From the humble Anpan first made in 1875, Japanese baking techniques and product lines have grown by leaps and bounds since.Β Although baking was mostly a Western concept, Japanese artisan bakers had to add indigenous ingredients for the breads to appeal to local Japanese tastes.Β In the spirit of this same artisanal Japanese tradition of baking craftsmanship, comes Kumori Japanese Bakery.
Big in Japan and now in the Philippines, Kumori Japanese Bakery commits to offer natural, handmade, fresh and quality breads, cakes, and pastries imbued with true Japanese quality, culture, and tradition. Kumori uses only the finest ingredients from Japan, giving its breads unique flavors and textures. Every ingredient is wholesome and natural, so the fresh tastes and goodness shine through. I received a gift box from Kumori last week, and I’m pleased to share the details of what’s inside. π γζ₯½γγΏγγ γγοΌ
What is Kumori?
Kumori means “cloudy” in Japanese. However, instead of gray and gloom, Kumori represents all the sunshine and positivity that comes after the rain. Likewise, what Kumori Japanese Bakery creates are “comfort treats” with no artificial additives and preservatives.
Review of Japanese Bread and Pastries from Kumori Japanese Bakery (Philippines)
If you have ever in your life said, βthis bread is good,β this Croissant by Kumori will melt your mind. It’s a flaky layered Danish pastry enriched with pure, premium European butter. After seeing fluffy layers with a stretch within while pulling it apart, I’m positive that the croissant was a good lure and an absolute hit with me. It was on the soft side, but the rich buttery taste still remained intact.Β I loved it and certainly felt more excited to try the others in the box. π
Salmon Bonito was the one I took as an afternoon snack in the office. It’s a soft bun filled with savory salmon filling, drizzled with home-made Teriyaki sauce and sprinkled with bonito flakes. While there’s no ridiculously large portion of sushi-grade salmon present, the round buns were great. Like eating a giant version of takoyaki (but stuffed with flaky salmon instead of octopus), this treat is going to sneak up on you. To be honest, it wasn’t love at first bite for me, but as the balance of flavors and textures gradually insinuated, I’ve grown to appreciate itβa lot! The salmon bonito is one-of-a-kind.
Filled with matcha cream filling, the Soft Matcha Bun was a pleasantly decent mouthful of goodness. The matcha inside wasn’t too sweet and the bun gave a good contrast to the smooth cream.Β I thought this would go down well with a nice cup of green tea. π
Another delicate hand-crafted soft bread was the Fuwa-fuwa Cream Bun, filled with creamy egg custard and dusted with snow sugar powder on top. It did not disappoint as it’s not too sweet as well. The bun was super soft and almost impossible to resist!
We saved the best for last. Kumori’s Signature Hanjuku Cheese was velvety, creamy, light and absolutely moist. It’s a half-baked cheese masterpiece original of Kumori made from premium cream cheese that’s truly best for melt-in-your-mouth moments. This should be in everyone’s must-try list when visiting Kumori Japanese Bakery. It was pure happiness wrapped in a small package.
An easy winner for those who love Japanese cheesecakes, each piece of the Hanjuku Cheese can be finished in two bites. Aside from cheese, there’s also a chocolate cheesecake variant available. Komuri Japanese Bakery sells these per piece (at PHP48) or in a pretty box of five.
Kumori has just set foot in the Philippines, and its first stores are located at the lower ground floor of Landmark Makati (just beside Bread Talk) and at the lower ground floor of SM Makati. Soon it will also open at the ground floor of Glorietta 2. If you love Japanese goodies, visitΒ Kumori Philippines on Facebook and follow its Instagram account for updates. π
About Rochkirstin Santos-Sioco
Health and technology freak. Food and lifestyle blogger with a large appetite for food and travel.
OMG THE CHEESE!!! The Hanjuku CHEESE is just awesome!!!! Next time ROCH ah!! BIGYAN MOKO!!! Padala ka ng sa bahay hahahaha!!! Seriosuly though its amazing. I love how it is so cheesy and melts in your mouth… CREAMMMY!
