Depachikas are like food heavens, filled with lots of yummy goodies and treats, all in one convenient location! They refer to the food sections in department store (depaatoデパート) basements (chika地下), hence the term depachika (デパ地下). They're usually buy-and-go counters, in which the food is displayed, you buy what you want to go, and eat it elsewhere/at home. Thus sitting areas by the stores are few, if any.
Depachikas are usually sectioned into the meat/side-dish section and the dessert section.
And the desserts are sometimes further divided into Japanese sweets (和菓子) and Western sweets (洋菓子); French and German(baumkuchen) confectioneries are really popular.
The meat/side-dish sections usually has stuff like gyoza, sushi, fried foods, side-dishes, prepacked noodles/rice dishes etc, to cater to salarymen and OLs who don't wanna/don't have time to cook^^
Needless to say, my favorite section is the desserts section!
♥ Anyway, in Ikebukuro's Seibu they had a leaflet listing 30 top picks for the dessert section, and here's introducing them!
Obviously I didn't get a chance to try them all, though I wish I did!
Western sweets.
Waffles.
2| ボン＋ボヌ アニバーサリー || Bon＋Bonne anniversary
Western sweets.
Cakes.
Western sweets.
Fruits.
4| ラスコッティ東京 || Ruscotte Tokyo
Western sweets.
Ruscotti and tea snacks (madeleines etc)
Western sweets. French.
Pâtisseries.
Japanese sweets. ♥
Karinto (花林糖) Snack made of yeast, flour and sugar.
Western sweets. Italian. ♥
Biscotti and cookies.
Western sweets. German. ♥
Baumkuchen.
By Juchheim, inarguably the most famous baumkuchen maker in Japan.
(Baumkuchen was introduced to Japan by Karl Juchheim)
Western sweets.
Baumkuchen.
Japanese sweets.
Western sweets. French. ♥
Macarons, pâtisseries.
From Paris, one of the best macaron makers in the world (after
Ladurée!
♥)
Famous for macarons and Ipsahan.
Western sweets.
Japanese sweets.
Japanese sweets.
One of the oldest makers of Japanese confectioneries.
Traditonal Japanese confectioneries.
Japanese sweets.
Famous for its ebi senbei (shrimp rice cracker)
Japanese sweets.
Japanese sweets.
Japanese sweets.
Japanese sweets.
Famous for their 鎌倉半月 (Kamakura Hangetsu),
two layers of thin wafer filled with cream. ♥
Japanese sweets.
Japanese sweets. Wine.
Western sweets. German. ♥
Biscuits and others.
Western sweets.
They're the makers of Tokyo Banana.
Western sweets. French.
Japanese-style French sweets.
Famous for their rusks.
26| パイヤール || Payard
Western sweets.
Pâtisseries, chocolates.
Japanese sweets.
Western sweets. French.
Macarons, pâtisseries and other French confectioneries.
Japanese sweets.
Senbei (rice crackers)
Japanese sweets.
Famous for red bean items like zenzai, jelly, amo.
And the 30 isn't even all of the stores that they have, they have more! And Seibu isn't the only department store in Ikebukuro, there's also Tobu, Parco and Lumine right in the vicinity, and each of them have their own depachikas too! Mmmm.
I really wish Singapore could have even half the variety they have, especially the sweets! *cough*karinto*cough*Ladurée*cough* There's seriously a lack of good pâtisseries around here :( There is a Juchheim here though, yay for baumkuchen ♥
