Japanese pastries to die for 12 January 2006

I stand corrected. Aside from our homemade bread, there is one other place where I can indulge in freshly baked breads … JiPan!

JiPan is a Japanese restaurant and pastry shop. But I think that pastries are way better than their meals (better try their curry though, yes great meals too!). We usually stop by after hours of wandering Megamall, snatching up a bundle of their breads and pastries at half price at around 8.30. Take my advice and don’t wait ’til it’s almost closing, as all the good stuff will be gone!

What I especially love about JiPan bread and pastries is that they are baked fresh. They also loudly advertise the fact that they do not put additives such as bromate or any other preservatives. Look on their packaging and they say that the shelf life is short, a mere few days, precisely because of no preservatives. They also only make a very limited number of each kind, so you can feel that they are made with much care and attention. Kind of like raiding a grandmother’s kitchen.

And what with the proliferation of bake shops which cater mostly to the Filipino sweet tooth, JiPan’s take on its goods – less salt and less sugar – is very much welcome.

One of my favorites is their strawberry shortcake. It looks absolutely sinful, up until you take a bite. The sponge cake is light with just a subtle sweetness. It’s not as rich as it looks! Combined with the tartness of fresh strawberries and the airiness of whipped cream, this dessert is just perfect with a cup of genmaicha.

Another must-try is their choux cream puff. Lightly toasted pastry filled with that wonderful creaminess! Again, its rich sinful looks are deceiving. Be careful as you may end up eating more than one! Somehow, though, just one is enough to satisfy a sweet tooth craving.

I also enjoy their ingeniously delicious and imaginative animal-shaped breads. Chocolate-filled piggyhead-shaped bread. Melon-flavored turtle-shaped bread. You never know what else they could come up with!

And where else could I possibly buy the lowly kamote (sweet potato) cooked to perfection? Cut in half, the kamote “meat” is scooped out and some magic done with it, put back into the kamote casing and baked with a light sprinkling of sugar. Result … kamote upgraded with a caramelized top, all of which you eat with a spoon!

They have their own takes of staples like tuna turnovers, adobo rolls, and the like, but all with less sugar and salt. As for their breads, they are heavy, all whole wheat. You need to try their green tea swirled whole wheat bread, it disappears fast from their shelves because it’s so good!

Next time you need a change from the commercial homogenized breads of French Baker and Goldilocks, take a detour and pull out your wallet to sample JiPan’s breads and pastries. It’s a detour well deserved.

P.S. The staff are always very friendly and knowledgeable about the dishes. Ask the hard questions and they have the answers!

And don’t forget to ask for their house tea. On the house, even if you buy their pastries at half price and you suddenly decide that you can’t wait ’til you get home to get your teeth into the strawberry shortcake.

Jipan Japanese Bakery and Coffee Shop
SM Megamall, Upper Ground Level, Bldg. A
(near Toy Kingdom)
Julia Vargas Avenue
Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong
Tel: 633.5990

Glorietta, 2nd Level, Glorietta 4
Ayala Center, Makati
Tel: 728.9442