You'll Find Solid Japanese-Inspired Sweets at Fresh Flours 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 sesame, ginger, and satsuma imo (sweet potato) are among the Japanese ingredients you'll �nd in use at Fresh Flours bakery 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 matcha latte, especially at the Phinney Ridge location near the Woodland Park Zoo, where you'll �nd a lot of family action during the day. 1 of 4 4/15/2021, 3:18 PM You'll Find Solid Japanese-Inspired Sweets at Fresh Flours in Seattle | Se... https://sweets.seriouseats.com/2014/03/print/sugar-rush-japanese-inspire... My favorite discovery at Fresh Flours is the Green Tea & 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. 2 of 4 4/15/2021, 3:18 PM You'll Find Solid Japanese-Inspired Sweets at Fresh Flours in Seattle | Se... https://sweets.seriouseats.com/2014/03/print/sugar-rush-japanese-inspire... Similarly soft, at least on the inside, is the Mini Melonpan 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 Japan are known to peel the sugary crust o� the melonpan and swipe the cream with it, tossing aside the less desirable (to them!) bready body of the bun. 3 of 4 4/15/2021, 3:18 PM You'll Find Solid Japanese-Inspired Sweets at Fresh Flours in Seattle | Se... https://sweets.seriouseats.com/2014/03/print/sugar-rush-japanese-inspire... 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 breads, 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 Yuzu and the earthy Green Tea. 4 of 4 4/15/2021, 3:18 PM.