Tokyos first sushi cake specialty store opens in Japan

A unique way to celebrate a special occasion.

The other day, our Japanese-language reporter Mr Sato was walking around the posh neighbourhood of Ginza in Tokyo when he passed by a stylish-looking cake shop. Well, at least that’s what he thought it was at first, because after taking a closer look he realised it seemed to be some sort of sushi shop.

▼ Nobody would look at this and instantly think it was a sushi place, especially with the big “Coffee Takeout OK” banner outside.

Taking an even closer look, Mr Sato discovered why he’d been fooled by the fancy exterior of the store — this wasn’t any old sushi joint, it was Tokyo’s first sushi cake specialty store! The sign in the window looked to be just as excited about it as Mr Sato now was, with words reading “東京初!” (“A Tokyo First!”) and “寿司専門店Cake銀座鬼ヶ島” (“Sushi Cake Specialty Store Ginza Onigashima”).

▼ The name of the store, Ginza Onigashima, translates to “Ginza Island of Demons“.

If there were any demons here, they were certainly playful, as they did a good job of making the store look and feel like a cafe, despite only having sushi cakes on the menu. Even when Mr Sato stepped inside, the display case looked like it was filled with miniature cakes, but they were actually fishy delights instead.

▼ The store also sells a range of full-sized “whole” cakes, which can only be purchased via advance reservation.

The whole cakes reminded Mr Sato of the one his colleague Ahiruneko enjoyed for his birthday last year, but that cake was sold by a fishmonger who specialises in fish rather than sushi cakes. This was Mr Sato’s first time ever coming across a store that only sells sushi cakes, so he had high hopes for the taste when he purchased two items to take home with him.

▼ Even just looking at the box makes you feel as if you’re about to eat cake.

Upon opening the box, Mr Sato’s taste buds switched from craving cake to craving sushi, because up close, there was no denying that these little morsels were filled with fishy ingredients.

▼ The cakes contain a white soy sauce jelly coating on top, so you don’t have to add any soy sauce to them.

▼ Mr Sato had chosen to purchase two cube-shaped cakes, with the first one being the “Momotaro” (594 yen [US$4.14]).

With tuna, salmon, sea bream, and scallops on top, this was the fishiest “cake” Mr Sato had ever eaten. The vinegared sushi rice was well made, providing a nice base for the fresh seafood ingredients, which were all beautifully fresh and sumptuous.

▼ The second cake was the Onigashima (820 yen).

This one contained the extremely luxurious combination of sea urchin, scallops and tuna, and it was absolutely sublime. Both cakes contained kinshi tamago (shredded egg crepe) and cucumber pieces within the vinegared rice base, which added extra texture and freshness to the seafood components.

▼ What’s more, the ingredients are all delivered directly from Toyosu Market, where most of the city’s best restaurants source their products, making these very high-quality.

According to the store, the sushi cakes were first created as a savoury alternative to sweet cakes for those who don’t like sweets. However, after opening, they found their cakes were also popular amongst people with wheat allergies, so demand for their products ended up being much higher than they’d first anticipated.

So if you’re looking to celebrate a special occasion with less sugar or simply wanting to try a cake made of sushi, be sure to check out Ginza Onigashima. And if you’re looking for the perfect accessory to eat them with, these sashimi hair clips should do the trick!

Store Information
Sushi cake specialty store Ginza Onigashima / 寿司ケーキ専門店 銀座鬼ヶ島
Address: Tokyo-to, Chuo-ku, Ginza 1-20-10, Tomato House 1F
東京都中央区銀座1丁目20-10 トマトハウス1階
Hours: 11:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.
Closed during theNew Year’s holiday period
Website

Images: ©SoraNews24
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