On Wednesday, October 2, 2019“ekie KITCHEN,” a place where different varieties of gourmet food get together, was opened on the 1st floor of the west side of Hiroshima Station. This is a food area which opened following the successive openings of other shops in Hiroshima Station including ekie ZAKKA MARCHE, ekie DINING, ekie BAR, ekie OMIYAGE-KAN, and ekie DINING TERRACE beginning October 2017. At “ekie KITCHEN,” there are 36 stores serving a variety of food, such as cafés, confectionery stores, sake stores, restaurants serving Japanese dishes and various dishes from around the world, and supermarkets. The att.JAPAN editorial group joined the press for a sneak preview. This article will introduce the food and stores especially recommended by the att.JAPAN editorial group. The first thing that caught our eyes was “Chun Shui Tang,” a bubble tea store. Bubble tea, aka “tapioca milk tea,” has become a fad all around the world. “Chun Shui Tang” is a famous café which started its business in Taiwan in 1983. It came to Japan in July 2013 and has since been popular in many places in Japan, including Tokyo, Osaka, and Fukuoka. “Chun Shui Tang, ekie HIROSHIMA” is the café’s first branch in the Chugoku and Shikoku regions!
Chun Shui Tang, ekie HIROSHIMA
“ekie KITCHEN” OPEN! Delicious place next to Hiroshima Sta.
For every cup of drink, tea leaves from Taiwan are being used without any additives nor flavoring agents. In addition to a variety of drinks, you can enjoy various Taiwanese noodles and dim sum, including Taiwanese tofu dessert called “douhua” and local dish “beef noodle soup” for both lunch and dinner. We ordered the standard “tapioca milk tea” and Hiroshima branch’s exclusive offering, “tapioca triple-berry jasmine tea.”
“Tapioca milk tea” (left) and “tapioca triple-berry jasmine tea” (right) “Tapioca milk tea,” a mix of rich flavored Assam tea and chewy tapioca pearls, was as delicious as expected. “Tapioca triple-berry jasmine tea” is made using jasmine tea infused with three kinds of red berries – raspberries, strawberries, and cranberries. The sweet and tangy mixed berries and refreshing jasmine tea create a great harmony! The next recommended store is “Momiji-do,” which offers “age-momiji,” a deep-fried “momiji manju,” “Momiji manju” is a small maple leaf-shaped cake filled with sweet red bean paste and widely known as one of Hiroshima’s specialties. Crispy outside and fluffy inside, the steaming hot and sweet “age-momiji” is really delicious.
Momiji-do At the store, you can purchase “momiji manju” with various kinds of fillings, including the standard red bean paste, matcha, chocolate, and cheese. They are also delicious to the eyes. They will make great souvenirs!
Momiji manju The last store we recommend is “SAKE PLACE” which sells various kinds of alcoholic beverages including sake, beer, and wine, all made in Japan!
SAKE PLACE We found an interesting alcohol. It is called “momiji manju” liqueur!
(from left to right) “Momiji manju” liqueur, matcha-flavored “momiji manju” liqueur, and mikan orange-flavored liqueur. Made in Hiroshima, these sake products are packaged in unique boxes and bottles with exciting contents. They are perfect souvenirs for someone who enjoys drinking. There are so many more unique alcoholic beverages! You can find a wide range of Hiroshima’s microbrewed beer, including oyster-flavored beer, yuzu-flavored beer, and citrus-flavored beer. Some of the tastes are difficult to imagine. I would like to try them all!
Microbrewed beer from Hiroshima In addition to the three stores, there are so many other shops and stores offering varieties of delicious food, including delis, confectionery shops, a pizza restaurant, and a Korean restaurant. There are 13 confectionery shops and stores, including “BAKE CHEESE TART” selling freshly-baked cheese tarts, “RINGO” selling freshly-baked custard apple pies, and “SAJIN” selling sweets made with whole tea leaves. So, if you love sweets, consider this your paradise.
With Halloween coming up soon, there are many Halloween-themed products at sweets shops, including cakes and puddings.
Pumpkin tart
They look delicious! At the supermarket located behind “ekie KITCHEN,” there are various products using Hiroshima’s prized specialties such as lemons and oysters. It is also a good place to get souvenirs.
You can find lemon-based drinks, lemon-flavored vinegar, smoked oysters, and oyster rice crackers.
Lemon kosho (with red hot chili peppers and green hot chili peppers) If you are at Hiroshima Station, don’t forget to visit this wonderful place, directly connected to Hiroshima Station, offering huge varieties of food and sweets galore.
att.JAPAN consists of members in their 20s and 30s, and we are all travel lovers. In addition to information about sightseeing and great dishes all over Japan, we offer a wide range of information about various subjects/topics, such as onsen (hot spring) and ryokan hotels. We introduce lots of information only att.JAPAN can offer, including information about famous sightseeing spots, the latest news about new facilities all over Japan and rare less-known areas in Tokyo, one-day model walking courses, and anime pilgrimages. We also offer contents to introduce Japan from the view of writers from abroad.
