Amazing Japanese treats you can get your hands on in Bangkok

Place of Origin: Tokyo

Price: B75/piece

Omotesando Koffee, the offshore sister brand of coffee bean specialists, Koffee Mameya in Omotesando, and Toranomon Koffee in Mori Tower, is known for its subtly flavored caffeinated beverages and its Kashi Custard Cake. Comparable to the French canalé, the latter is crispy and caramelized on the outside, and filled with creamy baked custard on the inside. Heaven in your mouth, we say.

3/F Siam Paragon, Rama 1 Road, 08 9966 9995. BTS Siam. Open daily 10:00-22:00

Place of origin: Osaka

Price: B75/piece

The streets of Tokyo and Osaka are lined with a gamut of shops selling cheese tarts, but very few are comparable to Pablo. Its visionary owner Masamitsu Sakimoto came up with the idea of baking a cheesecake in different textures– medium and rare–which led to the development of their signature cheese tart, a tantalizing treat with a crispy shell, and a rich, nearly-liquid cheese filling, coated with apricot jam. Other variants include a matcha-flavored crust and a red bean-flavored filling. We, however, prefer the flavor of Pablo’s mini cheese tart with tantalizing crispy shell casing the oozing cream with stronger cheese flavor.

G/F Siam Paragon, Rama 1 Road, 06 3171 4292. BTS Siam. Open daily 10:00-22:00

Place of origin: Sapporo

Price: B125

In Japan, it’s common to see a queue lining up in front of Ringo, a kiosk churning out only one thing: miniature apple pies. In Bangkok, the brand name was changed to Rapl (pronounced rap-ple), but the draw remains the same: moreish pies with 144 layers of flaky, buttery puff made from Hokkaido-imported flour. This puff surrounds oozing, indulgent cream made with apples sourced from Aomori.

M/G Siam Center, Rama 1 Road, 09 1916 4224. BTS Siam. Open daily 10:00-22:00

Place of origin: Tokyo

Price: B85

Tokyo Milk Cheese Factory has been selling biscuits filled with various types of cheese as souvenirs from Japan for almost a decade. Recently, the cookie shop expanded its offerings to include a chouxcream label under the name Cow Cow Kitchen. The signature buys at this latest endeavor are milk pies that feature a rich filling made with Hokkaido-imported mascarpone cheese and French cream, and a delicious flaky puff pastry.

G/F Siam Paragon, Rama 1 Road, 08 5244 3460. BTS Siam. Open daily 10:00-22:00

Place of origin: Tokyo

Price: B80

Zaku Zaku in Harajuku has become famous for being the birthplace of croquant chou, a thick cream-filled stick coated with crushed almond. This scrumptious pastry comes in two flavors: vanilla and matcha. It’s best paired with their vanilla soft serve made from fresh Hokkaido milk, and topped with coated almond bits.

M/F Siam Center, Rama 1 Road, 0 2658 1123. BTS Siam. Open daily 10:00-22:00

Place of origin: Tokyo

Price: B160

Modern “matcha cafes” scattered throughout Japan’s hip neighborhoods have made this aromatic and bitter ceremonial beverage more accessible to a younger audience. Nana’s Green Tea, which has more than 90 outlets in different locations around the world, is one of the more notable matcha cafe chains. The brand claims to use matcha picked from different parts of Japan, including Uji, a small town near Kyoto praised for its high-quality matcha. One of the shop’s bestsellers is a soft and spongy matcha roll cake with a light yet flavorful cream filling. Although the treat is by no means original, Nana’s version is one of the best in Bangkok.

1/F Donki Mall, 107 Soi Sukhumvit 63, 0 2301 0451. BTS Thonglor. Open daily 10:00-22:00

Place of origin: Osaka

Price: B75/piece

Pancakes may have been popularized by the Americans, but it’s the Japanese that have taken it to new highs by coming up with what’s called “soufflé pancake”, a soft, fluffy and airy treat that delicately melts in your mouth and stays in your heart. One of the biggest names in soufflé pancakes is Gram, the famed pancake institution from Osaka that opened its first shop on the ground floor of Siam Paragon a few years back. You would usually have to queue up and wait to savor the decadent, cloud-like treat. But here’s the trick. Gram also sells a to-go version of their beloved soufflé pancake, in a much cheaper price, no less. And you won’t have to wait long to savor the heavenly confection. The to-go pancake looks rather like a sandwich filled with fluffly cream, and in our experience, it tastes slightly more indulgent than the original.

G/F Siam Paragon, Rama 1 Road, 06 1469 6745. BTS Siam. Open daily 10:00-22:00

Place of origin: Yufuin

Price: B75

For many Thai tourists, a visit to the quaint and charming city of Yufuin in southern Japan wouldn’t be complete without a stop at Milch and an Instagram shot of their famed cheese cup, an indulgent creation featuring drool-worthy layers of rich, slightly salty cream cheese and spongy cake. Milch’s Bangkok branch recently opened, and their cheese cups have been giving Pablo’s cheese tarts a run for their money. In addition to these amazing cups, Milch Bangkok has also brought in other bestsellers like caramel pudding and soufflé pancakes.

G/F Siam Paragon, Rama 1 Road, 09 8265 6968. BTS Siam. Open daily 10:00-22:00

Place of origin: Kyoto

Price: B150

Kurasu, the specialty coffee shop from Kyoto has found its way to Southeast Asia, particularly Singapore and Bangkok. While the coffee blends are standard across every shop, the dessert varies depending on the location. At the Bangkok outlet, they have the Homemade Anko Butter Toast, a sweet treat topped with mashed red beans and butter— perfect for pairing with Kurasu’s premium coffee or matcha drinks.

Bambini Villa, 1 Soi Athakravi. Open daily 08:00-16:00

Place of origin: Tajimi

Price: B245

Pastry chef Takeshi Shibata opened his eponymous patisserie in Tajimi City in Gifu in 1995, and has been praised for marrying French baking with Japanese craftsmanship. Chez Shibata, which now has 10 branches across Japan, Shanghai and, recently, Bangkok, is revered for producing indulgent cakes and pastries that maximize Japanese ingredients. One of our favorites is Matcha Opera, a Japanese twist on the Opera Cake that layers matcha sponge cake, mandarin orange jelly, dark chocolate ganache and matcha ganache. You can currently find Chez Shibata 365 (its name in foreign markets) at Hotel Nikko in Thonglor, but a new shop at Siam Paragon is expected to open by the end of September.

3/F Hotel Nikko, 317 Soi Sukhumvit 55, 09 5632 4499. BTS Thonglor. Open daily 11:00- 21:00