Haha bigay mo sa akin address mo, sabihin ko sa Kumori padalhan ka nang mas marami. π I liked the Hanjuku cheese variant than the chocolate. Both naman masarap talaga.
I’ll try this weekend,it looks good to taste.Never tried like this before. I like the concept of Bread Talk too.
Yeah, Bread Talk is like almost in every large mall in the city. I hope Kumori will also expand to more locations so I can get those goodies faster! π
The food looks delicious I wanna grab one now! I can’t wait to check visit this place once im in the Metro.
When it comes to food, I know that the Japanese are largely traditionalists. But this bakery creates some twist and executes pastries perfectly to cater to modern tastes. π Yup, check it out!
These pastries are perfect for my coffee. They all look so delicious.
You may call them your “summer” bread and pastries because they are so light and delicate. Everything was really soft and more fluffy than dense, perfect for an afternoon snack. π
I really like the idea behind was kumori represents, that’s very sweet. I love the look of those pastries, they’d be so delicious any time of the day really! I’ve never tried any Japanese desserts or pastries so I’d like to try these.
Japanese desserts and pastries taste great. Bites finish with a subtle tang that won’t dull your palate. π
These all look absolutely delicious! I’ve been a big fan of baking for awhile now and am fascinated with all different types of cuisines. I would love to try these!
I like Japanese pastries because with their demure appearance, flavors are smooth and silky, light in texture, and also light in sugar. The good thing about Kumori is that they don’t use additives so you must finish eating within two days while the food is fresh.
I like the variety in their pastries. I’ll check this out tomorrow.
You’re so lucky that you just live and work nearby! π
Comfort treats? I’d say so, I feel better just looking at them! Especially the Fuwa-Fuwa cream bun, that looks absolutely delicious! I would be beside myself being able to review this bakery, and thanks for the historical background!
It’s my pleasure to share about the background because I know that other people will also be interested to find out. π If you love egg custard, you will enjoy the fuwa-fuwa bun for sure.
Wow all of the food looks so delicious! I would like to have one of each please! Even the packaging to nice, gotta love when that happens!
All of them were light and indulgent at the same time. You will really want to take everything home when you see them displayed in the Kumori Japanese Bakery stores. π
there foods are really yummy as per review,would love to taste them sometimes.
I loved that the soft buns hide surprise fillings that taste superb. When you’re in the mood for something fancier than regular bread, visit Kumori and give these bread a try. π
Whenever i read/heard about Japanese bread, i would instantly think of those comic books i loved when i was younger-you know how the characters are always eating breads at school and all hahaha. I’m not big on breads, but all your pictures are so tempting!
Aw, I’m not familiar with those Japanese comic books haha. I’m also not big on breads, but these ones were great. Kumori Japanese Bakery is a worthy destination for any Jap pastry lover. π
All of this food looks absolutely amazing. I love to try new food when we travel and these look absolutely amazing! I donβt think I have heard of any of these but they are now on my must try list!
Oh, your heart will flutter at the selection of different pastries in Kumori. I bet this will be the new craze! π You must not pass on the Hanjuku Cheese. It’s so fluffy and velvety that it’s hard to believe the cheesecakes are baked.
Ah, you are so lucky to have such amazing Japanese-themed treats in your area! I’m seriously drooling over each of those breads – they represent some of my favorite flavors. I can tell that they’re done expertly and beautifully – I’m sure the flavor is outstanding as well. The green tea bun is totally calling my name…
xo,
lauriel
If you’re craving for the matcha soft bun, this joint is your best bet. Kumori makes delicious little pastries and bread that are not too expensive. Make sure to drop by when you go to Makati whenever you can. π
You honestly telling me all of these goodness came in a gift box and you did not have to visit the bakery to get it all. It all looks very fresh and very yummy I am very impressed and if I ever find myself in Philippines I will definitely go get me some
Haha yes, much like Santa Claus’ gifts for Christmas. π Next time I head to Landmark or SM Makati, I will also check the store and take more pictures.
