Dorayaki Meets Macaron in “Wakaron.”
A New Type of Wagashi Sweets♡

● Introducing “Wakaron.” in Osaka’s Kitahorie Neighborhood

Sakura had come and gone, and it’s officially spring in Osaka♪ And, somehow, this fine, spring weather makes me want to eat sweets. So, I decided to visit a sweet shop I found on Instagram awhile ago that looked super cute and interesting.

I found Waka after a quick walk (about 2 minutes) from Osaka Metro’s Yotsubashi Station, in Osaka’s chic neighborhood called Kitahorie. It’s a cute little shop, appropriate for a shop specializing in cute little wagashi, Wakaron.

Noren curtains fluttered in the warm spring wind.
Can you guess from the cute Wakaron poster board what Wakaron may be?

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● Colorful & Cute Like Macarons

Opened in September last year, the Wakaron specialty shop “Waka” is so popular it’s already been featured on TV. Needless to say, I’d been keen to checking it out.

The shop is compact with an L-shaped service counter and a counter by the wall with four seats for eating in. While the space is limited, it feels bigger and safe in the time of covid, with the doors kept wide open and hand sanitizer made available to customers.

On the menu are nine different types of Wakaron and beverages including coffee and Japanese tea.
Wakaron is what you might call finger food desserts. It’s actually a small dorayaki—a popular Japanese dessert made with two pancakes sandwiching sweet azuki bean filling—except, unlike regular dorayaki, Wakaron is very thick (about 5 cm tall!) and uses not just azuki beans but also mousse and cream for filling. Its cutest look—tiny and round—is just like French macarons, thus the name “Wakaron.” I love both the name and the look♡

I chose the popular flavors from their regular lineup: matcha & azuki bean paste on the left and blueberry cheese cream on the right.

The ones with fresh seasonal fruits are highly recommended, too!
The seasonal fruit for spring is strawberries. Can’t miss this one! The sweet and sour aroma is so appetizing.

The pancakes used for Wakaron is a little chewy because it contains glutinous shiratamako rice flour. They were highly selective in their azuki bean paste, too. Their azuki bean paste come from Takayamado, a long-established wagashi shop with a history of 134 years, and are made with azuki beans grown in Tokachi, Hokkaido. Sandwiched between the pancakes, this special azuki bean paste has a gentle and refreshing sweetness and matches perfectly with matcha mousse and seasonal fruits.

I liked the cute bottled matcha drink, too! It’d look great on Instagram♪

● Pick Your Flavor for Take Out♪

You can get the Wakaron to go, too!
They come packed in Waka’s gift box and looks very nice—and sure to impress if you want to give it away as a gift.
The price of Wakaron starts at 421 yen (tax included).

Of course, you can take them home for yourself, too. They keep for 2 to 3 days refrigerated.
Pro tip: put them in the crisper of your fridge, and the chewy texture of the pancakes keeps better!

I got matcha & azuki bean paste, strawberry, hojicha & azuki bean paste, and fig cheese cream Wakarons to go. They were colorful and beautiful. They made me feel happy already♡

You really see the mini size of this cute Wakaron when you hold one in your hand♡ So small yet so thick, filled with bean paste and cream.

Everyone knows matcha green tea and azuki beans are two flavors that are perfect for each other. I’m also excited about the combination of hojicha and azuki beans. Hojicha gives it a nice aroma, and the mildly sweetened azuki bean paste makes it really tasty!
And—what’s great for any wagashi connoisseur—the bitterness of the tea is still there, not overwhelmingly but in just the right amount, in both flavors.

Here’s my top recommendation, fig cheese cream Wakaron!

I admit I’m biased—I love figs—but this flavor is to die for!
Refreshing cream cheese envelops fig chunks and, together, they match perfectly with the pancakes. I’d say it’s more like a Western confection, or I’d want it with a nice glass of wine. It’s something totally new and different. I loved it!

● Order Online from Anywhere!

You can even order Wakaron from Waka online at Yahoo! Japan Shopping or Cake.JP.
A set of six Wakaron includes azuki bean butter, matcha & azuki bean paste, hojicha & azuki bean paste, blueberry cheese cream, fig cheese cream, and nama-chocolat (Japanese ganache.)
It comes refrigerated and usually keeps for 2 to 3 days after delivery. That means you can enjoy it at home even if you don’t live in Osaka, yay!

Dorayaki meets macaron in Wakaron♪ Don’t miss your chance to experience this new type of sweets♡

*This information is current as of April 23, 2021. Please understand that some details may have changed.

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