• 2024.9.18
• foodShop & Souvenir

Found in Magome! 4 cute bakeries that will warm your heart

The Magome area of ​​Ota Ward is dotted with shining little shops, centered around a traditional shopping street. This area is also home to many unique bakeries, including those with cute exteriors and those popular for their cute-looking bread, which blend into the town.

So this time, I decided to take a tour of the cute bakeries in the Magome area. What kind of breads will I find? With high hopes in mind, I started my tour of the bakeries at Nishi-Magome Station on the Toei Asakusa Line!

"MAISON ICHI" was chosen as one of the "Top 100 Bread Shops" on a gourmet website

First, we headed to "MAISON ICHI Nishi Magome Store", which is just a stone's throw away from Nishi Magome Station. This is the first store of a popular boulangerie in Daikanyama, and we had heard that it was once selected as one of the "Top 100 Bread Shops" on a gourmet website, so our expectations were inevitably raised!

Upon entering the restaurant, the vibrant orange walls and wooden tables create a warm atmosphere, and while the store has a sophisticated French feel, it doesn't feel pretentious. It has an exquisite balance of being stylish yet friendly.

There are many round breads in the store. In addition to the main hard breads, there are many other types of bread such as sliced ​​bread and croissants, so it was hard to decide, but I asked the staff for their personal recommendations and bought a few.

The most popular item is the "Fig and Pistachio" (1 yen), which has a rich flavor that spreads the taste of pistachio and dried fig the more you chew it. It's not flashy, but that's why you won't get tired of eating it every day. You can enjoy the natural flavor of pistachio and fig, so it's no wonder it's so popular.

Also noteworthy is the "Salt Bread" (259 yen), which is cutely shaped like a plump baby's leg. The chewy, moderately hard dough is moist and chewy, with an addictive salty taste. Writing about it makes me want to eat it again... It's simple, so you can enjoy it in a variety of ways, such as eating it with a meal or spreading jam on it to enjoy the harmony of sweet and salty.

There is also a wide selection of sweet breads, including the "Tea Melon Bread" (345 yen), which has a crispy exterior and a moist, chewy interior, allowing you to enjoy the harmony of fragrant black tea.

For a small gift, we recommend the "Cannoli - Sicilian Pistachio" (410 yen), a flaky pastry wrapped in cream made with pistachios from Bronte, Sicily. You'll be amazed at how the smooth cream melts in your mouth and disappears!

"MAISON ICHI" uses carefully selected wheat and liquid natural yeast, and the dough is of very high quality. Although the price is a little high, it is well worth it.

MAISON ICHI Nishi Magome store

Address: Ozawa House 2F, 2-1-1 Nishimagome, Ota-ku, Tokyo
Access: Right outside the west exit of Nishi-Magome Station on the Toei Asakusa Line
TEL: 03-5742-5162
https://maison-ichi.jp/

Cute animal bread! Retro Showa-era "Sakaiya Bakery"

The next place we visited was Sakaeya ​​Bakery, an impressive place with a retro atmosphere. It is a long-established bakery that has been featured in gourmet magazines and is known only to those in the know.

As I was walking through the quiet shopping street, the sign of "Sakaeya" caught my eye, with its strong Showa-era feel. Wow, isn't it so emotional?! It's like something that jumped out of an anime movie by a popular director. It's exciting in a different way from "MAISON ICHI", to the point that I can't help but imagine, "If I pull back the sliding door, there'll be another world..."

The small shop is packed with breads that have the same feel as the exterior, giving off a "good old Showa-era" vibe. There are many types of both sweet and savory breads, but the bakery aims to make simple breads that can be enjoyed on a daily basis, without being overly elaborate.

Sakaeya ​​Bakery's iconic products are its animal-shaped sweet breads, including the Koala Bread (200 yen). The thoughtful arrangement of the animal breads, which are placed on the lower shelves so that they are within children's line of sight, is also a nice touch. All of Sakaeya ​​Bakery's bread is made without eggs, so that children with egg allergies can eat it without worry.

Since I was there, I decided to try three kinds of animal bread and one kind of savory bread. The "Koala Bread" (3 yen), which has been featured in the media, is a popular product that was started by the current owner's grandfather, who was the owner's great-grandfather, during the koala boom of the 1s. The head is filled with custard cream and the body with chocolate cream, so you can enjoy two different flavors. The "Panda Bread" (200 yen) is a nostalgic cream bread that will remind you of your childhood. It doesn't have the melty texture of today, but rather a slightly harder cream, which adds to its rich flavor.

My personal favorite is the "Camelon" (180 yen). Its round eyes are very cute, and the more you look at it, the more you'll love it. "I can't believe I'm eating such a cute thing..." I thought, but when I finally took a bite, I was surprised to find that the inside was orange cream. It had a strong red-fleshed melon flavor.

The "Chicken and Burdock Minced Cutlet" (220 yen) is perfect for a quick lunch or snack, with the fragrant burdock minced cutlet and teriyaki sauce going perfectly together. It's a nostalgic yet new dish.

Sakaeya ​​Bakery has a retro feel to its appearance. Combined with the friendly personality of the third-generation owner, I felt like I was experiencing the warmth of the good old days.

Sakaeya ​​Bakery

Location: 2-3-11 Nishimagome, Ota-ku, Tokyo
Access: 5 minutes on foot from Nishi-Magome Station on the Toei Asakusa Line
TEL: 03-3777-3085
https://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1317/A131713/13119581/

The fairytale yellow exterior is cute
"Magome Boulan Boulan"

Our next destination was Magome Boulan Boulan. As we were walking through the quiet shopping district, a fairytale-like cream yellow building suddenly appeared in front of us.

