The Sugar Bar

Genmaicha in teacup & saucer? Why not.

There’s a street in London called Pudding Lane. That always tickles my funny bone. The word pudding. It makes me grin, it makes me laugh, it sends excited shivers down my spine, gives my sweet tooth a massive itch and also, activates my drool reflexes. And just a bit of trivia: did you know that there’s a breed of hamsters known as ‘Pudding’? That’s slightly weird but suppose that’s kinda cute. My kid sister’s got one of those. Quite adorable, if a little fat, lazy and greedy.

But…the thing the word originally refers to is much more fun, so much more decadent, truly inspiring, and gloriously delicious. I’m sure you’ll agree. No? Who loves pudding, hands up. If you don’t, I’m sorry I think you’re crazy.

SNOG froyo

As you might know, I’m guiltily taking a holiday. My kid sister is here for a short visit and so we’re visiting places in London/England she’s not seen before and eating the city over. Or sorta, as much as my wallet can afford. How ironic that after my wallet was stolen a few months ago, it hasn’t yet been replaced and my credit cards, ID cards, notes and change are all messily plopped together in an ugly pewter-coloured snake-scaled decorated freebie cosmetic pouch from Lancome. Oh dear.

Alright then, enough dallying about. Let me leave you with some pictures of sweet yummies and pudding. It’s nearly 11am, the sister is still concussed in bed like a sleeping dragon, the weather’s so horrid I simply can’t be bothered but things need to be done, and the day needs to go on! Keep safe in this gross weather and let’s hope for more sun this weekend. Until then….. eat pudding.

Hampton Court Palace Foodies Festival

LOVE Red Velvet in a Whoopie Pie

Angel Food Bakery in Brighton

Might get your daily dose of dopamine here in cupcake heaven

Greenwich

Down in the Greenwich Market

Melt-in-your-mouth apple pie in Biscuit Ceramic Café

Ottolenghi – A Necessary Pleasure

In addition to my fav Lemon Polenta Cake, we tried this Chocolate & Rum Fondant bad boy

Afternoon Tea at Sketch with Pam
The Parlour tearoom at Sketch is a wonderfully eclectic and stylish place for tea. To find out more, check out my first post on it here.

Bloody Praline

A Pink Paradise – delicate flavours of raspberry and lime

Olde Sweet Shoppe in Cambridge
Not sure if this counts as pudding, but it’s sugary. So I’m throwing this into the mix too!

More sweet secrets to come. We descend further into pudding underworld.

Was just chatting to my flatmate today about photographs, food, cameras and the tricky issue of the sodding thing putting (imaginary, I hope) pounds on us in every picture. When we started discussing my food pictures, what completely stumped us was how the food gets away with these very curious extra pounds. I don’t think my cakes look any more rotund or pneumatic. If I took a picture of a fairly large orange, it doesn’t look any fatter or rounder in the photograph. Why then do us, regular (as Gok Wan would say, REAL) women, after a quick but torturous snap, by some mysterious unfortunate force of technology look about 2 stone heavier, 10 inches rounder and just generally resembling an enormous juicy peach?

Very strange huh. But I suppose food just gets away with looking good. The damn thing simply looks even better on camera sometimes. They’re a natural. And so I warn you, this post is picture-heavy – for the reason that the sweets I eat look a helluva lot better than I do on camera. I totally took advantage of that.

2009 Winter – 2010 Spring Collection in the display window

I’m a big moaner. I moan about a lot of things. Apparently, my complaining is real hilarious too. Which is good, and sure, a bit of humour makes life so much more fun. Earlier this week I moaned about the lack of sugary things to eat in my house. And then when I went out to buy some from Minamoto Kitchoan, I moaned about the horror it presented to my thighs. On the way back home, some idiot kicked my bag of sweet treats and then of course, in the safety of my own head, I moaned about that as well. But, whilst I was eating it (after snapping like a gazillion shots), my generally grumpy alter ego went away. I was on cloud 9. Sweet treats surely brighten up anyone’s day but wagashi is just a little bit more special, in my opinion. In terms of eating it, it calls for a wholly different approach and definitely a mentally/emotionally/spiritually cleansed me devoid of any unhappy, grumpy thoughts!

