Japanese Food

There are a lot of Japanese people living in Bangkok, and it’s not hard to find a variety of Japanese food.

Interestingly, however, there aren’t many shops that sell traditional Japanese sweets.

I wonder if that is because it’s not something Japanese people crave the most being away from home, while they regularly seek food like ramen, sushi, and soba, etc.

Also, food like ramen and sushi (and probably soba, too) are popular not only among Japanese but locals and expats from other countries as well.

Yesterday I was in the mood for some sweets with red beans, and I couldn’t think of any place where I could get what I wanted easily, so as always I made the decision to make some myself.

It has been a while since the last time I made Taiyaki.

I forgot how to properly use the Taiyaki pan, and on my first attempt I made a big mess by spilling the batter and the filling all over the stove…

As a result, I ended up with three instead of five (or six).

I don’t make Taiyaki often enough, and I feel like I have to start over every time to learn how to get the right amount of heat.

That’s why you see three very different looking Taiyaki in this picture.

I think it’s a personal preference, but I like ones that are well browned and crispy.

I knew I wanted to stuff them with sweet red beans, but I always like to pair it with something else for my Taiyaki.

This time I wanted something very different from what I had tried in the past, and I made mango coconut cream.

It turned out great!

Japanese sweets with a little tropical flavor.

Definitely satisfied my craving.

I shared these with my husband, and sadly, one and half were not enough (lol).

If you are interested in what kinds of Taiyaki I’ve made in the past, check out this page.

My oven was delivered and placed in our kitchen, but emotionally I’m not ready to bake with it yet.

It’s always a bit intimidating to use a new appliance.

So, I made a treat by using something that was a little more familiar to me.

When we moved from the U.S., we got rid of a lot of things because we wanted to bring only what we “needed” and “absolutely wanted”.

This probably won’t make it into most people’s suitcases, but it did into mine. 🙂

The traditional filling is sweet Azuki paste.

But this time I wanted something a bit different.

It’s always fun to experiment with new things in the kitchen.

I decided to make earl grey flavored pastry cream.

It smelled so good in the kitchen.

I had to restrain myself from keeping eating after quick tasting.

They are so adorable!

They look so cute from this angle, too.

The spilled-out part is called “Hane”, which literally means “wing” in Japanese, and often times people purposely try to create it.

I like “Hane” too because it’s so crispy and yum.

Do you start with the head?

Or the tail?

When we moved in our new home, we needed a pot and a pan.

After looking at several options, I picked this Fika brand.

I’m so happy with the decision.

It’s a Korean brand, and the quality is superb!

I also love its look including the wood handle.