The cute and slightly relaxed signs that say "Bakery" and "Open" are very tasteful, and it would be a shame to just pass this place up.

The illustration of the simple bread is also soothing.

I wondered what kind of breads I'd find as I stepped inside the store, and the shelves were lined with breads from around the world, mainly from Europe. There were savory and sweet breads from France, Germany, Italy, Russia, and other countries, and the variety and internationality was astounding. One interesting thing was that they also had baklava (a sweet mainly eaten in the Middle East), which they had learned to make from a customer from Iraq!

There are more than 20 types of dough alone. It's surprising that the owner makes them all by himself from early in the morning. Although it is a "town bakery" loved by locals, it also has some unusual and twisted breads, so it's fun to choose the best one.

One of the breads I chose after some hesitation was the "Caramel Banana" (200 yen), a perfect match of caramel and banana. There are many breads with chocolate, but there are surprisingly few breads with a caramel flavor. It contains plenty of banana pulp and has a gentle flavor that allows you to taste the natural flavor of the banana.

The traditional pastry "Kugelhupf" (300 yen) from the Alsace region of France contains not only raisins but also grated orange and lemon peels, giving it a refreshing aftertaste. When lightly toasted, it has a crispy outside and a fluffy texture inside. I've tried a few authentic French kougelhupfs, but personally I prefer this one, which is less dry than the French version.

There are also many unique breads on offer. The "Calzone" (190 yen) is a type of bread that resembles Bolognese pasta, so be sure to warm it up and let the cheese melt before enjoying it.

Magome Boulan Boulan offers a multicultural lineup that will make you feel like you're on a little trip. Come and enjoy discovering new breads and sweets.

Magome Boulan Boulan

Location: 5-26-2 Minamimagome, Ota-ku, Tokyo
Access: 5 minutes on foot from Nishi-Magome Station on the Toei Asakusa Line
TEL: 03-3774-5780
http://www1.speednet.ne.jp/~boulanboulan/index.html

Flappy chick is cute
"Chick bread"

The last place we visited was "Hiyokopan", which is quietly located in a residential area. It is a little far from the previous three bakeries we introduced, and the nearest station is Magome Station on the Toei Asakusa Line. We were walking through a quiet residential area that made us wonder "Is there really a bakery in a place like this?" when we discovered a small counter-style bakery!

The illustration of the relaxed chick is so cute that just looking at it will make your cheeks relax.

Although there aren't many breads on display in the display case, there is a wide variety. Because most of the customers are local regulars, they prepare a wide variety of breads so that customers don't get bored.

Their signature product is the "Hiyoko Pan" with a chick's face painted on it. It was named after the yellow, round dough before baking, which looks like a chick. The basic "Hiyoko Pan" (200 yen) is a simple bread with nothing in it, but the dough inside is soft and fluffy, almost like a chiffon cake. When you bite into it, a gentle sweetness slowly spreads in your mouth, making it so delicious you'll want to eat it again and again.

Not only bread but also baked goods are very popular, and the cookies seem to sell out as soon as they are put on display in the store. This time I bought the "Earl Grey and White Chocolate" scone (270 yen). The outside is almost crunchy. This hardness is irresistible... The tea has a strong aroma, and it made me think "I'm sure the other baked goods are also delicious."

Other attractive breads include the "Chocolate Croissant (Mini)" (250 yen, photo top left), which is made of layers of light and delicate dough that make a crunchy sound when you bite into it, and the "Milk Baguette" (250 yen, photo bottom left), which is a chewy, soft dough sandwiched with gently sweet milk cream.

Each bread has its own distinctive character and tastes different, so you'll want to try them all. There is no particular bread that is more popular than the others, and each regular customer has their own favorite, which is surely proof that all the breads are delicious.

"Hiyokopan" has the perfect combination of the owner's warm personality, the fun of choosing, and the taste, saying, "I opened a shop in a residential area because I wanted to face my customers head on." On some days, they may sell out around 11:XNUMX, so we recommend coming early!

Chick bread

Address: 2-5-10 Nakamagome, Ota-ku, Tokyo, Daini Iijima Building XNUMXF
Access: Approximately 8 minutes walk from Magome Station on the Toei Asakusa Line
TEL: 03-6417-1254
https://www.instagram.com/hiyokopan.magome/

Let's take a tour of Magome's unique bakeries

The four bakeries in Magome that we visited this time are all small shops, but each has a completely different personality, and it is clear that they are loved by local customers. Just visiting a bakery makes you feel warm and fuzzy. By visiting multiple shops and comparing the atmosphere of the shop, the appearance and taste of the bread, etc., you will realize that bakeries are very deep.

Magome, which we introduced this time, is called "Maisen" together with Ikegami and Senzokuike, and is an area known as a scenic spot in Ota Ward since ancient times. If you visit Magome, why not also visit popular spots in Maisen, such as Senzokuike Park, an oasis in the city, and Ikegami Plum Garden, one of the most famous plum blossom spots in Tokyo?

Writer of this article: Haruna

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He discovered his passion for travel during his university days and has traveled overseas to 61 countries, mainly in Asia and Europe. I especially like the old townscapes, known as the ``old town'' and ``historic district.'' His love of travel grew and he acquired the qualification of a general travel business handling manager. He is currently working as a freelance writer.
He has lived in Wakayama Prefecture, Tokyo, Germany, Fukuoka Prefecture, Kagawa Prefecture, and has also lived in Ota Ward.

Supervision: Satomi Matsumoto/Jun Miyoshi