hari

Hari is a tiny cinnamon roll shop.

Unlike most cinnamon rolls, these are 4-inch squares.

The woman who bakes and runs the shop used to live in Sri Lanka. 

She makes about 10 different flavors and uses Ceylon cinnamon 

During the pandemic and now on weekends, they sell their cinnamon rolls as pre-orders only.

The other day, I saw something online that they would be selling their cinnamon rolls first come first serve, so I went to check them out.

I got there 15 minutes before their opening time and there was already a line, I was 13th (I counted).

The limit was 4 rolls per person and most of the people in front of me were buying 4.

I chose the matcha sesame azuki...560 yen (tax included)

And the original...560 yen (tax included)

So delicious! not overly sweet

A little more expensive but I was pleased that all her flavors are the same price.

I'm glad we got to try these and hope to try other flavors in the future.

Hari

1-4-2 Denenchofu

Ota, Tokyo

Closed Thursdays, Fridays, Sundays & Mondays

Hours: 11:00-until sold out* check social media for their selling methods

**cash only

out and about

Thursday, Satoshi was going to eat out with friends, and I wanted to send something to my host sister for her birthday, so I went to Jiyugaoka.

I've been wanting to check out Yasuhiro Seno's chocolates.

He apparently moved his shop from Kobe to Tokyo earlier this year.

When you enter the store there is a citrus fragrance which surprised me but got used to after awhile.

I chose several chocolate bon bons and also purchased a slice of the cake au chocolat...2179 yen (tax included).

The bon bons are sold by weight...33 yen per gram, so the heavier the bon bon you choose the more the price.

Iyokan is a seasonal chocolate made from homemade confit

Pistache..white ganache and pear liquer topped with an Italian pistachio

Jasmin..jasmine tea and apricot liquer ganache covered with a dark chocolate.

Croustillant..homemade praline

Traditional Noir..homemade praline using almonds and hazelnuts covered with dark chocolate.

All were nice and I look forward to trying more in the future.

I also went to Comme'N to pick up some items for lunch...

Brioche maroe...soft brioche dough topped with cream cheese and chestnut paste, 380 yen (tax included)

Kind of like a cheese cake-y bread...I enjoyed this.

Petit dog...walnut baguette with hot dog and cheese. 400 yen (tax included)

The baguette was on the harder side, but this was tasty

Baguette...we had this with wine 300 yen (tax included)

Love! the crust was crisp and the innards were soft even after freezing then toasting

The trees were changing colors.

The ginkgo trees near Denenchofu station were changing as well.

And the Christmas decorations are up too.

Yasuhiro Seno

5-39-1 Okusawa

Setagaya, Tokyo

Phone: 03.6715.6989

Business hours: 10:30-18:00

*check social media for days closed

tamagawadai park

I've known about this park since we moved here, but it was my first time to check it out.

This park is about 15 minutes by train from where we live and is next to the Tamagawa Sengen Shrine

There are many kofun (historical burial mounds) throughout the park and some cherry trees, and if I am not mistaken there are about 3000 hydrangea plants.

There were many families out and about especially with their dogs.

In the park is a little pond with water lilies...so pretty!

This little guy had a net so big, not sure what he intended on catching with it, but I'm pretty sure he would fit in it!

It was a beautiful area to walk around and hard to believe this was in Tokyo.

I'm glad we checked out this place and it was nice to bond with nature for a little bit...we'll be back.

Tamagawadai Park

1-63-1 Denenchofu

Ota, Tokyo

Open daily

denenchofu

One of the areas in our ward is called Denenchofu.

Apparently, in the 1900s, Eiichi Shibusawa purchased the area and planned for the area to be one big garden.

No fences were allowed between properties only hedges.

Many homes in this area are HUGE and gorgeous.

From the Denenchofu Station (pictured above), the roadways are arranged like the spokes of a wheel branching out, with the station in the middle of the wheel.

They don't use this building as the actual train station anymore but it is neat to see what it used to look like.

Lunch was at Pelican Coffee.

I'm not too sure if they are related to Pelican Bakery.

Satoshi had their keema curry while I had their smoked salmon sandwich.

Beverages are separate from your meal, so it can add up.

I like this cafe though, very quiet and feels like you are in someone's home.

Along the many roadways from the station are gingko trees.

Hopefully these will change color in the coming weeks.

On the way back home, we stopped at Tamagawa Sengen Shrine.

Apparently you can see Mount Fuji from here, but on this day, we weren't able to.

We did see a lot of families having O-miya-mairi ceremonies performed.

This is when you bring your newborn to be "introduced" to the gods.

Near the station we tried ayu yaki from Daikokudo...castella/pancake outside filled with sweet bean paste in the shape of ayu (sweetfish).

This was piping hot and delicious.

Since ayu is a long fish, the ayu yaki wasn't as large as dorayaki.

It was nice to watch the man at the shop make these.

It has been awhile since we've had so much sun and it was nice to be out and about.

Pelican Coffee
3-25-17 Denenchofu
Ota, Tokyo
Phone: 03.3721.7951
Hours: 7:30-19:30

Tamagawa Sengen Shrine
1-55-12 Denenchofu
Ota, Tokyo
Phone: 03.3721.4050

Daikokudo
1-55-5 Denenchofu
Ota, Tokyo
Phone: 03.3721.2789
Closed Tuesdays
Hours: 10:00-17:30