Wagashi is traditional Japanese confectionary, beautifully crafted such that it has evolved into an artform of sorts, especially in Kyoto. I have always been fascinated with such confectionary. At first sight, they seem like some sort of posh nosh for imperial beings – they’re so wonderfully crafted it’s almost a travesty to think about eating it! But wagashi aren’t just eye-candy. They’re not the bimbos of sweet treats. They’re the Lady Diana of it all – gorgeous, elegant with real substance. And substance that’s all natural, non-toxic and made from plant-based ingredients such as adzuki, chestnuts and grains, seldom incorporating ingredients alien to Japanese cuisine. Typically served with tea, wagashi reminds me of the very Chinese art of consuming small light sweets with tea after a meal to improve digestion, nutrition and blood circulation; what also comes to mind is the tradition of eating mooncakes with tea during the Mid-Autumn Festival often whilst admiring the moon and the harmony of natural beauty about us.

Both calls one to indulge in all 5 senses to fully appreciate it through taste, sight, sound, touch and smell. You can savour to the fullest the flavours of the wagashi’s natural ingredients without complicating or corrupting alien flavours; the designs of wagashi are inspired by the aesthetics of nature such as the seasons or traditional Japanese art and literature and this often means you get an enormous variety of wagashi in different shapes, colours and even patterns. Also, the packaging is phenomenal. Every single wagashi is given utmost attention to detail, individually wrapped and then wrapped in boxes. Every bit is a beautiful bit of love, care and gentle sweetness; one of wagashi’s really unique appeal is the names – most of them associated with a seasonal object or phenomenon like haiku poems or alluding to a famous poetic phrase or literature; wagashi is eaten using the hands as touch is important in fully appreciating the soft, crisp or smooth textures which invite a whole new experience once you put it in your mouth; the scents of wagashi is very delicate. Although subtle, if you are patient you can quite easily identify what’s in it since only natural ingredients are used. Not overpowering and paired with equally delicate teas, (wagashi has been developed together with Japanese tea ceremony) the whole process of appreciating and consuming wagashi is the most calming experience I’ve had. I sometimes feel like I should feel a little more enlightened after – at least that’s what my Dad used to hint at after we sat about eating sweets, drinking tea, looking at the moon and our koi fishes.

Baumkuchen or 雅麗樹 Gareijyu – sugar glazed sponge cake with almond powder and rum (the former name itself suggests the influence of the West on this cake which deviates from the traditional wagashi)

キビ餅 Kibimochi – smooth red bean paste wrapped in soft textured rice cake coated with kinako

うさぎ Usagi – rabbit-shaped baked manjyu

白桃ぜりい Hakuto Jelly – jelly using white peaches and mineral-rich spring water

At the very least, wagashi is certainly a celebration and enjoyment of simple and natural beauty at its purest. And like the gentle lapping of soft evening waves on the shore, the warm caress of a summer breeze upon your cheek, the art of wagashi is harmonious, beautiful, sublime, inspiring and almost hauntingly so.

There are 3 categories of wagashi based on moisture levels: 1) namagashi (wet confectionary) having moisture level of 30% or more; 2) han namagashi (half wet confectionary) where moisture level is 10-30% and 3) higashi (dry confectionary) with moisture level of 10% or less. I wasn’t too sure exactly which wagashi fit into which category but I tried to get a range that spread itself out over the categories.

I admit I haven’t tried all the different types of wagashi available. But within my eating repertoire, personal traditional favourites of mine have got to be daifuku, odango (small mochi balls skewered on a stick) and warabimochi (mochi traditionally made from fiddleheads [warabi] covered in kinako [soybean powder], sometimes in matcha or cocoa powder), oshiruko (hot liquid anko, rather soup-like, with small balls of mochi) and yokan (bean jelly solidified with agar). It’s always hard to really say which one I like best as they’re all so lovely in their own ways. Because there’s such a big range of wagashi, there’s always one to suit your mood too.

Note: Wagashi has almost NO ANIMAL FAT. Natural unrefined sugar is used. In terms of nutrition, wagashi is pure carbohydrates and plant protein. Awesome.

It was very difficult to choose what to get at Minamoto Kitchoan and even harder to keep myself within my budget. But here’s what I bought (I’ll let the pictures do the talking from here) :

Miyabiguruma 雅車 (Red Bean Cake with Chestnut Filling) – I’m not too familiar with this one but I think the name refers to gosho-guruma, the wheel of an imperial wheelcart of the Heian period which is a popular design on kimono as well. Hence, the pressed design onto the cake. Of a very lovely, fairy-dust crumbly texture, the sweetness is so subtle such that it doesn’t outshine the chestnut filling. It’s strange to think this cake holds up so well as a shaped wheel when it melts on your tongue almost immediately. This is a type of higashi, or dry confectionary, as it has a moisture level of 10% or less. Made of rakugan – rice flour and sugar (wasanbon being the finest Japanese premium sugar) – the texture is very light and powdery.

