Sweets Paradise (Tokyo): A buffet made up of only cake!

There are a ton of fun and interesting restaurants in mainland Japan that we do not have here in Okinawa. One that has caught my eye for years is Sweets Paradise. Sweets Paradise is a buffet style cafe with a bit of a twist. Rather than a typical buffet where there are assortments of main dishes and only a taste of sweets for the end of the mean Sweets Paradise quite literally flips that concept offering an assortment of sweets and only a few main dishes.

Like other all you can eat restaurants in Japan, Sweets Paradise offers up unlimited sweets for a flat rate (¥1650) over a span of 90 minutes (which turns out is quite a while if you’re scarfing down cake). During that time you can fill your plate with a variety of cakes, popcorn, chocolate fountain, ice cream with a variety of toppings and of course you can also enjoy a house pasta and curry. Also available was a drink bar with a variety of different soft drinks and teas. There was also a fresh tea bar where you could choose from a wide variety of teas which could be brewed fresh for your enjoyment.

Although the idea of eating nothing but cake for dinner can be stomachache provoking I was actually pleased to find that most of the cakes were very light. This made it possible to sample many different cakes with ease. (In other words it was very possible to get your money’s worth without feeling as though one piece of cake would make you feel too sick to continue eating). There were quite a few to sample as well. From cakes made with cream and fruit to cakes made in typical Japanese fashion the buffet had anything you could think of!

Overall the restaurant was quite enjoyable. The food was great quality and very worth the price of admission. There was also more than enough time to enjoy as much cake as you could while also talking over a pot of freshly brewed tea and maybe having a bit of pasta as well. The atmosphere of the restaurant was wonderful too. Bright colors and unique architecture and light fixtures made this not only a fun place to eat some cake but a great place to experience dinner.

This Sweets Paradise location was in Ikspiari (Tokyo Disney Resort) a short walk from Maihama Station in Urayasu, Chiba. However, there are Sweets Paradise locations throughout Japan (except Okinawa). Please visit their website for more information so that you don’t miss out on this fun experience next time you’re in mainland!  CLICK HERE FOR WEBSITE

Coffee Time: Convenient Cafe in Ginowan Convention City

We ended a long morning of window shopping just in time to enjoy lunch at San A Ginowan Convention City. After paroozing some of the options we decided that we would try a place that we had never noticed before called Coffee Time. 

What drew us to Coffee Time was the sandwiches. They had a display of some beautiful looking sandwiches outside and since we were looking for a light lunch with a side of fries, perfect for a light lunch.

Coffee Time was not crowded. Even at lunch time we were encouraged to seat ourselves. Service was speedy and the staff was friendly. The menu at Coffee Time is extensive and offers a variety of foods from pasta to sandwiches all the way to waffles. In fact they even have a waffle sandwich which at this point I think I might have to go back and give a try.

NOTE: The menu is not in English however it does offer a variety of pictures making it easy to order even if you’re not confident in your Japanese reading ability. 

Prices at Coffee Time were definitely reasonable. The two of us ordered sandwiches and we shared a snack basket which included various fries and onion rings and left with a bill of about ¥1400. Portions were what I would call medium/large which provided a decent sized meal.

I am happy to say that Coffee Time was an enjoyable place to enjoy lunch and I would be happy to visit again.

 

KALDI Coffee Farm

Located in the San A Ginowan Convention City is a small shop called the KALDI Coffee Farm. The name of this shop is slightly misleading. Originally I had thought that with a name like Coffee Farm coupled with the enthusiastic woman serving samples of coffee the main theme of the items in this shop would be . . . you guessed it. . . coffee but this was not the case. I was pleasantly surprised to find that this was not only a place to get fresh gourmet coffee but also a variety of import goods.

There was everything from snacks to wine, noodles to marshmallows flavored like coffee and tea and so much more. 

One of the great things about this shop is that they have a variety of very specific items from America (I honestly have no idea how common the items from other parts of the world are in this shop) that you otherwise would not have the ability to find here in Okinawa. This could be your favorite type of maple syrup, arm and hammer baking soda or even fluff. These items are all priced accordingly and in my opinion are not too bad if you don’t have access to them elsewhere on the island. 

Although this is a great place to visit it is important to keep in mind that it is small and very crowded. This makes it a place not ideal for carriages or even young children. Even a big purse can be a hassle as you try to navigate the narrow aisles and move around the other customers. 

Whether you are looking for a little taste of home or some delicious fresh coffee head over to Ginowan and check out this small shop! 

