are hanged (can I say "hung" since snakes are not people?) as such, slit with a scissor in a upward zipper-cut motion, and bodily fluids are collected. Blood from the heart; Bile from the gallbladder; Venom from the fangs (the guy dilutes the blood and bile with water and the venom with alcohol). NTD$100 for a shot of each. So we entered.



I was really nervous and forgot to take pictures before downing these three. The blood shot is more like a doubleshot in volume and it comes with a pill floating on the surface that you're meant to swallow, I trust, for good reason. I had a second shot of venom 酒 when the other table couldn't finish.


We also ordered snake soup which tasted...I don't want to say bland but more mild and clean. It was like having chicken soup without the dancing oil globules. The goji berries in the soup made it fragrant.

After drinking snake fluids there is a need for a bit of kuchi naoshi. Although it's not bad, you just naturally would not want it to be the last thing you put in your mouth before sleeping. Zhuang yuan gao was very appropriate. It is a steamed dessert with sweet 花生 (peanut) or 芝麻 (sesame) filling. The white cake reminded me of Korean baekseolgi (white rice cake) which you get on your first birthday as the centerpiece to a staggering table of fruit. It's really the next best thing to having authentic Korean rice cake in Taiwan. With yummy filling. My friend ordered 一份 to share so I only got to eat one which had peanut filling. I want to go back to try the sesame.

Baekseolgi texture? Yes?

One or two stalls down there is a 雞排 (chicken steak) vender with an eclectic selection of fresh and fried things which they will fry or refry for you upon selection. There were so many goodies like 地瓜 (sweet potato) and veggies and meats but being me, I ordered the mantou. The mantou was pretty, knotted, and two-toned in white and tan. Even prettier after deep-frying and light salting. A new twist on a twisted favorite. Gaa the puns must stop.

My mantou next to fried shrooms


So here's to my Valentine's day spent with no valentine.

And no complaints from the happy tummy.

Cheers!

華西街
Closest MRT 龍山寺