Where to find Daifuku (Japanese rice cake treat)?

[j_do]

i've had this great japanese treat at Isakaya sushi on Parc/Milton. it's not on the menu but sometimes they have it (not always). it was the fresh straberry variety (ichigo daifuku). are there any japanese bakeries (doubtful as the japanese population in montreal is so low) or any place that makes these? i'm not a huge fan of the purely bean filled ones, or the chinese coconut ones. prefer the ones with fresh fruit inside. thanks!

here's a link for those that are not familiar:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daifuku

[bopuc]

hrm, correct me if I am wrong gang but almost every asian shop in town has daifuku, even the chinese markets in chinatown. I've seen them packs in the freezers and sold individually usually near the checkout counter.

(ok maybe not *every* one, but they are not hard to find...)

[moh]

It is easy to find mochi and daifuku, but the one with the fresh fruit inside, it is a rarity. I love regular mochi, but the strawberry really puts this one over the top. Also, as documented above, it can be hard to find good quality ice-cream filled mochi. Some of the brands are just terrible.

[j_do]

that reminds me i have to go back there.. any maybe inquire about having some made for a party or something. must be over a year since i've had a ichigo daifuku. glad you enjoyed it!

[moh]

I loved it j_do! Thanks for the initial post!

[Yummylicious]

The best brand of daifuku is Lotte.
They come in "individual" sized packages that comes in 2, which is just about enough for 1 person. hehe It even includes a plastic two-teethed fork. 1 package -- ~2$
My all time favorite is the Vanilla or Ume (taro) flavour.
I even purchased the mini ones that are individual packaged at Kim Phat - 30 for 4.99$

[hungryann]

Isn't ume a type of plum?

[devilishlyj]

I think some consider it an apricot, while others a plum.

[AndreClo]

Ume is marinated japanese plum, not apricot.

[moh]

Thanks for the head's up about the daifuku at Isakaya. It was delicious! I loved the fresh strawberry, it was a really nice touch. I also had a nice grilled black cod for dinner. Very tasty.

[AndreClo]

I believe you can find daifukus and mochi at Hawaii supermarket, in Ville-St-Laurent - http://www.chow.com/places/8192

[emerilcantcook]

I've seen some at the Korean + Japanese grocery store at St Catherine and Chomeday, but not sure if they were filled with fresh fruit. Checked a few ones, it looked like they have bean paste inside.

[SnackHappy]

I don't think those are the ones the OP is looking for. They are all filled with red bean paste. I've seen the red bean daifuku mochi in every korean/japanese grocery in town and in a few chinese ones as well. There is also ice cream mochi, but I've never seen daifuku mochi filled with fresh fruit.

[j_do]

hi snackhappy,

could you tell me where i could get the ice cream mochi? what are some good korean/japanese groceries in town?

thanks

[SnackHappy]

I know for sure that you can find ice cream mochi at Uni at the corner of St-Laurent and La Gauchetière. They have other mochi treats as well.

As for Japanese/Korean places, here's a list from another thread:

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/45438...

[moh]

Warning about the ice cream mochi, I bought some for New Year's Eve, and they were inedible. Mochi was mushy and unpleasant and the ice cream tasted fake. I unfortunately can't remember the brand but I bought it at Marche Hawaii. Buyer beware! I was so traumatized, I don't know if I can bring myself to buy them again (but I will. I had some great ones in NYC that will keep me searching.)

[Plateaumaman]

I have bought the strawberry ones at Sushi Volant whenever they show up .. it might be seasonal there in which case, this should be the season!

[Maximilien]

Maybe at Myamoto (on Victoria in Westmount) ? It's not a bakery, but they could help you find one that make them.

[fedelst1]

Miyamoto has the frozen Ice Cream variety, which unlike the variety at Marche Hawaii, look and taste fresh. The folks at Miyamoto treat their food with the respect it deserves.

Since Miyamoto had opened many years ago, I have never seen Ichigo Daifuku. They do sell the mochi flour and bean paste if you feel courageous enough to try it yourself.

If you have ever tried the Ichgo Daifuku at Isakaya what really strikes you is the intensity of flavour of the strawberry. I was always amazed by the quality of their berries, especially during seasons when good berries are hard to come by.