Japanese Sweets @ Fujiiya Honten, Miyajimacho, Hiroshima

 

Although we found this place in a moment of sheer desperation, this became a nice surprise. During the most recent visit to Miyajima with my family and friends, we were stuck in an intense rainstorm. And seems like it was not letting up any time soon, we decided to find somewhere for a hot drink and a shelter. Little did we know we ended up in one of the main spots of the island with over a 100 years worth of history. 

You know they are proud of their baked treats when they sell it like this. 

Fujiiya Miyajima Honten, or just Fujiiya in short, is a momiji manju bakery and cafe specialising in those maple leaf shaped cakes and other sweet desserts that Japan is famous for. Seeing that it would just make sense (and rude not to) order some of their wares, I got ourselves a few things to nibble on while waiting for the rain to subside. Specifically, I got ourselves 2 momiji and matcha sets, a abekawa mochi set with black tea and a zenzai red bean soup. 

This!

For the momiji set I got one with the classic red bean paste while another filled with custard. The red bean paste was such a stellar choice. The maple leaf shaped cake was coming in hot and piping from the oven, almost literally, the hot and soft parcel was a sight for sore eyes. It had an eggy casing similar to a cross between a chiffon and pound cake and the sweet red bean core provided that extra thing that makes it a typical Japanese treat. the bitter green magma that came along it was a great drink to counter the cake. 

Delicate

The matcha was seriously thick, with a woody and nutty flavour and a slightly fragrant after taste. Some people may not like this, seeing how intense and slightly bitter it is. But I really like it and as mentioned, a great counterbalance. Having said that, the custard cream one was an underwhelming choice as it was taken from the counter as is not as spellbinding as the fresher version. It was tasty, but pales in comparison to the adzuki bean type. Each set stood at 1000 yen. 

Comfort

Speaking of adzuki beans, the zenzai would be something that you would like if red beans are your thing. It is a typical red bean soup with a huge piece of grilled mochi in the center. The bean soup was a bit too sweet, but I guess it is by design since the rice cake in the center was somewhat bland and is there to add more volume and texture. So when you cut it with your chopsticks and then take a spoonful down, it did work like a charm. This was for 800 yen and comes with a serving of tea. 

Chewy!

However, if you are not a fan of adzuki beans, there are other options like the abekawamochi. Instead of red beans being used as a flavour base, these rice cakes were coated with nutty kinako powder. The smoky soy powder gave it a very nutty flavour, very similar to fried sesame. The texture difference between the dry soy powder and the moist and chewy mochi was some interesting eating. Be warned that they are quite chewy and can be a bit hard when the temperature turns lukewarm. But the black tea that came alongside it would probably remedy that without much trouble. Similar to the matcha and momiji cake, the combination of the tea and mochi worked very well. This combo stood for 800 yen too. 

One of the many little indoor gardens

What I like about the place is not only the variety of sweets and drinks but the overall atmosphere. There are indoor gardens and tatami platforms that give it a very elegant yet rustic vibe to it. The momiji cakes being made fresh were not only a tempting sight, the smell the oven was emitting was just sheer magic. There is not better promotion of a bakery that the smell of freshly baked treats. And Fujiiya is not different. 

Finally able to see it!

Although the sweet treats were great, unfortunately the weather was not. Despite waiting for at least 2 hours the rain just kept pouring and we decided to head to the giant toori gate anyway since we are already here to begin with. And it would be a wasted trip to not head there and to at least admire the view at for a few minutes. Luckily for us the sweets and caffeine from the tea gave us the extra gusto to push further. Not long after, we quicky head to the port so we can get our ride back to Hiroshima city proper. 

Front of the house

Regardless of the circumstances, the treats at Fujiiya were something worth reckoning and at the very least, you would have to try the momiji cakes when you are there. Sure I would rather be on the temple trail in Miyajima and going on the ropeway. But when that was not an option, having some sweets and tea was a very good second option. So if you are looking for somewhere to have your sweet tooth attended to, or just a cosy place to relax, the address is as follows:

1129 Miyajimacho, Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima 739-0588