Tofuan Yamanaka [Mimi's World Tour]

Bakery: Tofuan Yamanaka 
Address: 95 Ujinakanokirichō, Ise-shi, Mie Prefecture 
Website: http://tofu-an-yamanaka.jp/
Style: Japanese
Price: $$ 

One of more off the beaten/urban path destinations (at least for foreign tourists) on my trip was a little offshoot of Ise-city, around a series of historically recreated houses and streets known as Okage Yokocho. While the area was absolutely teeming with shops and restaurants, there is no actual bakery. However, being on the way to Ise Grand Shrine, it was a prime commercial temple street. And if you've already caught on, you know exactly what temple streets mean: tofu soft serve and soy milk doughnuts! I couldn't resist...

 Actually, this time around, I was so lured by their tofu ice cream that I grabbed a towering cone. This was my first time trying tofu soft serve and I was surprised to find it creamier and smoother than I expected it (basing it on soy milk). However, we're not here to talk about ice cream. We're here to talk about doughnuts.

I grabbed one soy milk doughnut (100 yen). Served hot with a fresh, crispy outside and ridiculously moist inside, this was one delicious doughnut. Unlike the previous one I had, where it was soft all around, that perfectly fried golden brown crust was the highlight; it was like a... doughnut katsu. Having wolfed down my ice cream cone and my doughnut, it was one of those moments where I was contemplating grabbing a second one... That, of course, is always a good thing. 

Rating: ***1/2