Patisserie Reve de chef at Osaka Takashimaya (Osaka, JAPAN) ★★★☆☆

Founded in Kobe back in 1981, Patisserie Rêve de Chef is a confectionery brand active in the Kansai region. It’s best known for its fresh cream puffs, Japanese strawberry shortcakes, fruit cakes, and other sweets that’s more tailored to the local palate.

I happened to stumble upon their outlet at Osaka Takashimaya in Namba this afternoon.

Peach Charlotte (602 yen) — A sponge cake wrapped with milk bavarois, with chunks of in-season white peach. It’s finished with a layer of peach and strawberry jelly on top.

If you happen to like Japanese-style fruit cakes, this may not be a bad choice for you.

Mont Blanc (500 yen) — Of course, I bought a final Mont Blanc for mom on this trip. I didn’t get a report from her, but this looked pretty standard — silky chestnut vermicelli on top of fresh cream, and a crispy tart. I would imagine that she’s happy with it. She's not picky as long as the dessert has chestnut in it.

We didn’t have time to experience as many desserts this trip mainly because of our tight schedule in Shikoku (not that there were tons of options there). I’ll leave that for our next trip to Japan, which should be our Christmas trip to Tokyo.

Food Rating: 5.1/10

Price: ￥￥￥

Address: B1F Food Hall, Osaka Takashimayai, 5-1-5 Namba, Chuo-ku, Osaka, 542-0076 Japan

Closest Metro Station: Namba

Tel: +81 (0)6 6647-7030

Opening Hours: 10:00am - 8:00pm daily

The Lobby Lounge at The Ritz Carlton Osaka (Osaka, JAPAN) ★★★★☆

I thought I wasn’t going to make my usual visit to The Lobby Lounge at The Ritz-Carlton Osaka this time, given our super tight schedule. But I managed to negotiate some me time with my boss, and everything was good.

As usual, the lobby was buzzing, and I could only find a seat a bit farther away from the pianist. Still, it didn’t affect my enjoyment of the live music.

When I was presented with today’s pastries, I wasn’t particularly impressed — but it happens here sometimes. Occasionally, you just can’t find anything that appeals to you visually. That’s when you go back to their roots.

As a dessert-bakery institution, The Gourmet Shop at The Ritz-Carlton Osaka is generally excellent with its old-school favorites — mille-feuille, Paris-Brest, and more. So I decided to turn back the clock and try some classic French desserts.

Paris-Brest — The choux pastry had the perfect texture.

And there was a delicate, rich hazelnut praline cream in the middle, tying everything together and making the trip worthwhile.

I also got to enjoy a cup of tea. It's been a week since I had my tea fix, so that felt truly priceless.

I’ve always wanted to check out Café Del’immo at Herbis Ent next door, but they’re always full—this time was no exception. I couldn’t help wondering why…

Food Rating: 6.8/10

Price: ￥￥￥￥

Address: G/F The Ritz Carlton Osaka, 2-5-25 Umeda, Kita Ward, Osaka 530-0001, Japan

Closest Metro Station: Nishi-Umeda 

Tel: +81 (0)6 6343-7020

Website: lounge.ritzcarltonosaka.com

Opening Hours: 12:00pm - 9:00pm (Mon - Fri), 11:00am - 9:00pm (Sat - Sun)

 

Nakajima Taishodo Daimaru Shinsaibashi Store 中島大祥堂 大丸心齋橋店 (Osaka, JAPAN) ★★★☆☆

Nakajima Taishodo (中島大祥堂) is a historic and highly regarded Japanese confectionery brand that dates back to 1912. Known for its premium Japanese–Western fusion pastries, cookies, and seasonal gift boxes, it’s a familiar presence in the food halls of major department stores across Osaka.

We first stumbled upon their boutique while heading to Le Pont Du Ciel for dinner. As a fan of the prized Tamba chestnuts (丹波栗), of course mom didn’t hesitate to peek at the shop’s signature offerings made with Tamba chestnuts. 

But surprise surprise, we ended up not grabbing any dessert that day.

