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A traditional Japanese confectionary which literally translates to “great luck”, daifuku is a dessert commonly exchanged as gifts in Japan for well wishes. Typically, the dessert is shaped into small round balls filled with anzo (sweetened red bean paste made from azuki beans) enveloped in a chewy mochi outer layer.
Over time, as food owners got creative, flavours of daifuku evolved, resulting in the colourful and ever-so-versatile snack it is today.
Located in the garden-themed food enclave, Picnic at Wisma Atria, Daifuku by Seizan is a stall that took over Picnic’s existing dessert counter offering freshly-made daifukus.
Aside from their five existing speciality flavours—Traditional, Strawberry, Yuzu, Chocolate and Matcha Mont Blanc—they also have a build-it-yourself option. You can customise and create your very own daifukus with unique ingredients!
Made a la minute upon order to ensure its freshness, the daifukus are expertly hand-wrapped on the spot and then served in little sampan boat-like wooden trays.
In order to have a taste of an authentic daifuku, I started off with the Traditional flavour (S$6) which features red bean paste and whipped cream wrapped in a plain white mochi skin. As the skin was unflavoured, I could immediately taste the fragrance and sweetness from the red bean paste which mellowed out with every bite due to the incorporation of the whipped cream. The mochi skin was delicate and soft, pairing well with the fillings inside.
The Matcha Mont Blanc (S$6) daifuku is the stall’s take on a modernised French-Japanese daifuku. I particularly enjoyed the texture of this daifuku as there was a whole sweetened chestnut, enveloped by chestnut and sweet potato puree, wrapped in the matcha flavoured mochi skin. The daifuku boasts a slight caramel taste which contrasted the earthy and mildly-sweetened mont blanc cream well.
As a chocolate lover, my favourite flavour was definitely the Chocolate (S$6) daifuku as it features almost everything I ask for in a dessert—chocolate, custard and Oreos. The chocolate-flavoured skin was so thin and delicate that the custard cream wrapped inside seemed as if they were pushing to break free.
As I bit into the daifuku, the custard cream oozed out and the chocolatey taste of oreo filled my mouth, resulting in a delightful bite which I can still remember today.
My trip to Daifuku by Seizan will not be complete without building my very own daifuku. Also for the price of S$6, I had the choice of five skin flavours, five pastes and five fillings.
Since the previous flavours that I tried were on the heavier and flavour-intense side, I decided to opt for something light and fruity. That led to the birth of my strawberry custard lychee daifuku. The strawberry skin had a sweet floral scent, which paired perfectly with the rich and creamy custard cream. The addition of a whole lychee also contributed to a refreshing and fruity note which I very much enjoyed.
Priced at S$6 each, these Japanese confectionaries are indeed on the pricey side. However, considering the fact that they are 100% handmade, with the mochi skin painstakingly pounded by hand, they do make good once-in-a-while treats or gifts to loved ones on special occasions!
Dates and Times: Available at Daifuku by Seizan
Prices: S$6 each, S$28 for a set of 5
