Top 5 Best Desserts in Tokyo

When you think of Tokyo, does dessert immediately come to mind? We’d completely understand if it didn’t. Outside of wanting to try some traditional Japanese sweets, Tara and I had all but convinced each other that sugar wasn’t going to be a major player during our trip. A phantom. A myth. Just a fairytale for these two non-believers. How wrong we were. Sweets in all of their preposterous forms came out to play during our time in Japan’s capital city, and we entertained ourselves every chance we got. Here are the best Tokyo desserts we think you should try during your trip.

1. Chocolate Cheese Tart from BAKE (Inside Tokyo Station)

To some, those three words chocolate, cheese, and tart together will look like the result of a typo due to careless keyboarding. I can assure you, there is no error. These weighty pastries scratch all of the right spots when you’re looking for complex flavors in a casual dessert. There were various options to choose from, but our favorite was the chocolate cheese tart. Within this palm-sized wonder, we discovered the rich and slightly bitter taste of cocoa in both the filling and in the complementary buttery crisp tart shell. BAKE has multiple locations around the country, and each one seems to have its own seasonal flavors. I guess you’re going to have to visit them all!

• BAKE Cheese Tart Gransta Marunouchi
• Tokyo Station, B1F, outside of the ticket gates
• 300-350 Yen or $2.22- $2.60 (for each tart)

2. Pistachio Milk Pie (cream puff) from Cow, Cow Kitchen (Akihabara Station)

Yes, milk pie is an unnatural sounding English name for a dessert. Yes, the cow on the logo looks kind of smug and self assured as its visible tongue almost mocks you from the safety of a white and yellow checked background. But that cow, that cow knows some things. For instance, it knows you’re going to devour your order without even realizing it. Soon enough, it’s going to be your tongue protruding out of your mouth desperately lapping up every morsel of flaky shred of puff pastry hidden inside each nook and cranny of the crinkling paper wrapper that once contained your milk pie. And that cow knows you’re going to be back for seconds. 

After receiving our first milk pie, Tara and I retreated to the safety of a massive Akihabara Station support pole and greedily snarfed down the cream puff and its nutty, creamy, slightly green pistachio filling. With streams of people walking on either side of us, we must have looked like a couple of upright squirrels eagerly munching on a discovered feast. The best part is we went back a second time and repeated the same behavior. We were huddled against the pole, chittering at pedestrians while gobbling out tasty Tokyo treat. No shame.

• Cow Cow Kitchen
• 1F atre AKIHABARA (main exit)
• 1-17-6 Sotokanda, Chiyodaku, Tokyo
• 280 Yen or $2.07

3. Bacon, Egg, and Hollandaise Sauce Pancakes from Benitsuru (Asakusa Station)

The first time we ate souffle pancakes, it was a transformative experience. While still good, regular pancakes would no longer be enough. The folks at Benitsuru seem determined to make sure all of their guests undergo an existential breakfast crisis. Since they operate on a reservations only system–and reservations can only be made the day of your meal–we arrived at Benitsuru about 30 minutes prior to their official opening. The earliest reservable time was nearly two and half hours later. Worth it. 

Once we got past the middle-aged lady who acted as the bouncer for this trendy breakfast joint, we were shown to our seats. There are only counter seats available–this is by design. Our senses were all engaged as we watched the entire cooking process from the batter’s inception in a high-tech kitchen mixer to the jiggly plating of orders belonging to the lucky schmucks who got their names on the list before us. All of this happened at the painfully slow pace of six pancakes at a time, with most orders consisting of a three pancake stack. Bacon, eggs, and hollandaise sauce don’t conjure up images of dessert, but the sweet, fluffy, pillows of perfection would beg to differ. Go nuts (literally) and get the chocolate, banana, and roasted nut pancakes. Savory and sweet! In our minds, this is an example of brunch on steroids and a must-do in Asakusa.

• BAKE Cheese Tart Gransta Marunouchi
• Tokyo Station, B1F, outside of the ticket gates
• 300-350 Yen or $2.22- $2.60 (for each tart)

4. Melon Pan (bread) from Kyuei Melon Pan (Tsukishima Station)

Simple things can make all of the difference when we’re traveling. Knowing exactly where our hotel is without needing to look at directions, finding a simple market around a random corner, and the beautiful simplicity of a well made, still-warm melon pan. This marvelous bread treasure doesn’t taste like melon. It gets its name from its distinctive pattern. The sugar coated top of this sweet bread creates a satisfying crunch, yet the fluffy interior creates an amazing texture contrast with each chomp. The fresh baked sweetness also contained a hint of vanilla. It was exactly what Tara and I needed after having a less than stellar experience earlier in the evening. I mean, look at Tara in the picture! She’s found a delicious oasis in the middle of chaos, and you wouldn’t have known how frustrated she was just prior to stumbling upon this melon pan stand. It’s like Xanax in bread form.

Unfortunately, Kyuei Melon Pan does not currently have a website. The easiest way to find it would be to come out of Tsukishima Station from exit 7, cross the street diagonally to the right, and walk straight down Nishinaka-dori for a block and a half. The tiny melon pan stand will be on the right. The stand has an adorable mascot that looks something like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man on all of its signage.

• Kyuei Melon Pan
• Tsukishima Station
• 180 Yen or $1.33

5. Fluffy Pistachio and Apricot Tart from Starbucks Reserve Roastery (Meguro Station)

A top five dessert from Starbucks? Really? I know, I know, but seriously, this tart from Tokyo’s Starbuck Reserve Roastery was more than worth the nearly 45 minutes of waiting we went through to get it. Let’s start with the separation of layers on this sucker. At the base, there was an amazingly crumbly shortbread crust. It was strong enough to support the other layers, but it yielded a satisfying chew in our mouths. Then there was a thin layer of apricot puree–just the right balance of sweet and tart. Up next, the custard. I don’t know what sorcery Japanese cooks are practicing behind the scenes, but it’s impossible for Tara and I to say no when we see custard on a menu. So it came as no surprise when the custard layer of this dish was dense, rich, and delicious. The top layer was the pistachio mousse. It was creamy, a little salty, and it made us want to lick our forks after each bite. The Starbucks Reserve Roastery should be on any Tokyo itinerary. It’s that good.

• Starbucks Reserve Roastery
• 2 Chome-19-23 Aobadai, Meguro City, Tokyo 153-0042, Japan
• Prices vary (but bring your piggy bank!)

What is your favorite dessert in Tokyo? Did we miss one? Let us know in the comments below.

Remember: Life is short, so dig in!

Planning a trip to Tokyo? Read about our review of the mind-boggling art exhibit, teamLab Planets Tokyo.