This time around, mom was determined to finally cross it off her bucket list. So when she spotted a Nakajima Taishodo counter at the Daimaru Shinsaibashi Store (大丸心齋橋店) this morning, she couldn’t hide her excitement.

Chestnut kayabuki (850 yen) — Nakajima Taishodo’s signature Mont Blanc cake, crafted to resemble the traditional thatched roof of their historic main store in the Tamba region of Hyogo Prefecture. It’s especially touted for the extensive use of rare, premium Tamba chestnuts — highly prized across Japan for their large size and rich, deep flavor.

I didn’t get to try it myself, but according to mom, it was totally worth the stomach space, and we’ve got plenty of it especially after skipping breakfast this morning!

Food Rating: 5.8/10

Price: ￥￥￥

Address: B1F Food Hall, Daimaru Shinsaibashi, 1-7-1 Shinsaibashisuji, Chuo-ku, Osaka, 542-8501 Japan

Closest Metro Station: Shinsaibashi 

Tel: +81 (0)70 2273-1057

Website: https://www.ntdshop.jp/

Opening Hours: 10:00am - 8:00pm daily

Chocolat Republic Sannomiya 三宮本店 (Kobe, JAPAN) ★★★☆☆

I didn’t have any specific dessert shop planned for our stay in Kobe so this was more about destiny. As we were leaving the parking arcade to head back to our hotel, there it was: my first dessert stop in Kobe.

Originated in Kobe, Chocolat Republic (ショコラ リパブリック) is a French patisserie best known for blending classic French pastries with a modern Japanese twist.

This multi-story flagship features a dazzling takeout pastry counter on the ground floor, plus an elegant café in the basement and on the second floor. 

Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to sit down for a drink and a piece of cake.

Ispahan (700 yen) — Honestly, it wasn’t the presentation I expected from an Ispahan without the vibrant raspberries. 

The rose-flavored nama chocolate cream, shaped like a flower, sits on top of a slightly chewy chocolate tart. There were also hints of lychee and raspberry to make it more interesting. 

It wasn’t bad, but it unfortunately needed some brighter fruitiness to really bring the flavors all together.

Food Rating: 5.4/10

Price: ￥￥￥

Address: 4-8-7 Kanocho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0001, Japan

Closest Metro Station: Sannomiya

Tel: +81 (0)78-321-3666

Website: http://www.chocolat-republic.com/

Opening Hours: 11:00am - 12:00am (Mon - Sat), 11:00am - 10:00pm (Sun)

Patisserie Esprit エスプリ (Matsuyama, JAPAN) ★★★☆☆

I obviously lied about Matsuyama Sea Bream Ramen Manpuku (松山鯛拉麵萬福久) being our last destination in Matsuyama. The truth is, I had one more stop on my “hidden agenda”.

Opened in 2005, Patisserie Esprit (エスプリ) is often regarded by locals as one of the best French patisserie in all of Matsuyama. That’s quite a compliment. Since it was just a 6-minute from our lunch spot, it made the detour much easier to sell.

When I stepped inside, it looked like the entire town was already there—so I had to wait a little before I could be served.

I took the opportunity to check out their desserts during the wait and that's when I discovered that they have a tea salon right inside the shop. Unfortunately, we didn't have the luxury of sitting down for our dessert this afternoon.

Finally...

Chocolate éclair (426 yen) — There was a faintly lemony note on top of the more savory-leaning flavor of the choux pastry. It was subtle, and honestly, it wasn’t bad

Chestnut mousse (620 yen) — Something for mom who's a huge fan of chestnut desserts. The chestnuts used here come from France, and the mousse was a satisfying blend of chestnut and walnut, finished with a touch of cognac. There were also slices of chestnut and layers of eggy sponge cake to keep the texture varied.

I thought this would be more on the sweet side but in fact, it was nicely balanced, with savory-sweet and nutty flavors that harmonized well together.

Mousse of Ivory (639 yen) — “Ivory” here refers to the white chocolate, shaped into a silky, delicate mousse. I had hoped the layer of passion fruit would add a refreshing contrast — both in texture and acidity — to the sweetness of the white chocolate. But that didn’t quite work the way I imagined.

