My favourite sweet treats from Chateraise patisserie

From a tiny shop in 1954 surrounded by lush green mountains in Kofu city, Chateraise has now made a name for itself both within Japan and internationally. The patisserie prides itself with only using the freshest of ingredients, contributed by local Japanese farmers with whom they have close ties. Their confectionery, as a result, are noticeably of very high quality, and the best part is, all items are very reasonably priced! For those who want to give it a try, here are some of my all time favourites (excluding the whole cakes!).

This large cream puff is filled with 2 types of cream- a light whipped cream and a rich egg custard. Pair the double cream filling with a soft puff pastry and you have  the famous Chateraise double cream puff! There is also a chocolate version with chocolate custard and cream, but the original is a crowd favourite, being one of their all time best sellers. Eggs are used from farms within the local Yamanashi prefecture, ensuring freshness!

Dorayaki is a traditional Japanese pancake like confectionery that was famously Doraemon's favourite snack. With special azuki red beans and fresh cream directly from Hokkaido, the beloved Dorayaki is somehow even further elevated. It's especially great for those of us who aren't too keen on the flavour of red bean, as it is subtle but definitely there. The fluffy texture of the pancakes flanking the filling also perfectly complements it.

Daifuku is a classic traditional Japanese confectionery consisting of a chewy layer of mochi stuffed with a sweet filling. Chateraise's daifuku come in 5 flavours- Uji matcha green tea, chocolate, mont blanc (chestnut), strawberry and au lait coffee. Of these flavours, the Uji matcha is definitely my favourite. All of the daifuku fillings are paired with a layer of fresh cream which lifts the dense filling.

This is the chocolate version of the regular strawberry shortcake that Chateraise also sells (same price). With fresh strawberries directly from farms in Shizuoka and Tochigi, this strawberry shortcake preserves the original strawberry flavour without being overly sweet. If you like chocolate as much as I do, I think you'll love this chocolate strawberry shortcake, although the original is quite nice as well.

The name says it all. Made from Hokkaido fresh milk, these small tubs of heaven come in 3 flavours- Uji green tea, vanilla and rum raisin, and all 3 are spectacular. If I had to pick, I'd say that the Uji green tea is the best, but that's just because I have a giant bias towards green tea. The vanilla is sure to please anyone and the rum raisin is delightful as well. Their other ice creams are wonderful as well, but I really love these little tubs in particular.

I mean look at them. Chateraise has a number of animal inspired cakes including the bear, panda and bunny cakes, all in different flavours! The bear one is chocolate, the bunny one is strawberry and the panda one is vanilla. The chocolate lover in me always goes for the bear one, but the others taste great too, with a soft ice cream texture. They also have panda roll cakes and a huge whole panda cake!

Chateraise has branches all over Japan, including Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. For a full list of locations, click here (google map locations available). There are also a few overseas branches (Asia only)! If you live within Japan, there is also a delivery service (Japanese only).

If you plan to visit the area around Yamanashi prefecture, their Hakushu Factory, which is surrounded by gorgeous mountainous landscapes, is actually open to tours. You can visit the factory for a free tour without reservation or a guided tour with reservations (Japanese only). Click here for more details.