MANILA -- One does not immediately think of Japan when craving for pastries and breads. Perhaps it's time that you do.
Japanese baking has long taken the best of Western techniques and imbued it with its own culture and tastes. Kumori Japanese Bakery was borne of this tradition, using only the best and freshest ingredients with no preservatives and additives to create unique Japanese pastries and breads.
Now with two stores in Makati (at the basement levels of Landmark Department Store and SM Makati), Kumori promises to deliver "Japan baked daily" to Filipino consumers. Here are six items that you should not miss.
1. Signature Hanjuku Cheese
This is Kumori's version of the almost ubiquitous Japanese cheesecake -- a half-baked cheesecake with a cream cheese center. It has the perfect blend of textures -- crumb and cream -- with just the right sweetness, rich without being heavy. This is available in both cheese and chocolate. The cheese version, eaten a bit cold, is near heaven.
2. Soft Matcha Bun
The "kumo" in Kumori means clouds, and biting into the Soft Matcha Bun feels like biting into a cloud. The soft bread has as a matcha filling that definitely tastes of Japanese green tea, but not overwhelmingly. A sprinkling of snow sugar powder and matcha powder finishes this treat. You can also try the Fuwa-Fuwa Cream Bun, a custard-filled cream bun.
3. Salmon Bonito
There are various savory baked goods in Kumori Bakery, but the Salmon Bonito is one of its bestsellers for a reason. The twin buns are "umami bombs," with Kumori's signature soft bread, a salmon filling, a drizzling of teriyaki sauce, and a topping of bonito flakes.
4. Pudding
Pudding is gaining quite the traction here in the Philippines, as we see various bakeries offering their own versions. Kumori's Japanese version of pudding has a beautiful texture -- soft and creamy without any hint of gelatin (although you know it's there). It's just extra smooth, silky and creamy. Try the original (cream and caramel, similar to our leche flan), and green tea versions.
5. Krone
Always freshly filled are Kumori's Creamy Custard Krones. Combining cones and croissants, this pastry pleases young and old alike, as it hits points on texture and taste, with its crispy tube of flaky pastry especially against the filling of luscious custard cream. Not to mention the fun factor of eating a tube of cream.
6. Tofu Cheesecake
Let's face it, the idea of tofu in a cheesecake seems downright weird at first. Perfect for those looking for a healthier dessert alternative, Kumori's Tofu Cheesecake was a revelation, as it just works. It had a light crust and the "cheesecake," even though a bit heavier in texture, was still very light and airy. It also has this nice interplay of sweet and a barely perceptible hint of saltiness.
Covered in whipped cream that adds just the right amount of sugar, and sesame seeds that add texture (as well as a nutty taste), eat this blindfolded and you'd never guess that its main ingredient is tofu.
source: www.abs-cbnnews.com
