Soft, chewy and usually filled with red bean paste, daifuku mochi is hard to resist, particularly if you have a sweet tooth. And if you’re looking for a place to indulge in this treat, better head to Sakuragawa Café in Bangsar.
“Our daifuku mochi and pastries are all handmade fresh daily so that you can enjoy the optimal taste like you’re supposed to,” co-owner Alan Yeong, 41, told FMT Lifestyle.
The café’s wooden furniture is reminiscent of a traditional Japanese restaurant. Its walls are covered in Oriental wallpaper and adorned with kitsune fox masks and other trinkets to create a calming and comfortable atmosphere for a relaxing time.
“We wanted our customers to get away from all the noise and traffic when they’re here; that’s why we chose the second floor,” Yeong said.
There are several kinds of daifuku mochi flavours to choose from at this café.
The strawberry daifuku, consisting of one whole strawberry encased in raw chocolate and mochi, is a must-try. The sourness of the strawberry is mellowed by the chocolate while the chewy mochi exterior provides a welcoming bite to the dessert.
Other selections include the matcha strawberry daifuku with cream-based filling, rose lychee daifuku and sakura red bean daifuku.
If you’re here on a weekend, do give the sakura mochi a try. Sakuragawa’s Kansai version is made with sticky glutinous rice and red bean paste wrapped in a cherry blossom leaf. Served as a set of two, this gorgeous treat is a symphony of sweetness and, thanks to the pickled leaf, saltiness.
For something more filling, opt for the unagi rice set. Flavourful and perfectly cooked, the generous portion of eel and rice make for a simple but delicious lunch. Paired with the cloudy egg and miso soup, it’s a truly delicious meal.
Rice lovers will adore the seafood onigiri. It’s packed full with scallops, prawns and mentai sauce, ensuring that you get your money’s worth.
Wash your food down with the sakura blossom drink. It’s fizzy with a hint of yuzu flavour, with strawberry extract added for that pretty pinkish hue. And there’s a strawberry-scented bubble on top, making for a perfect picture when it bursts.
Yeong said he must have inherited his interest in the food business from his grandmother, who had a hawker stall in Ipoh when he was a kid. He used to visit her during school holidays after his family had moved to Kuala Lumpur.
“I remember observing her cook and I think it sparked that passion in me,” he said.
While Yeong worked in various jobs across different industries, food was always at the back of his mind.
During one of his many trips to Japan with his wife, they met an old couple selling traditional tea and desserts on the bank of a stream and under the shade of a cherry tree in Sakuragawa city.
He said he was touched by their perseverance in working the same job over so many years and this reminded him of his grandmother’s tenacity.
He said this was what inspired the concept of the café, along with its name.
“We spent six months on R&D in terms of food, decorations and the overall concept, finally opening officially last December,” Yeong said.
Commenting on the common belief that Japanese food tends to be expensive, he said this perception was not always correct.
“You’ve seen in movies that the Japanese like to cook at home and bring their own bento to work,” he said. “That’s what we’re trying to achieve here by serving affordable and home-cooked-style food.”
Sakuragawa by Mihachinodo
19-2, Jalan Telawi 2
Bangsar Baru
59100 Kuala Lumpur
Business hours: 8.30am-6pm (closed on Mondays)
Contact: 011-14207931