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Save yourself a trip to the airport this April; you needn’t fly to Japan to experience it. That’s because Isetan’s Hanami Matsuri will take place at Tampines Mall Atrium until 15 Apr!
Hanami Matsuri (directly translated to “flower viewing festival”) is a fair inspired by Japan’s cherry blossom festival. Until 15 Apr, Level 1 of Tampines Mall will serve as the venue for over 30 stalls showcasing popular Japanese street snacks and other food products.
Indulge in your favourite Japanese treats, both savoury and sweet at this vibrant food fair. In our opinion, perhaps something salty would be suitable for starting your foodie tour.
Teineichiba Takoemon offers takoyaki from Hokkaido with toppings like Mentaiko and Shredded Cheese from S$10 to S$13. The crisp octopus pancake balls drizzled with sauces and topped with bonito flakes are savoury and a classic pick-me-up for a Japanese food fair like Hanami Matsuri.
Pick up fritters like the Hokkaido Potato & Corn Croquette (S$3.80) and Camembert Cheese & Potato Croquette (S$3.80) as well as Crab Fish Cakes (S$6.80) at the Mitamura stall. The croquettes are crispy, bready and golden brown snacks that will surely satisfy your hunger, while the Fish Cakes are large and equally filling.
Now, on to the sweets! One of the dessert stalls in Hanami Matsuri is Yakimono Club, which serves mochi and taiyaki. Check out the 3Colour Dango (glutinous rice balls) without fillings for S$3 per stick, or Red Bean Mochi at S$3 per piece in white, pink or mugwort green.
The mochi dough is chewy, while the nutty red bean paste is thick and sweet. Watch out for the powdery flour dusting the otherwise super sticky mochi or you might make a mess (like we almost did)!
Who can resist the cuteness of these Kumamon Ningyoyaki from Monario? These filled taiyaki-like pancakes (S$5 per piece) are shaped like Kumamoto’s famous bear mascot. Flavours include creamy Chocolate custard, Red Bean and Custard Cream, which we found luxurious, yet not too sweet.
One of the most popular stalls is Coco Dolce, which serves rich gelato in the options of Single (S$7), Double (S$9) and Triple (S$11) scoops. Besides your classic Matcha and Strawberry, it also provides unique premium flavours such as Cherry Blossom and the trending Dubai Chocolate made of milk chocolate and pistachio.
For a twist, Coco’s Cookie Sandwiches with Gelato (S$5) combine the icy dessert with their signature Assorted Cookies to create the perfect ice-cream sandwich.
You’ll find a fair variety of dried foods and packaged goodies like umeboshi, as well as sake and other alcohol available at Hanami Matsuri.
If you’re itching to bring a sweet treat back home, you could consider Monario’s Soy Milk Fruit Pudding. These petite cups of soy milk-based cuteness cost S$24 for 20 pieces and come in assorted fruit flavours like strawberry, melon and mango. It’s recommended to eat the pudding chilled; however, you can stick the cups in the freezer and defrost them for a gelato-like texture.
Yes, we hear you, Pokemon lovers. Alongside the food festival, Pokemon Mart, an official pop-up stall by Pokemon Center will also be at the fair. It’s a good opportunity to get your hands on merchandise of Pikachu and his adorable friends as plushies, tumblers and bag charms.
Head down to Isetan’s Hanami Matsuri this April for a magical cherry blossom season here in Singapore!
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