Shame they don’t cost 10 yen…

Tokyo’s ever-changing culinary landscape is one of the things we love most about living and working in the city, with new food trends always keeping us on our toes…and watching our waistlines.

So when we heard whispers of a new treat causing a stir amongst Tokyo’s trendiest foodies, we decided to put our walking shoes on and walk over there…to the first floor of the Mega Don Quijote store in Shibuya.

This mega-sized branch of Japan’s Don Quijote novelty chainstore was recently in the spotlight when Lady Gaga was seen shopping there earlier this month, but now it’s making news for its 10-yen coins.

These aren’t ordinary 10-yen coins, though, as these particular ones are completely edible, and modelled on the edible 10-won coins known as “Golden 10-Won Bread”, that have become popular in South Korea.

▼ The store in Don Quijote that sells the new treat is called Daiou Cheese Juu-en Pan, which translates to “King Cheese 10-Yen Bread“

Whereas the ones in Korea look like 10-won coins, these new ones in Japan look like 10-yen coins, although you’ll have to shell out 500 yen (US$3.47) to buy one.

Korea’s 10-Won Breads usually sell for around 300 yen, so this Japanese version is slightly more expensive, but those who’ve tried it since it first appeared this month say it’s totally worth it.

▼ Each one is made to order, by pouring a generous amount of batter into a coin-shaped mould and topping it with a big chunk of cheese.

The iron griddles are extremely hot so you don’t have to wait long for the coin to be complete.

▼ Once it’s ready, the coin gets a little trim so it can look good for all the photos you’ll share of it on your socials.

▼ Then it gets a pair of chopsticks shoved inside it for ease of holding.

▼ And there’s your edible 10-yen coin!

It was larger and more impactful than we expected, and when we took it outside to eat it in front of the building, it caught the attention of passersby, who turned their heads to stare enviously at it.

It was a real head-turner, and so beautiful it seemed a shame to rip into it, but the promise of gooey cheese inside helped to persuade us.

The crispy dough crackled delightfully as we tore into it, revealing its thick and cheesy centre. Popping a piece of the coin into our mouth, we could taste the salt of the cheese permeating through the crispy, sweet, chewy dough to create an exquisite and delicious combination of textures and flavours.

It wasn’t a creamy cheese — this was a cheese with a lot of stretch, like a cheesy Korean corn dog. This stretchiness made it fun to eat while also helping to cool the cheese to just the right temperature for the taste buds to reap maximum enjoyment from it.

The edible 10-yen coin is delicious, looks great in photos, and has a great filling, which are three hallmarks of a top food trend. If it were a little cheaper, it would be perfect, but then we’d be eating far more of these than we should, so we’re not complaining.

Shop information
Daiou Cheese Juu-En Pan / 大王チーズ10円パン
Address: Tokyo-to, Shibuya-ku, Udagawacho 28-6, Tokyo MEGA Don Quijote Shibuya main store 1F
東京都渋谷区宇田川町28-6 MEGAドン・キホーテ渋谷本店1F
Open 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

Photos ©SoraNews24
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