Japanese bakeries

There's a little strip mall a mile or two south of us that's become quite a center for Japanese cuisine. It started when Oto's, a locally-owned market that's been around for a long time, expanded and moved into a space there. A little while later, a first-rate restaurant called Akebono opened in another spot in the mall. Now a bakery has taken over what was a coffee shop there and it's the latest threat to my being able to keep my weight down. They do sweet and savory stuff that mostly seems based on a light, puffy, bun-type of bread. Their are a variety of fillings, from cream to fruit to chocolate to bean paste. The savory stuff include little "pizzas" and bacon rolls. They also sell puffy white bread that they use to make a mean-looking French toast. I've had several items so far and all have been excellent. The buns are light and delicate and the fillings are first-rate.

They have a reputation for being much like bakeries in Japan and their customers include many members of the local Japanese community. That's surprising to me as I would have expected less in the way of cream fillings and chocolate from a Japanese bakery. Haven't been to Japan, though, so maybe this kind of thing is common there. Either way, it's great stuff.

I live in Tokyo - 4 years and counting.

Firstly, I would say there is much more of a neighborhood bakery culture here than in the US. There are dozens of little bakeries all over the place (I would say the same about flower shops - also in a positive, "well isn't that kind of nice" way) - you can't walk more than a couple of blocks without hitting one.

They tend to range from ones that focus heavily on the sweeter side of things to full service. The "sweeter" ones indeed have lots of elaborate cakes an pastries with ample amounts of sugar, chocolate, lemon, meringue etc - a very "western" product. The full service do indeed have lots of savory items like mini pizzas, croissants stuffed with sausages, vegetable mixes etc.

It is very typical in JApan that you grab a tray (cafeteria style) and a pair of tongs and wander around picking things out of baskets and putting them on the tray and then heading for the checkout counter. There, as always, they are wrapped with unimaginable care and precision and you are sent on your way.

I live in Tokyo - 4 years and counting.

Firstly, I would say there is much more of a neighborhood bakery culture here than in the US. There are dozens of little bakeries all over the place (I would say the same about flower shops - also in a positive, "well isn't that kind of nice" way) - you can't walk more than a couple of blocks without hitting one.

They tend to range from ones that focus heavily on the sweeter side of things to full service. The "sweeter" ones indeed have lots of elaborate cakes an pastries with ample amounts of sugar, chocolate, lemon, meringue etc - a very "western" product. The full service do indeed have lots of savory items like mini pizzas, croissants stuffed with sausages, vegetable mixes etc.

It is very typical in JApan that you grab a tray (cafeteria style) and a pair of tongs and wander around picking things out of baskets and putting them on the tray and then heading for the checkout counter. There, as always, they are wrapped with unimaginable care and precision and you are sent on your way.

Interesting, John! At this one, they have the trays, but you ask for what you want and they pull it out from the case with tongs. They then place each one in an individual plastic bag and onto the tray. That's as fancy as they get with the wrapping, though. If you're buying stuff to take home, they just carefully put it all in a paper bag.

First, I second everything John wrote. Traditional Japanese cuisine did not know of baking. Even to this day western style ovens are not typical in a Japanese home. My new upscale apartment in Yokohama does not have an oven, just a fish grill(broiler) and three burners. The Japanese go gaga over western style pastries and baked goods. As part of the careful wrapping or boxing, most times I get a small dry ice pack placed in or taped to the top of the pastry box; even if I explain that I only live a few minutes away and it is not necessary. The puffy white bread - are the slices about an inch or so thick and do they come 6 to 8 slices per package? I see these in every grocery store here.

First, I second everything John wrote. Traditional Japanese cuisine did not know of baking. Even to this day western style ovens are not typical in a Japanese home. My new upscale apartment in Yokohama does not have an oven, just a fish grill(broiler) and three burners. The Japanese go gaga over western style pastries and baked goods. As part of the careful wrapping or boxing, most times I get a small dry ice pack placed in or taped to the top of the pastry box; even if I explain that I only live a few minutes away and it is not necessary. The puffy white bread - are the slices about an inch or so thick and do they come 6 to 8 slices per package? I see these in every grocery store here.

Eric-

My impression was that baking was not a traditional part of Japanese cooking, and that's why the buzz that this local place was "just like the bakeries in Japan" surprised me. Sounds like it is, though. I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised. Last Christmas we came across a weird shop in San Francisco that sold only cream puffs. Nothing else. (They are darn good cream puffs, though.) It's called "Beard Papa" and it's a chain out of Japan.

The white bread comes in two thicknesses. The thicker version is about an inch thick and just as you say, is in packs of 8.

It is very typical in JApan that you grab a tray (cafeteria style) and a pair of tongs and wander around picking things out of baskets and putting them on the tray and then heading for the checkout counter. There, as always, they are wrapped with unimaginable care and precision and you are sent on your way.

Eric

You da Man!

are you ever in tokyo?

Nice photos, Eric! The bread looks identical to what they sell here and the overall look of the shop is very similar.