These were my first real sweet treats of the trip (not counting donuts), and we were already halfway through! I really need to get better at planning more dessert stops into the itinerary.

Food Rating: 5.8/10

Price: ￥￥￥

Address: 3-64-3 Shimizumachi, Matsuyama, Ehime, 790-0823, Japan

Tel: +81 (0)89-908-8855

Website: http://m.facebook.com/esprit2006/

Opening Hours: 10:45am - 7:30pm (Fri - Mon)

Grand Maison Lowe (Takamatsu, JAPAN) ★★★☆☆

It’s my first-ever trip to Shikoku (四國), an island known for its untouched nature, temple pilgrimage, and so much more. Our first destination on the island was Takamatsu (高松市), the lively capital city of Kagawa Prefecture (香川縣) on the north side. Known as the gateway to Shikoku, Takamatsu is widely celebrated for its modern arts, traditional culture, and culinary heritage. I think we’ll really love it there especially since our stay will be less than 24 hours.

After checking into our hotel, we took a quick 5-minute walk to the Marugame-cho Green complex, where the recently opened Pokémon Center quietly awaits. That immediately kicked off my quest to check out a number of places I have pinned on my private map. The first stop on my itinerary was Grand Maison Lowe, a long-established pastry shop founded in 1978.

Step inside and you get that antique-style interior vibe (thus the name 'Grand Maison'). Grand Maison Lowe offers a lovely mix of European-style traditional baked goods, cakes, and carefully curated gift boxes.

What I didn’t realize, though, was that besides the European pastries on display, they also reserve a corner for something extra: doughnuts. 🍩🍩

And they’re not just any doughnuts. These are nama-donut style, the kind that have taken Asia by storm in recent years (though apparently not Hong Kong… at least not yet).

Double cream (330 yen) — Little one was pretty hungry after the long flight, so instead of going straight to the Pokémon Center, he hung around with me long enough to enjoy his own doughnut. 

According to him, this wasn't bad.

Salted caramel (360 yen) — The salted caramel custard was definitely nice and runny, but the dough itself didn’t quite live up to expectations for a proper nama donut. The dough tasted a little strange at first, and even worse, it was too soft and not nearly pillowy enough.

Luckily, we came here first, with my next stop as Truffle Donut, so at least the bar wasn't set too high (with Truffle Donut touted as one of the best in the business).

Food Rating: 5/10

Price: ￥￥￥

Address: 7-16 Marugamemachi, Takamatsu, Kagawa, 760-0029, Japan

Closest Train Station: Kawaramachi

Tel: +81 (0)87-811-7557

Website: https://lowe.co.jp/gurame/

Opening Hours: 10:00am - 8:00am daily

Le Petit Palais Boulangerie-Patisserie (Fukuoka, JAPAN) ★★★☆☆

I wanted mom to have one last Mont Blanc on this trip so as soon as I woke up this morning, I raced over to Le Petit Palais Boulangerie-Pâtisserie, just in time for its 10 am opening.

Nestled in the lobby lounge of Nishitetsu Grand Hotel, Le Petit Palais has a nice (but small) selection of sweet treats including fresh strawberry cake, fruit cake, cheesecake, and of course, Mont Blanc. 

They also whip up some delicious baked goods like croissants and danishes.

Mont Blanc (600 yen) — The chestnut vermicelli came with little chunks of chestnut which was a pretty nice touch. Overall, it wasn't bad but the chestnut purée was just a tad too sweet for my liking. Thankfully, the raspberry mousse between the purée and sponge brought enough acidity to balance things out.

And there you have it — the sixth and final Mont Blanc cake we enjoyed during my time in Kyushu!

Food Rating: 5.4/10

Price: ￥￥￥

Address: Nishitetsu Grand Hotel, 2-6-60 Daimyo, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka, 810-8587, Japan

Closest Metro Station: Tenjin

Tel: +81 (0)92-781-0406

Website: https://nnr-h.com/grandhotel/takeout_shop/

Opening Hours: 10:00am - 7:00am daily

Patisserie Sora Iro no Hana そら色の花 (Kashima, JAPAN) ★★★★☆

We had a pretty successful visit to Yūtoku Inari Shrine (𧙗德稻荷神社). Someone once told me it’s one of the three biggest Shinto shrines in all of Japan (though I haven’t fact-checked that), and it was definitely worth the detour.