Kurimanjyu 栗鏝頭 (Candied Chestnut & Bean Cake) – manju are steamed cakes filled with sweet bean paste surrounded by a flour mixture, available in many shapes such as peaches, rabbits, and matsutake mushrooms. Steamed manju is influenced by the steamed Chinese mantou. Kuri manju, however, is baked rather than steamed. Chinese mooncakes will most resemble this I reckon as the doughy outer texture is soft and cake-like which has browned in the oven. Why it’s called kuri manjyu I believe is due to its aesthetic resemblance to the chestnut or ‘kuri’ and this is actually filled with chestnut paste or ‘kuri an’ rather that sweet adzuki bean paste.

Mamedaifuku 豆大福 (Mixed Bean Mochi with Anko Filling) – mochi with whole red or black beans surrounding a sweet adzuki bean filling and coated with potato starch. This is definitely my favourite out of my haul. I love anything sticky and chewy so mochi (and all its related types like dango) is my best loved type of sweet. Absolutely love the light sweetness of the outer mochi which is very stretchy and soft, indicative of the quality. I found the anko filling a little too sweet but that didn’t really bother me. Would have loved to have more whole beans in the mochi itself like I’ve seen from other mamedaifukus which are quite bumpy from the beans.

Ofukuimo お馥芋 (Sweet Potato Paste Cake) – a very dense cake made of sweet potatoes. This is commonly described as a sponge cake with a sweet potato paste filling which threw me a little because this was completely different. I could definitely taste the sweet potato in this but it was so dense, I would hardly call this a sponge cake. I loved seeing bits of sweet potato in cake which was very paste-like. Despite how dense and compact this was (into a little pink cup), it didn’t leave me feeling full-up or sick. I loved how pressing it between my tongue and roof of my mouth turned the cake almost cream-like. I know I’m not describing this well but gosh it was good, guys.

•••

Have the pictures said it all? I hope so because recalling the exquisite tastes of these refined sweets have rendered me at a loss for words.

Minamoto Kitchoan
44 Piccadilly
London
W1J 0DS
Tel: 020 7437 3135
Web: http://www.kitchoan.com

Opening Times: 10:00-19:00 (Sun-Fri); 10:00-20:00 (Sat)

It’s time – time for making new year’s resolutions. I haven’t made any lists or any resolutions (officially) for a while now. If I had, they were just kinda a rough ideas formed -sorta- in my head, or a mish-mash of old and new resolutions, easily forgotten, easily dismembered into something else completely. Not much substance, not much thought given to it, not much of an effort really.

Now someone tell me that’s so lazy?

2009 was one of the best years. The middle of it marked the end of my (and a fairly successful one at that) undergrad life, witnessed the most amazing graduation and grad ball, a little romance, crazy Spain holiday, sophisticated Parisian trip, lots of sun and the best tan I’ve ever in my entire 22 years achieved, a little heartache, lots of eating and birthday fun, etc. So much happened, and oh blimey! Lady Gaga was born; so much was learnt I can barely attempt to describe what I got out of the year, the crazy antics that occurred, the jokes that were told, the food that was cooked.

Everyone’s a little more mature, or more mad, more enthusiastic, a little more on their way to achieving their goals. Although it’s sad to turn around and look at your past selves, the ghosts of you, I can safely say I regret none of the things that I’ve experienced or done. The years and the selves that make you YOU are all bits of you. 2010 may mean I shall look back to see a younger Diva fussing and fiddling about to find her way; and sometimes the past self is just a little bit unrecognizable or embarrassing to acknowledge. Nonetheless, I am accepting all the ghosts of me and taking them with me in the back of my mind and heart to welcome 2010.

And with that, here are just some things I noted down as reminder to myself ~ 9 resolutions. A bit much? Nah. They ain’t too tedious so they’re all a bit of fun anyway. What about you, any resolutions for the coming new year? I’m sure you’ve got some. Now don’t be lazy and whip out your list!

2010 Resolutions
1. Learn to start brushing my hair. Beach frizz, bedhead, volumatic poofs are great but surely it wouldn’t hurt me to have a little sleekness next year?

2. Make more of an effort -the motto for all things: with keeping in touch with old friends, with cooking, with work, with my writing, etc.

3. As much as the big city sometimes upsets me, attempt to get to know London a lot better. I’ll start by eating through this city of smoke (and also shopping through its great vintage finds). And oh yea, don’t forget to take my camera out with me even if it’s for a little stroll. It’s the new fashion statement, hung around your neck or held between two icy cold bare hands.

4. Look after my health and fight off dehydration. Water’s your best friend and your only friend sometimes.

5. Promote optimism – I’m not mad and even if I am, it’s a good mad – it’s creativity. She says.

6. This is totally cringe-worthy and virtually everyone I know, when asked to write a list of new year’s resolutions, bangs this one out. Time management. You just gotta say it. Every year I’m fighting against time as I take on more things to do, as I refine my goals and dreams, this bugger’s gonna be stuck to me and to my list for years to come.