I’ve never heard of Japanese bread until today and boy am I impressed! The cream bun and the Croissant by Kumori both look so delicious. I wish I had a way to try the croissant, seriously. Thanks for the review!
They look so yummy and mouth-watering, but picture-gazing is not enough. Surely you won’t be able to stop eating after the first one. π
OMGoodnessβ¦the box design for this bakery is too cute. I love trying different pastries, so if I were ever in this area β I would totally visit this bakery. Japanese cheesecake sounds delicious to try, so the Hanjuku Cheese iss something that definitely caught my eye.
The Hanjuku Cheese is so amazing. Try it and you will never regret it. π
I love visiting the bakery because I have a major sweet tooth! I usually walk out with cupcakes, but if I were at that one, I would walk out with one of everything.
Haha wow, that’s great and I bet your kids will be happy to try one of each and decide which their favorite is. π
I can’t decide which pastry I want to take a bite out of first. They all look delicious and that croissant looks so flaky and yummy. Wish I could visit that bakery.
If you’ve been exhaustively looking for a nice bread shop, look no further. This bakery is one of the best though prices may be higher than regular ones in the neighborhood. π
Goodness gracious, what tasty looking goods and breads at that. I could live off of bread and pastries and it’s awesome that they are natural, handmade and fresh. I bet it smells amazing.
Yes, you bet it right. π These ones are really good to be paired with a warm or cold drink. Not drinking either coffee, chocolate, tea, or milk is like a kiss without a hug.
These all look so delicious! I am a sucker for yummy pastries and I would love to try all of these!
The flavors of the fillings inside are pretty spectacular and unique. You have to try each one. π
That is amazing! Honestly, when I think Japanese food, I don’t think pastries. These look delicious.
Me too. I usually think of sushi, gyoza, and ramen. These Japanese pastries will make you include them in the list as well. They have that burst of natural sweetness.
Those foods look yummy! I love how they are packaged. They are tempting to the eye.
The packaging design is brilliant, but what will bring a smile on your face is the taste of these pastries. After a few bites, you will be lured to buy more. π
Wow it must have been awesoem trying out this unique food. I think the Fuwa-fuwa Cream Buns look really yummy.
We enjoyed it a lot. I love the taste of its filling!
I am a big fan of Japanese pastries, I go to a different place and I’m so addicted to them! This places sounds wonderful, I would love try their pastries out!
Yes, please drop by soon! π I hope that they also provide seating and dining spaces to cater for those who wish to stay and enjoy the pastries while in the shop.
They all look amazing, that cream bun would definitely be something I would try. Cute packaging too!
Yeah, I think cute packaging is what’s typical with Japanese items. Reward yourself some time with a visit to Kumori. π
Everything looks so delicious! I am not sure I would be able to decide what to order. The croissant looks extra tempting though.
Then maybe you can start by ordering the croissant. π
All of this food looks so delicious. I would love to try the Soft Matcha Bun.
Biting into the Soft Matcha Bun feels like biting into a cloud. It’s so soft! π
these pastries look amazing – when I lived in china i used to visit the bakeries for the gorgeous pastries
Oh yes, China also has a lot of bakeries that feature soft pastries and delicious-looking treats in the neighborhood. π
Wow, how delicious! It would be so hard for me not to want to try everything you featured.
Plus, it will be also hard to choose which ones to try first. π
These sound and look so delicious. I would so love to try the croissant and the Matcha bun. Yummy!! Thanks for sharing.
When in Kumori, grab whatever gets your attention because you can’t go wrong with anything. π Welcome!
Those Japanese pastries all look amazing, my mouth is watering! I haven’t heard of these before, I want to try them all too! YUM!