Following the visit, we had to drive through no man’s land in Kashima (鹿島市) (yes, I know, bad joke), pass through Saga again before finally reaching our destination — Yanagawa (柳川). But before that, we had a mission to complete — our one-dessert-per-day objective. I have already done my homework months ago, and found a few interesting dessert spots in Kashima that were seemingly worth a stop. Patisserie Sora Iro no Hana (そら色の花) was a random pick simply because it was right on the main road leading us to Saga.

Founded in 2009, Patisserie Sora Iro no Hana is a French-style patisserie with a touch of Japanese inspiration (no, not a recording).

The shop was tastefully decorated in Christmas colors, giving off a warm and inviting vibe.

While their display counter was filled with Japanese-style roll cakes, strawberry shortcakes, and fruit tarts, there was still room for some French classics.

Red opera cake (430 yen) — Speaking of traditional French pastries, I couldn’t resist getting an opera cake. But instead of the classic chocolate version, I decided to get this red variation for mom who’s a sucker for pistachio.

This came with pistachio joconde and pistachio sponge, layered with framboise ganache and strawberry cream. The multi-layered cake offered a lovely balance of sweetness and acidity, with nutty, savory notes from the pistachio. Not bad at all.

Dieu (460 yen) — This one was for me. A delicate combination of light cream cheese and white chocolate mousse, paired with layers of Earl Grey ganache and almond sponge cake that had bits of orange peel mixed in. I really liked the orange peel adding both texture and a zesty brightness to the cake, while the pillowy cream cheese and white chocolate base gave an extra layer of richness and depth. Pretty nice.

A little something for little guy.

Food Rating: 6.2/10

Price: ￥￥￥

Address: 623-4 Takasuhara, Kashima, Saga, 849-1311, Japan

Closest Train Station: Hizen-Kashima

Tel: +81 (0)954-63-3787

Website: https://www.instagram.com/soraironohana_kasima

Opening Hours: 9:30am - 6:00pm (Wed - Mon)

Pâtisserie Française Hiro (Sasebo, JAPAN) ★★★☆☆

Our original plan this morning was to arrive in Daitō (大塔) for our hotpot meal a little before noon; but I had a slight change of plans the moment I spotted a French pastry shop on Google Maps not far from our route coming from Takeo (武雄).

Located on the eastern edge of Sasebo, the little French pâtisserie is called Pâtisserie Française Hiro.

I was curious if they would be closed on Christmas day but apparently not. 

It's business as usual here.

A closer look at the display counter revealed that most of the pastries were still works in progress, except for a batch of Japanese strawberry cakes, a Japanese cheesecake, and an opera cake.

Opera cake (400 yen) — It had been a while since I enjoyed an opera cake, and this one looked as authentic as it gets. The sophisticated, rectangular pastry featured precise, thin layers of almond sponge cake (or joconde) soaked in coffee syrup, alternating with coffee French buttercream and chocolate ganache. It was nicely topped with a smooth dark chocolate glaze and, of course, a gold leaf for authenticity.

The last time I had an opera cake was in Paris, and this was equally delicious. It was a nice, pleasant surprise to find a piece of Paris in a quiet neighborhood of Sasebo.

The owner-chef looked like an older gentleman who is passionate about his pastries (otherwise, he wouldn’t be here on Christmas Day). Before I stepped out the door, I wished him a Merry Christmas before bidding farewell, and he returned the greeting with a smile.

Food Rating: 6.1/10

Price: ￥￥

Address: 37-2 Mikawachihonmachi, Sasebo, Nagasaki 859-3151, Japan

Closest Train Station: Mikawachi

Tel: +81 (0)956-30-6200

Opening Hours: 10:00am - 7:00pm (Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri), 10:00am - 6:00pm (Sat - Sun)