Omiyage: Japan’s Souvenir Culture
Is This Cake or is This Ramen?
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If there has to be a representative food of Japan, ramen would be a mighty contender. It’s hard to find countries in the world where there aren’t people who love the classic savory noodles with pork slices and delicious broth. Being such an ubiquitous dish, you can find ramen anywhere in Japan. Even in a bakery…?
Sweets Paradise, a popular dessert restaurant chain known for their all-you-can-eat cake buffets, set out to revolutionize the dessert scene even more with their series of incredibly realistic cakes.
Ramen
Golden broth, slender noodles, juicy slabs of pork…no matter how you look at it, it’s ramen. But before you take out those chopsticks, get a spoon and dig in. You’ll discover a generous base of sponge cake hidden under the layer of jelly that looks like soup. The char siew pork is a pie crust, and the noodles are piped from sweet chestnut cream. The more you eat into it, the less you’ll think of it as ramen. No guarantees that you won’t get more confused, though.
Price: ¥1,280
Order here: https://www.sweets-paradise-shop.com/SHOP/sp0001.html
Cup Noodles
Maruchan’s popular cup noodles can be found in supermarkets and convenience stores, where people often buy them for a quick but satisfying meal. How about having a sweet version for dessert? This mini cake set looks exactly like the udon series, from noodles to even the cup container. The lid can be eaten, before revealing the mont blanc cake below that looks exactly like soup udon. If you were to put these next to the actual products, no one would ever be able to tell the difference.
Price: ¥1,724
Order here: https://www.sweets-paradise-shop.com/SHOP/sp00037.html
Omelette Rice
The quintessential diner dish gets a sweet makeover in this cake version, where fried rice is orange cheese mousse and egg is made of crepe. To add an even more realistic touch to the faux dessert, the “ketchup rice” below the crepe is filled with orange and peach bits to give it some extra texture. The result is a voluminous, fluffy omelette rice that is sure to fill your stomach. The classic dollop of ketchup sauce on top is actually strawberry sauce, perfectly disguised to complete its appearance.
Price: ¥1,200
Order here: https://www.sweets-paradise-shop.com/SHOP/sp0052.html
Gyoza
These crispy pan-fried dumplings are a popular small dish at dinner, but also delicious enough to eat on its own for a whole meal. Now how about dessert? Coming in a set of six, the tray of gyoza immediately looks appetizing. With that skin perfectly charred to a golden brown, its mouthwatering appearance will fulfil your gyoza cravings with one glance. That is, until you actually taste it. Hope you like apple pie!
Price: ¥1,000
Order here: https://www.sweets-paradise-shop.com/SHOP/sp00022.html
Una-jyu
Grilled eel can be pricey in Japan. It’s regarded as a delicacy and almost something to be eaten as a fancy treat. Now you have the chance to get a big, filling una-jyu (grilled eel over rice) at barely over a thousand yen. But what’s the catch? Nothing, apart from a delicious sham. Made with caramel cream and pudding with Bavarian cream, the una-jyu is every bit as luxurious as its original form. Bite into it, and you’ll be treated to a sweet combination of caramel and apple.
Price: ¥1,200
Order here: https://www.sweets-paradise-shop.com/SHOP/sp0008.html
Katsudon
Katsudon, everyone’s go-to comfort food. We can’t get enough of that juicy breaded pork and savory sauce over rice. Or at least, until this strangely sweet imitation appeared. The egg is made of custard cream, with lemon peel cleverly disguised as the spring onion topping. The filling contains orange Bavarian cream and orange bits, with a touch of extra sweetness from light whipped cream. The mighty-looking katsu is actually pie crust, to give the cake that delicious crunch.
Price: ¥1,200
Order here: https://www.sweets-paradise-shop.com/SHOP/sp0007.html
Just seeing isn’t believing. You might need to take a scoop and eat it before you’re convinced that it isn’t really ramen and gyoza! These unique cakes are a great idea if you’re looking for something different from the usual birthday cake, or if you want to trick your friends with a delicious prank. At such affordable prices, it’s a steal too!
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Sharuru
College student in Tokyo and lover of Ghibli and Hello! Project.
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