World
G-8 disappoints Syrian rebels, makes progress on corporate tax evasion
Leaders of the G-8 agree on a plan to clamp down on money launderers, illegal tax evaders and corporate tax avoiders, while pushing for immediate peace talks on Syria.
Food & Drink | SWEET INSPIRATIONS Jun 7, 2013
Japanese desserts with an alcohol kick
by Robbie Swinnerton
“There are two types of people,” my dear old landlady used to say, handing me a bowl of frothing matcha tea: “Those who like alcohol, and those who like sweets.” She was well aware which camp I belonged in. But as a tea-ceremony teacher ...
Food & Drink | SWEET INSPIRATIONS May 3, 2013
Custard treats are anything but square
by Robbie Swinnerton
How long does it take a business to achieve cult status in Tokyo? Years or decades in most cases. For Omotesando Koffee it was barely a matter of weeks. First there’s the setting. Where else in the city can you find a contemporary espresso ...
Food & Drink | SWEET INSPIRATIONS Apr 5, 2013
Springtime sweets come into bloom
by Robbie Swinnerton
The petals may have dropped from the cherry trees, at least in the Tokyo area, but there are plenty of leaves to be seen — and not just on the trees. Look around any shop selling traditional wagashi sweets at this time of year ...
Food & Drink | SWEET INSPIRATIONS Mar 1, 2013
Tea and cakes, the British way
by Robbie Swinnerton
"I am not very fond of sugar and sweet things, and yet I became a pastry chef." The story of British pâtissière Rose Carrarini, whose quote adorns the wall in the growing number of cafe-bakeries that bear her name, is an eye-opener on many ...
Food & Drink | SWEET INSPIRATIONS Feb 1, 2013
An experimental approach to afters
by Robbie Swinnerton
Japan's prodigious ability to assimilate, reproduce and then develop homegrown adaptations of products from other cultures is legendary. Why should it be any different when it comes to patisseries?
Food & Drink | SWEET INSPIRATIONS Dec 7, 2012
Candy made fresh at Tokyo stores
by Robbie Swinnerton
If Christmas is the time when adults pander to their inner child, then it is holiday season all year round at Papabubble. Tokyo’s premier purveyor of artisan candies is no ordinary sweet shop: it’s more like a Santa’s grotto — complete with happy toiling ...
Food & Drink | SWEET INSPIRATIONS Nov 2, 2012
Exhibition charts the rise of chocolate
by Robbie Swinnerton
Attention all chocoholics! Here’s a way to satiate your sweet tooth without gaining a single gram. In fact you’re likely to work off plenty of calories as you explore “Chocolate: The Exhibition.” This major show, which opens Nov. 3 at the National Museum of ...
Food & Drink | SWEET INSPIRATIONS Oct 5, 2012
Tasty twists on tradition at Tokyo Station
by Robbie Swinnerton
Great fanfare accompanied the reopening of Tokyo Station’s redbrick building in Marunouchi this week. And, just like any major new (or in this case 98-year-old) landmark, it’s a bonanza for tie-in marketing, including plenty of sweets — all limited-edition items that can only be ...
Food & Drink | SWEET INSPIRATIONS Sep 7, 2012
It's never too late for more ice cream
by Robbie Swinnerton
The heat wave may be past its punishing peak, but there are still lots of ice-cream days left this late summer — and plenty of premium outlets to discover in Tokyo. When it comes to multi-flavored cups and sugar cones, the arrival of Ben ...