A Small Happiness ― 2025/04/01
Today's doughnut was so nicely glazed. I love the crispy bits of glaze!
Today’s Treat ― 2025/03/25
Banana crepe and coffee @ Dipper Dan, 570yen
A crepe for the first time in a really long time, probably three decades?
I used to have them for my three o'clock snack when I was actively working in my early twenties, when the same crepe cost 290 yen.
I had forgotten how nice crepe tastes. It looked quite substantial, and I thought at first that I would not be able to eat it all with my aged stomach, but I finished it in almost a few seconds.
But there was another reason for my wolfing it down: as the seating area of the crêperie was set up directly along a shopping mall corridor,
I felt an immense pressure to finish it as quickly as possible, rather than to enjoy my elenvenses in style.
Coffee at Museum ― 2025/03/16
The museum I visited today doesn't have a cafe section. Well, it used to, but for some reason the cafe disappeared while we were making a fuss about COVID-19.
Now, if you need a coffee break, there is a seating area outside the building with vending machines. Alternatively, you can go to a cafe in the library next to the museum (open at 11am and close at 4pm, relatively costly for a quick break by my standards).
It's really a shame that such a large museum with a great collection doesn't have one cafe. Meanwhile, the art museum in Ohori park has an unrealistically expensive cafe and even a restaurant.
Today's Treat ― 2025/03/14
A chocolate chip baked doughnut and coffee, 297 yen @ Lawson
There are fewer and fewer convenience stores with seating these days, which makes me feel a bit trapped when it comes to where to take a quick and easy break.
One Week's Supply ― 2025/03/09
2 sausage & cheese steamed cakes
2 raisin steamed cakes and
6 butterless banana muffins (use whipping cream instead).
I suppose these could be enough for our afternoon treats for the next week.
They were so easy and quick to make that even I managed to make them all in less than 1.5 hours because they didn't require any beating, whisking or whipping.
Steamed Cake ― 2025/03/04
Having had (nearly) everything I had longed for in Fukuoka (and spent most of my budget on it), I returned to my homemade treats.
Today's steamed cakes turned out particularly well, light, fluffy and spongy.
Here's the recipe for my next attempt.
Ingredients
95g plain flour
5g baking powder, sifted together with the flour
35g beet sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 tbsp milk, microwaved for 20 seconds at 600w
1.5 tbsp vegetable oil (I used cheaper olive oil), stirred into the warm milk
Method
1.Beat the egg and sugar with an electric whisk until the mixture forms a soft peak.
2. Fold in the flour.
3. Stir in the milk and oil mixture.
4. Pour the mixture into 6-8 paper-lined mini ramekins.
5. Steam in a steam oven at 100 degrees for 15 minutes.
Note:
Many methods I have seen online do not require the eggs to be beaten so vigorously, but I prefer the soft and airy texture of this version.
These cakes are not as sweet. May be suitable for breakfast. The sugar can be increased to 50g for a more cake-like sweetness.
The plain version (picture, back) may be made into an instant short cake with whipped cream and fresh or tinned fruit.
A (n Almost) Perfect Day ― 2025/03/01
With the arrival of March, the temperature jumped to almost 20 ℃. Although the sky was hazy with pollen and possibly PM2.5, I couldn't resist a long ride on my Mamachari this morning.
On my way down the Hii (pronounced 'He') River, I first visited an Australian-style bakery that had undergone a major refurbishment and now looked much more sophisticated.
Unfortunately, they were out of my favourite garlic pretzels, but I got enough for the next few days.
Then I had a coffee at Komeda Coffee.
The coffee is indeed expensive. A cup of coffee at 560 yen with no refill is a luxury. I only go for it in the morning when it comes with an extra thick slice of toast and a boiled egg as a morning special? And there are magazines free to read on the shelf, just like in Showa-era cafes.
While I was having my second breakfast, I noticed that there were quite a few Obachans having coffee or breakfast alone. I felt a sense of camaraderie with them. No Obachan wants to cook at weekends, don't they?
Next time I will go to the Dipper Dan creperie. I envy people who live in this area. There is so much to do!
Finally, I visited a local library for the first time since last spring.
It hadn't changed much, but it was surprisingly crowded, like a branch of Marukyo on Sunday mornings.
I'm no longer eligible to borrow materials from this library because Fukuoka City doesn't offer book loans to visitors and my residence registration isn't here currently. Still, it felt refreshing and soothing to breathe in the smell of old books. I know it's not good for you physically, but it's certainly good for something in your mind and soul.
It's great to ride a well-maintained bike on a flat and evenly paved surface, even if it's an 18-year-old, 20kg mamachari!
Today's Treat ― 2025/02/21
Pancakes and self-serving soft drink bar (around 900 yen in total) at Royal Host
Manipulated by my obsession with the idea that "I shouldn't miss the pancakes since I've come all the way back to Fukuoka". Although there are a couple of branches in Sapporo, Royal Host is not as accessible as Rokka-Tei or Ryugetsu from our place.
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