Unless you are into art, most people probably have no idea who Hokusai is, but in Korean terms he is a nationally famous genre painter, like Kim Hong-do or Shin Yun-bok. His vivid sense of colour later influenced the Impressionists too. Hokusai was born in Sumida Ward, so there are a few Hokusai-related spots around the ward, and Hokusai Street in Ryogoku is one of them. It is nicely done up and has some lovely cafes, so it is a good place for the occasional stroll. One day I was walking around there when I spotted a small bakery-cum-cafe and went in.
The front entrance
In other words, it is basically just an ordinary neighbourhood bakery. It is quite far from any main road or station, so unless you live nearby it is not an easy place to go out of your way for.
My beloved cream bun
The smoothness of this cream was no joke. The sweetness is just right, and the balance with the bread is good too. I do not think there are many cream buns this good around. Incidentally, I have had a few buns from Lawson lately with cream about this good, but no matter how tasty convenience store bread is, the sweetness tends to be a bit overpowering.
Inside
I got there late, so the bread was pretty much sold out. Sob.
The cafe space
It is really tiny.
Liver pate
Besides bread they also sell a few deli items and things to nibble with drinks, and they looked like good value for the price.
A cream-filled bun
It is fine, but nothing that really sets it apart from other bakeries.
Fig bread
Ordinary.
Focaccia
The prices are all reasonable across the board, so as a neighbourhood bakery it passes.
Other breads
Other breads
Olive bread
Apart from the cream bun, there was nothing shockingly delicious. It is even a bit like the cream puffs at Sucre-rie in Ningyocho. For a neighbourhood bakery it is a pretty decent level. If it were a little closer I would go often, but getting up on a weekend and heading all the way to Ryogoku is not that easy. I will have to go back once the weather cools down.
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