Hiroo Town "Imamura" I don't usually pick up things, but it's just for fun, so I'll take it. It's a shame for a man not to eat what's in front of him. I'm alone in Obihiro, so I came to Yokaodo just for one meal, but how many places did I pick up? The Hiroo store is also set up there. I thought maybe I wrote it a few years ago when I wrote a few places in Hiroo. The old lady is alone, so it's true. It doesn't seem like there's enough sales to put a few people in. They were just selling scraps of castella. It's true that you can't compete in Obihiro with regular sweets or cakes. So, it might be a wise move. I'll try it, but is it really good? I thought it was a joke. It's fluffy. There's a slight burnt taste. It's not a firm castella. It's loose. But that doesn't mean it's bad. It's delicious.

In February 2021, I decided to visit a shop at Fumimaru where I could be free from my parents. Since Yokaodo in Kushiro has closed down, I thought I'd try something different from the usual Aeon stores. On the first floor of Yokaodo, there was a confectionery shop from Hiroocho, which seemed to be operating for a limited time. It was quite popular, so I ended up buying a snack pack called Gâteau Chocolat for 400 yen. It consisted of diced Gâteau Chocolat with cream on top. It looked delicious, so I enjoyed it with coffee at the food court. The moist and soft texture of the cake paired with the not-too-sweet cream was delightful. It was really delicious.

In November 2018, I killed time by visiting "Ario Sapporo". I first went to the bookstore, then checked out Uniqlo, and got free coffee at Kaldis. I didn't spend any money at all. Can the economy of Hokkaido recover like this? When I was in Tokachi, it was my first transfer, so I visited various places out of curiosity. One of them was Horokoi Town in Minamitokachi, which has a Santa Land certified by the city of Oslo, Norway. The late actor Masahiko Tsugawa was quite supportive, even talking about relocating a castle. We enjoyed the "Hairy Crab Festival" and the aquarium at Seaside Park Horoi with my daughter when she was young, and she was very happy. From this small town of Horoi, I tried a stall selling "Fresh Cream & Mont Blanc Fresh Cream" for 400 yen. It tasted like old-fashioned butter cream, with a simple and delicious flavor. The sponge had plenty of cut-offs. It was a simple and tasty cake. However, with this level of consumption, it doesn't really add anything significant. ^^;

I was curious to try it once, so I was drawn in by the sign for "bekomochi" (a popular snack in Hokkaido) and decided to go in. Inside, there were rows of baked sweets and baked donuts. But where was the "bekomochi"? It wasn't displayed at the storefront. Since the staff didn't come out, I waited for a while. They said the "bekomochi" was available frozen and needed to be steamed, so it would take some time. Since I was on a drive, I had to give up. What a shame ( ´△｀) They mentioned that if I had called ahead, they could have prepared it. I gave up on the "bekomochi" and opted for a baked donut instead. There were various flavors like pumpkin and plain, but I chose chocolate. They are healthier since they are not fried. The shop only had baked donuts and baked sweets, no cakes or other items.

In October 2013, I visited a bakery in Hiroo-cho, Minamitokachi. They had handmade baked goods like cookies and baked donuts displayed beautifully in their store. I tried the "Moo-chan cookies," a parent-child pair for 210 yen. The hand-drawn designs on each cookie were unique and fun. They had a light buttery flavor, not too sweet, and the caramel patterns added a nice touch. I also tried the "Squirrel-shaped cookies," which were apparently for the Manabe Garden. They were also buttery and quite delicious, with a cute shape. The baked donuts, plain and coffee flavored, were simple and healthy, with a comforting flavor. I also enjoyed the "Santa's Dream White," which had white chocolate between pie crust cookies. It was not overly sweet and had a satisfying taste. The customer service was just right. I regret not trying the handmade dorayaki with sweet red bean paste, but I'll definitely get it next time I visit.

Until November 4th, the 53rd Hokkaido Fair was held at Yokohama Takashimaya. I stumbled upon a handmade confectionery shop called Imamura while looking for something sweet. They focus on using Hokkaido-produced ingredients to create handcrafted desserts. I bought a milk pudding and a white pudding, each priced at 315 yen. The rich taste of Tokachi milk stood out, with a nice soft texture and a subtle vanilla aroma. While the taste was similar, the white pudding had a stronger vanilla flavor. I also purchased a Catalana, which cost 263 yen. Catalana is a dessert similar to creme brulee from the Catalonia region in Spain. It had a rich custard-like texture with a hint of egg flavor and a mild sweetness. The caramelized crust added a nice crunchy texture, although it had softened a bit over time. There was also a strawberry flavor available, which was quite unique. Overall, I discovered many delicious treats at the Hokkaido Fair once again!

I was drawn in by the interesting name and decided to purchase "Ushimashumaro". It cost 420 yen for one piece. I took a bite and it was very sweet! Even as someone with a sweet tooth, I found it to be quite sweet. Looking at the ingredients, the first listed is inverted sugar, which explains the sweetness. Additionally, sugar is sprinkled on the surface and corn syrup is used inside. The black parts in the cow pattern are made with cocoa. However, I mainly tasted the intense sweetness rather than the cocoa flavor. The filling weighs 40 grams, and for this amount, I thought 420 yen was expensive.

This time, I would like to introduce the "Moo-chan cookies" from "Imamura" in Hiroo, Tokachi. When you enter the store, you will see handmade sweets. There are various creative sweets. The shop is very cute and has a fairy tale touch, fitting for the town of Santa. "Moo-chan cookies" are cookies shaped like parent and child cows, and when you take a bite, you can smell the fragrant butter. The spots on the cows are hand-painted by the shop, so each one is unique. Be sure to give it a try.

I went to the Tokachi Port fireworks festival and wanted to eat something, but by the time it was around 7 pm, before the fireworks started, all the restaurants had long lines. Among them, the only booth without a line caught my eye, so I decided to take a look. It was a cake shop booth. I was drawn to the cheesecake and thought it would be a perfect souvenir. My partner got an eclair, and I got a slice of cheesecake to eat while watching the fireworks. I also bought a bag of discounted castella and 5 puddings for souvenirs. When I went to pay, it was 3700 yen! I knew the whole cheesecake was 800 yen, but did I really buy that much? It happens every time, but let's make sure to check the prices next time. As for the taste, the cheesecake was not fully thawed and had a slightly watery taste. It was similar to LeTAO's Double Fromage, which is not my favorite. The puddings I bought for my family were too creamy for me, but they enjoyed them. Next time, I want to visit the shop and try other cakes and sweets. I think there was a similar cake shop tent at the festival every year, so they might be there next year too.

On Saturdays, there was a Hokkaido product exhibition at the department store. I couldn't help but peek inside. One thing that caught my eye was the sweet potato sold by weight at the "Imamura" handmade confectionery workshop. There were many sweet potatoes lined up and they looked very delicious, so I ended up buying some (half size). Since it looked like it might fall apart if I cut it, I just dug in as it is. The sweet potato was also delicious. It had a good balance of butter and sweetness, making it tasty. The use of sweet potato skin as a base on the bottom of the potato was also a clever idea. I enjoyed it very much.