Tuesday, January 10, 2012

on a walk

Yesterday was a sunny day. The temps were forecasted to reach double digits, which meant 10C (50F) for us, perfect for a walk.

Satoshi and I went to check out a relatively new cafe in the neighborhood called Cafe de Mercerie.

I looked up mercerie and it means haberdasher in French. Not knowing what haberdasher was I looked that up too. It means someone who sells knick-knacks for sewing like buttons, ribbons.

The interior was nice and I liked their pendant lighting. I also liked how they had vintage sewing machine pedals as part of their decor (the seating facing the street).

Satoshi ordered their morning set: a hard boiled egg, toast and salad with coffee...450 yen.

I ordered their cappuccino...500 yen.

A great place (except that they allow smoking), I want to go back and try their lunch menu.

After our little break, we continued our walk and came upon a tiny wagashi (Japanese sweets) shop called Fukusuke-do.

We purchased their wafers, each one is stamped with a picture of Ikeda-jo (Ikeda castle)...so crisp and delicious! 7 wafers for 500 yen.

Upon looking them up on the internet, I found out that this tiny shop has been in business since 1841! wow!

And just before reaching the end of our walk to Kawanishi, we came upon this vending machine...selling macaron.

The cake shop, which the vending machine is in front of, sells their macaron from it along with bottled drinks.

For 400 yen, you get two macaron, the flavors are chosen at random...after putting your money in, out pops a glass jar.

Dunno if the plopping of the jar in the machine or trying to pry them out crushed them, but they got a little beaten up.

The two flavors that came out were strawberry and sesame. The strawberry one had a whipped strawberry cream and the sesame had a black sesame buttercream. I liked the sesame one while Satoshi preferred the strawberry one.

Total sweet foodie day and all while on a walk.

Cafe de Mercerie
1-11-1 Asahigaoka
Ikeda, Osaka
Phone: 072.761.1023
Closed Saturdays, hours: 9:00-20:00

Fukusuke-do
3-2 Tateishi-cho
Ikeda, Osaka
Phone: 072.751.4251
Open everyday 11:00-15:00

Sweets Club BeBee
2-6-2 Oobe
Kawanishi, Hyogo
Phone: 072.744.2554
Closed Mondays, hours: 10:00-19:00

9 comments:

Rowena said...

A macaron vending machine...maybe now I can say that I've *seen* everything. Btw, have you ever seen macarons being sold in the frozen section at a supermarket? I saw some (mass production commerical product) but wasn't convinced that they'd be any good.

jalna said...

How neat - a macaron vending machine!

Nami | Just One Cookbook said...

I was born in Ikeda-Shi! :-) My mom is from Toyonaka, but I think the hospital was in Ikeda. So nice to see something from there. :-) Very lovely cafe! There are so many cafes or restaurants or even bakery in Japan that has French (or whatever language) and I have no idea how to pronounce or even what it means! Don't you think so? lol.

K said...

Oh wow vending machine macarons!!

K and S said...

no never seen them in the frozen section Rowena, I don't think it would too good either.

neat yeah, Jalna?!

wow Nami, so close :) be sure to take your kids to the Nissin Instant Ramen museum in Ikeda!

fun yeah, K?!

Take care everyone.
Kat

Japan Australia said...

If they have been in business since 1841 they must be doing something right :)

Japan Australia

K and S said...

definitely J-A :)

Take care.
Kat

Deb in Hawaii said...

I think I need a macaron vending machine in my house. ;-) Looks like a fun foodie kind of day.

K and S said...

if it were in my house, Deb, that would be too dangerous :p

Take care.
kat