You'll Find Solid Japanese-Inspired Sweets at Fresh in Seattle | Se... https://sweets.seriouseats.com/2014/03/print/sugar-rush-japanese-inspire...

You'll Find Solid Japanese-Inspired Sweets at Fresh Flours in Seattle JAY FRIEDMAN

Matcha, azuki, black , ginger, and satsuma imo (sweet potato) are among the Japanese ingredients you'll �nd in use at Fresh Flours in Seattle. With two locations, Fresh Flours has more of a co�ee shop feel than Fuji Bakery, perhaps the most renowned Japanese bakery in the area. Fresh Flours is a comfortable place to sit with a Stumptown co�ee or a latte, especially at the Phinney Ridge location near the Woodland Park Zoo, where you'll �nd a lot of family action during the day.

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My favorite discovery at Fresh Flours is the & Azuki Red Bean Pound Cake ($2.75). This solid slice has a good balance of sweetness and grassy green tea �avor, and is studded with skin-on red beans. It goes well with a variety of types of tea, though it's strong enough to stand up to a sti� cup of black co�ee.

You can sample more of the red bean �avor with the Mini Azuki Brioche ($2.75). Also known as anpan, this bun is seductively soft. The azuki has smooth texture and good �avor—not overly sweet—though I wanted just a little more of it. As is typical, black sesame seeds sit atop the bun.

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Similarly soft, at least on the inside, is the Mini with Cream ($2.75).The di�erence is that this bun has a cookie shell that o�ers a crispy contrast to the interior. This is a fairly ubiquitous item in Japanese food stores, usually at a low price point and �lled with more cream than Fresh Flours' version. Kids in are known to the sugary crust o� the melonpan and swipe the cream with it, tossing aside the less desirable (to them!) bready body of the bun.

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Surveying the showcase, it's hard to resist the plain Croissant ($2.75), especially in the absence of the occasionally available and unique azuki croissants. Typical of many Japanese pastries and , the croissant is a little lighter than usual. It's �ne for what it is, but falls just short in most areas of my croissant preferences, including contrast between crumb and crust as well as buttery �avor.

Finally, it's impossible to overlook the colorful display of Macarons ($1.35 each) on the counter. These macarons are a little more diminutive than most in town. Cute, but their thinness translates to a little lack of enough �lling, as well as the inability to sink the teeth into the soft, slightly chewy part of the cookie that comes after e�ortlessly cracking the crust. Still, each petite macaron is packed with good �avor, especially the Japanese-in�uenced ones that are my favorites: the citrusy and the earthy Green Tea.

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