[Special] Perfect Sweet Shops for Any Occasion! Three of Our Top Picks!

LE GARUE M opened in Sanno in 2005 and is owned by Mr. Masakatsu Maruyama, who worked as a chef patissier for ten years in Shinjuku’s Cafe Troisgros, which is a branch of the well-established restaurant in France.
Mr. Maruyama also trained for three years in Paris. Working to exemplify his concept of “the fusion of modern and classic,” the shop orchestrates luxury in your everyday life.



LE GARUE M recommends the “Ichigo no Mont Blanc” (562 yen with tax) as a cake to indulge yourself.
This cake reflects LE GARUE M’s insistence on seasonal ingredients, with the cream using seasonal strawberries in abundance. Inside it is a strawberry sauce that adds a fresh, tart flavor to the fragrant dough made with coconut and almond.



One bite, and you can definitely tell that the texture is something you’ve never had before! The texture of soft and fluffy cream is absolutely addictive!



Allow us to introduce another selection from LE GARUE M. It is their No. 1 bakery item, the “Sanno Maple” (335 yen with tax).
It uses generous amounts of walnuts from Grenoble and has a hint of maple sweetness. It is so moist that you would scarcely believe it is a baked good, and is also perfect as a souvenir.



Regarding measures related to COVID-19, the shop has installed a hand sanitizer dispenser at the entrance and a plastic curtain at the sales space. LE GARUE M also limits the number of customers allowed inside the shop to four, and requires staff to wear masks. The second floor is a cafe, but it is currently not in operation.

Local shop LE GARUE M provides you with a luxurious time. It is one of our top picks as a place to enjoy authentic flavor!

If you’re looking for sweets that will add a touch of grace to seasonal events such as Valentine’s Day, Christmas, or the New Year celebration, PATISSERIE Collioure is definitely our recommendation!

PATISSERIE Collioure creates original cakes for each event with the desire that customers enjoy them. For example, we have Valentine’s Day in February. The “Valentine Heart” (650 yen with tax) is sold for a limited time only.



Fresh chocolate and custard creams are loaded into a ceramic mold and seasonal strawberries decorate the top. It looks and tastes great, and really evokes the feeling of Valentine’s Day.



Aside from Valentine’s Day, PATISSERIE Collioure also provides limited time only products that are suitable for other seasonal events such as a New Year cake, the Eho Roll that looks like ehomaki sushi, Halloween cake, and Christmas cake. The shop also takes orders for birthday cakes and cakes for other celebratory occasions!



PATISSERIE Collioure also has a line of bite-size chocolates. They have a line of 14 original flavors including choices such as coffee (bottom in photograph), ginger (left in photograph), matcha green tea (right in photograph), and raspberry (top in photograph). This chocolate is perfect for a souvenir to bring when visiting someone.



Regarding measures related to COVID-19, the shop has installed a hand sanitizer dispenser at the entrance and a plastic curtain at the sales space. PATISSERIE Collioure also limits the number of customers allowed inside the shop to six, requires staff to wear masks, and asks the customers to wear masks as well.



“Collioure is a city in the south of France. When I went to France for training, I was fascinated by its colorful streets and warm, cheerful people, and I hoped that my shop would bring the same feeling to our customers, so that’s why I named it ‘Collioure.’ I design all the cakes, so working on the limited time only event products is especially difficult. I’m determined to continue creating cakes that will allow me to see our customers’ expressions of joy,” says the owner, pâtissier Reiji Morishita.

PATISSERIE Collioure has a passion for bringing their customers enjoyment throughout the year, and that is probably why it is loved by the local community.

Lately, healthier Japanese sweets are attracting attention again due to the increase of people following health-conscious diets. Responding to that trend, let us introduce a purveyor of Japanese sweets that uses an abundance of one of those healthy foods, sesame.

Goma no Omise Iitomo is a shop specialized in sesame, a rarity even nationwide. Goma no Omise Iitomo produces and sells various sesame products on their own, some of which are sweets. The most popular one is “Goma Ohagi” (540 yen with tax), only sold at the Tokyo main shop in Ikegami.



Only sesame with a rich aroma is used for “Goma Ohagi.” The not too sweet flavor of red bean paste and the sticky texture of sweet rice are coated with flavorful sesame. It is an elegant and refined sweet.
With your first bite, you will be surprised by the richness of the sesame aroma. Golden sesame has a rich aroma while black sesame has a deep, flavorful taste. “Goma Ohagi” is sold out by evening each day, which is understandable considering the taste!



Even better, just by purchasing a roll of “Goma Ohagi,” you can enjoy the combination of golden sesame with coarse red bean paste, and the combination of black sesame with smooth red bean paste.
If you’re looking for something different for a souvenir or something to bring when visiting someone, this is perfect! “Goma Ohagi” would surely be a pleasant gift for anyone.



“Goma Yokan” (Sesame Red Bean Jelly, 1,512 yen with tax, bottom left photo) is also a popular product that uses a lot of black sesame. You can tell that they use a lot of sesame when you pick it up; it feels heavier than regular yokan. It is a sweet that will allow you to enjoy the rich flavor of sesame and elegant sweetness.

Regarding measures related to COVID-19, the shop has installed a hand sanitizer dispenser at the entrance and a plastic curtain at the sales space. Goma no Omise Iitomo also requires staff to wear masks, and asks the customers to wear masks as well.

“Since our founding 31 years ago, we’ve been providing original sesame products under our motto ‘Let’s eat healthy!’ Our ‘Goma Ohagi’ has nearly 25 years of history. Please give it a try!” says Shizuko Tashiro (center), the representative of the shop.
Sesame sweets are tasty and made with healthy ingredients. How about giving one to a friend as a souvenir?