7. Visit more food markets; actually, no. VISIT FOOD MARKETS. I haven’t done any of that ever since I moved to London. Too busy for fresh food shopping, too tired to cook anything fresh. It’s a horrid lifestyle. Totally gotta change that.

8. Shop smart for train tickets. Book in advance (way in advance if I can) or use megatrain to get regular Virgin train tickets for embarrassingly cheap tickets.

9. Get more involved in recyclable fashion and chuck less stuff out. I’m getting used to scoring at vintage shops, Oxfam and ripping and re-tying old things for a new look. It’s fun and stops my brain going belly-up from too much academia.

•••

Serious stuff done, let me share some food eye candy with you.

Napolean Tea & Caramel macaron, Moroccan Mint Tea macaron; Sakura Sakura! Tea, Jade Blossom Tea at TWG Salon, ION @ Singapore

The Christmas holiday was well spent and our Christmas roast (prepared, executed and served by moi with some help from the sisters; grocery shopping was team effort with Mum; turkey carving was left to Daddee) a true 2009 success, topping all our other roasts from previous years. I think when Mum’s eyes lit up from the moistness of the turkey, I achieved my first shining Mama-chelin star. So chuffed.

Unfortunately, not many photographs were taken this time round. My camera battery was low and wallybrain me had decided to leave it in my flat – who does that?! But it was glorious and there couldn’t have been a better way to spend Christmas family time. At TWG Tea Salon, we didn’t take much either as we were literally quivering with fear as we’d heard rumours about a no-photography policy. When we did gather our courage to whip out the cameras, no one stopped us. The waiting staff were pretty helpful, offering to take photos of us too which was great! Shame we didn’t get to document our tiers of cakes, patisseries, macarons and finger sandwiches. They were as beautiful as they tasted.

I admit that I was a bit of a hermit, staying in and working furiously like Silas Marner at my essays. I’ve yet to complete the last one which has been a pain in the ass for a real long time but I’m pressing on. Nonetheless, having work to do over the holiday (a real bummer) has taken up loads of my time to meet up with old friends for coffee/catch-ups. A shame I know but I did manage to squeeze a little tea session with the best girl at TWG Tea Salon, movie with the sisters and a lovely lunch with the family.

Mitsu Bay Scallops, Lotus, Chicken, Grated Radish, Shiso Leaves and an Ume Sauce at Ootoya

The weather’s been pretty mild here. I was a little worried about getting totally roasted to death but somehow, the weather’s been so good – cool, not as humid as expected, with a little sun and wind. Not that the weather makes any difference on my sugar/sweet/desserts cravings! And there’s evidence that these cravings were satisfied…

Going out without my camera felt a little odd but knowing that my sister had her Canon D-SLR with her was thoroughly exhilarating. For the first time, I properly held on in my hands and fiddled about with the manual settings and focus. I ain’t good at it (I hope I can say ‘yet’). But it felt amazing. There was like a charge in the atmosphere when I picked it up – not that my own little Powershot G10 isn’t loved but having my eye up to the camera, as though it was some mad extension of my dessert-hungry face, was pretty cool.

Maybe now I’m one of those cool kids with the d-slr and who traipse about knowing they’re all cool and shit with their cameras? Damn ‘em. I’m envious. Oh well, Powershot G10, you’re stuck with me for a long while now. And you’ve never let me down so I’m not unhappy about that. It was just wicked to feel a d-slr in my hands. Kinda like being taken up in a helicopter over a big city by some fancy rich guy ~ something I dream about but don’t really need at the end of the day.

Beautiful Matcha Mousse, Shirotama, Adzuki and Vanilla Ice Cream

I was whipped. The mousse was so matcha-ey with enough bitterness to send me flying. This is one dessert I’ll come back for.

Matcha Parfait – what a classic! – concoction of brown sugar syrup, custard, sponge cake, whipped cream, adzuki, matcha ice cream, what else? mmmm…all good.

The parfait was delicious! I loved the brown sugar syrup at the bottom of the glass. Not a tall glass, so not much to consume but just enough to make you wish you wanted more although you’re totally full up.

My time at home included loads more desserts like kakigori, homemade carrot cake, cookies, biscuits, chocolates, etc. It was a sweet Christmas. And a lovely way to end 2009.

Now, hello 2010. I’m confident that there’s more good sweet things to come. And the next time you hear from me, I’ll be back in London with twice the cravings and hopefully zero jet lag.