They all look good and you’d want to bite into these pastries for an afternoon snack right now. π
Wow! This looks great. I can’t go into a bakery because I usually leave with way too many things I don’t need! I would love to visit this one though and try everything, looks so good!
Haha you’re like my mom, but in her case, the reason why she takes one too many items is that she thinks of us. π
I am such a carboholic! Seriously…at dinner, I can make my meal out of the bread and salad. By the time the actual dinner comes, I’m already full. That croissant wayyy up there at the top looks dang delish!!! YUM!
Haha I never thought that bread and salad can be a good combo making up a meal! The croissant can be right up your alley.
How delightful! Kumori treats looks delectable indeed! I am craving that Soft Matcha Bun! Mmmmm must be delicious! I have to give this place a try some day. Thanks for sharing! π
The green tea filling though did not taste too rich on the actual green tea. I just like that it’s not too sweet that makes me cringe.
Wow – I can understand better now why Japanese artisan bakers had to add indigenous ingredients for the breads to appeal to local Japanese tastes. These items would appeal to my tastes also – very different and yummy looking – Excellent π
They all look different from the usual breads and pastries from other joints. You should try them soon! π
Those croissants look amazing. Perfect with a morning cup of coffee. Thanks for sharing what was inside that box!
Yup, this is also my way of remembering what I received, so that I would know what to buy next time when I get to visit Kumori physically. π
oh yum!! These look absolutely fantastic! Can you get these in teh US?
Oh unfortunately not…yet! π
These are my kind of sweets…they look delicious yet light and healthy!
Japanese breads are typically soft and fluffy, mainly produced with imported ingredients and techniques.
That soft matcha bun looks incredible. Actually, it all looks wonderful. Great images and awesome review. Japanese bakers sure know pastry!
Thanks, Melanie! One day you will be obsessed with the softness of these breads, too. π These pastries range from dessert-oriented to snacks like those buns.
These all look so wonderful and tasty. I’m not sure which one I would eat first. Maybe the bread? =)
Yup, that’s a good way to start. π
As much as I enjoy Japanese food, I’ve never given their breads a second thought. These look and sound amazing!
Japanese breads have a semblance with French style. They’re quite buttery, sweet and airy.
These Japanese Breads and Pastries look delicious! My brother traveled to Japan and loved his time there. I know he would love the Japanese Bread and Pastries from Kumori Japanese Bakery. Thanks for the review!
You can ask him about it or if he did see Kumori Japanese Bakery there. π
Oh wow! Everything looks soo good. You made me drool when you described the Hanjuku Cheese. I hope they’d open soon in Davao!
It’s not impossible for them to put up a branch there since Davao is considered a growing city that’s fast transforming into a really modern and bustling place for tourists and locals. π
omg all these pastries look absolutely delicious!!! I’m a huge bread fan so these omg!!! I really want that crosaint
Just remember to eat it at once or in less than three days. π
Look at all those yummy looking breads. They all look enticing. Amongst all, I find the Salmon Bonito the most interesting. I hope I get to try it someday. π
If you like eating takoyaki, you will find this really good! π
I will be honest, I have not thought much about Japanese pastries or breads. These look quite delicious.
Japanese breads are a rarity here so it’s also not frequent when we get to hear about them.
I don’t think I’ve ever had Japanese pastries before, but these look delicious. I liked when you said:
“Kumori means βcloudyβ in Japanese. However, instead of gray and gloom, Kumori represents all the sunshine and positivity that comes after the rain.”
I just think that is one the sweetest, most optimistic things I’ve read in a while. Such a great name for a bakery. Thanks for sharing!
You’re most welcome. π Follow its Facebook page for more details. Kumori shares new pictures of their pastries on social media.
Hi! You mentioned “big in Japan”. Trying to search original Kumori in Japan but can’t seem to get any link or photo in Google. Can you kindly give me its name in Japan? Thanks.
You can search for Hanjuku Kobo.