 

Plants + nicoli: It doesn’t get much better than this!

Plants + nicoli is one of those places that I must have driven past a million times but never noticed because of its closet sized store front. In fact, if I had not received a flyer in the mail a few weeks ago I probably would have never thought to stop.

Like other small “hole-in-the-wall” shops Plants + nicoli has a limited menu. They serve smoothies and muffins. . . . that’s it! Seeing how small this shop was when I pulled up I had pretty low expectations as far as selection was concerned. There was a sign outside which displayed three kinds of smoothies and another sign which simply said “American Muffins”. Can’t go wrong right?

Once I got into the actual store I was blown away by the smell. AMAZING! This is the smell of fresh muffins coming out of an oven, none of this mass produced FamilyMart of DunkyD’s nonsense. As I stepped into the store on my right there was a counter with the largest selection of muffins I have ever seen in one place at one time. Everything from Caramel, Mattcha, Chocolate, Chocolate Chip, Banana, Strawberry, Poppyseed . . . . and those were just what I saw right away. There were at least another 3 or 4 rows which were at first blocked from my view by another excited woman and her daughter.

Above the counter was a chalkboard with a variety of smoothie flavors including coffee based, fruit based and milk based. I could have tried anything on the menu but overjoyed by the smell of amazing muffins I quickly just said mango before I even gave myself the chance to read the rest of the menu. A few short minutes later and I was walking out of there with 4 muffins and a beautiful mango smoothie.

Once I got home it was time to set myself down and enjoy some of this goodness. Ok. . . . ok. . . . I had some of my smoothie in the car but it was melting! The smoothie (¥400) was absolutely delicious and for the size you really can’t beat the price. I then cracked into my Oreo (or more appropriately “sandwich cookie”) mattcha muffin (¥100).

Goodness Gracious! This is what a muffin tastes like fresh out of the oven and I know because I spent almost my entire life up until I moved to Japan working in the family bakery. Moist! Fluffy! Delicious! It really doesn’t get any better than this!

Whether Oyama is your neck of the woods or you have to take the 10 minute drive down this direction you won’t be disappointed with Plants + nicoli!

Drip Coffee: All the flavor without the bulky machine!

 

 

As I sip my morning coffee thinking about how exactly I want to start off this post I glance to the right and look into my kitchen. Much like other Japanese style kitchens it has a basic range, sink and about 1ft by 1.5ft of counter space. As you might imagine that barely leaves enough space to prepare a meal let alone have a coffee machine and, let’s say, a blender. The answer to this challenge (if you can even call it that) is efficiency. What if rather than having a specific machine for every task you wanted to complete you could use one machine to complete multiple tasks? Enter the electric water boiler!

An electric water boiler is a staple in Japanese households because of it’s many functions. It can be used to make soups, teas, noodles and of course coffee. So how does one make coffee with an electric water boiler? I am so glad you asked! Today we’re going to go through the entire process so that you too can get your caffeine fix whether you’re here on vacation or trying to acclimate to Japanese living.

What is drip coffee: 

Drip coffee is all the love of percolated coffee without the machine. It comes in a few different forms but for the sake of today’s post we’re going to talk about my favorite type, the individually packed variety. The individually packed type of drip coffee alone comes in a variety of flavors from your favorite Japanese coffee companies. The reason that I prefer this type is because each packet includes everything you need (aside from the cup and water of course) in perfect portions. No measuring and no clean up required! This makes it perfect not only for tiny kitchens like mine but also for travelers who want to enjoy coffee but not at Starbucks prices.

Although drip coffee is quick to make don’t mistake it for instant coffee. This is not those mystery crystals which when added to hot water turn into a coffee-like substance. This is actual coffee grounds.

 

 

How to make drip coffee: 

 

STEP 1:

Open up the package and remove the inner packet.

Step 2:

Carefully remove the top. Make sure that all the coffee grounds are moved towards the bottom of the bag.

Step 3:

Open the supports as according to the directions on your brand of drip coffee and place them onto your coffee mug. Some companies have different designs for this step but pictured is what I have found is the most common.

Step 4:

Slowly pour boiling water into the opening and smell that delicious coffee goodness.

Step 5:

Sit back, relax and enjoy!

The bottom line: 

Start to finish we’re talking about 2 minutes to make the coffee, 1 minute to clean the mug when you’re finished and . . . . that’s it! For me the biggest sell is the clean up. I hate cleaning coffee makers and coffee pots. With this  you’re only cleaning out the mug which is pretty much effortless. The next biggest sell for me is the portability. When I traveled to Tokyo last summer I packed some drip coffees and it was a lifesaver. Not only that but because it’s literally pennies to the dollar of the coffee we would have bought leaving more money for fun swag.

The only downside to this type of coffee is that it doesn’t make itself so you’re going to have to put in the small amount of effort to get it from grounds to glorious.

Climax Coffee: Step aside Starbucks!

This morning I was on a quest. . . . a quest for pancakes. Usually this quest points me in the direction of the nearest konbini or grocery store to pick up a package of pancakes mix but today it led me to a part of Okinawa often refereed to as Hamby Town. What drew me to Hamby Town was a not so little chain known as Climax Coffee.

The best way to describe Climax Coffee is a spin off gone right. This coffee shop/restaurant/cafe has the feel of a Starbucks or Tully’s with slash of originality and a light dusting of Japanese flare.

 

The Coffee: 

As one might expect from a coffee shop Climax Coffee has an assortment of coffee drinks as well as non coffee drinks which we have come to expect ¥500 a cup places to carry. Options include classic espresso, espresso based coffees, chocolate drinks, espresso tea, espresso tea lattes, tea lattes, milk, tropical fruit juices, tropical fruit soda and shakes.

Most of the coffee drinks are served either cold or hot and come in regular or medium. Other options such as tropical fruit juice only come in regular size and the Italian Fruit Soda is only available in medium.

Today I went for one of my favorite types of lattes in Japan, the Green Tea Latte. The latte was very good although I wouldn’t recommend running out and ordering it unless you know that a strong green tea flavor is right for you.

The Food: 

Surprisingly there is quite the extensive menu of food options offered at Climax Coffee. Options include spaghetti, curry rice, hamburgers, panini sandwiches soups, fries and salad. The menu also includes various plates which feature chicken with various sides. Of course not all food items are available at all times of day. Lunch menu, for example, starts at around 11:30 if I remember correctly.

Seeing as we were at Climax Coffee bright and early it was all about the pancakes. After all I was on a quest! The number of pancake options at this place is absolutely unbelievable. Those who are undeceive beware because you’ve got to choose between milky macadamia, mixed berry, banana chocolate, mango, green tea with kuromitsu syrup or plane. . . . . and that’s just the regular menu. Once you’ve picked the type of pancake you want it’s time to choose the size. Most styles of pancakes come with three options (regular, medium and small) and are served with just the right amount of toppings and whipped cream.

Keeping with the Japanese theme I chose the Green Tea Pancake with Kuromitsu Syrup. Russ went for the more American style Cinnamon Apple Pancakes also in size medium.

 

The pancakes themselves were absolutely delicious made fresh and drizzled with just enough syrup. The whipped cream was also actually heavy cream not the whipped topping that you might expect.

 

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly: 

Overall the experience was a great one but for those of you who still may be unsure let’s go through the good, the bad and the ugly.

The Good is that this place not only has good coffee and a wide selection (including seasonal flavors) but also a pretty great menu. It’s also earning some more “Good” points for it’s wide selection of breakfast options. There aren’t many pancake houses here on the island which offer such a wide selection and at such a great price. That brings us to our next “Good” . . . pricing. Although the coffee is just as pricy at any other coffee shop around you can’t beat pancakes for under ¥500 yen.

Now for The Bad I really don’t have anything to say about the food, at least the breakfast options. The biggest “bad” that I can can honestly say (and I realize that this is a stretch) is the location. This is not one of those places you’ll drive by unless you happen to be going down this particular road. Another unfortunate “bad” is that there is seemingly not any parking. In actuality the parking is on the next road over which you might not see if you’re visiting in the middle of the day when other parking lots are full.

The Ugly is the parking lot itself. The lot, located on the street behind the entrance to Climax Coffee, is a dirt lot. Sure it might not be a big deal for some but you might want to consider this once rainy season rolls around or if you (like me) are particular about your vehicle.

 

Everything Else You Need To Know: 

Climax Coffee in Hamby Town opens at 0800 although different locations have different operating hours so check out their website for detailed information. They take dollars, yen and credit card as well. The staff is incredibly friendly and are happy to work with English speaking customers. There is also an English menu available! There are some options for kids and with the various sizes your kiddles shouldn’t have a problem enjoying themselves. I did not, however, see any booster seats so this might be something to consider.

Over all I say go over to Climax Coffee and give them a shot!

We want to hear from you! 

Have you been to Climax Coffee? Let us know what you think below.