Although understanding of food diversity is gradually spreading, gluten-free snacks are still in the minority in this world. Since they are not available everywhere, some people may have trouble finding them when they have sudden visitors or when entertaining guests. To solve this problem, we would like to introduce “CHaT,” a vegan and gluten-free confectionery store that can be purchased at a department store! We will bring you a report on the atmosphere of the store and its product lineup, along with a food report by the author.
Sweets that everyone can enjoy – the thought that went into CHaT
The word “CHaT” (chat) in the restaurant’s name means “conversation” in English, “cat” in Italian, and “lick” in Hindi.
※From TREASURE IN STOMACH Inc. press release
The owner, Airisa Shibata, who herself is allergic to wheat, started a store based in Sapporo Maruyama in 2018 to develop and sell vegan and gluten-free sweets in order to make more people aware of the diversity of food.
Under the philosophy of “one table for everyone,” she creates daily sweets that everyone can enjoy eating, respecting not only allergies but also various ideas about food.
The Sapporo Mitsukoshi store, which opened in October 2022, became the talk of the town in local newspapers and on TV, much to the delight of us gluten-free lovers, but also to the delight of those who had never even heard of such a term.
Despite being wheat-free, dairy-free, egg-free, and sugar-free, CHaT’s pastries look nothing like the cakes you would find in a regular pastry shop.
This is due to the fact that Mr. Shibata, who originally came from a science background, has firmly established recipes that replace wheat, eggs, and milk based on scientific evidence.
Vegan and gluten-free cakes and baked goods at CHaT Mitsukoshi
Mitsukoshi near the escalators.
In addition to fresh cakes and puddings in the showcase, a variety of large scones are also popular.
On the day of the photo shoot, rice-flour bread, which is sold only on the first and third Wednesdays of the month, was also available. (The type of bread varies depending on the day of sale. Bagels on this day)
Vegan and Gluten Free Fresh Cake & Baked Goods Repo
These are the sweets purchased by the author this time. *The fresh cakes are from the Mitsukoshi store and the baked sweets are from the Maruyama store.
First is the Raspberry Butter Cake (¥648)!
The butter is, of course, dairy-free vegan butter. French raspberry puree is kneaded into the butter.
The moist and thick sponge dough with almond powder has a taste reminiscent of the joconde (dough with almonds and eggs) of French pastries. The sweet and sour raspberry cream is a perfect match.
As I have said many times, it is so delicious that you may forget that it is wheat-, milk-, and egg-free.
Next is the Pumpkin Cake (638 yen).
This cake has a moist tart base and is filled with pumpkin filling. It has a taste that I like with a decent amount of cinnamon!
When you put it in your mouth with the vegan cream, you can also enjoy the soft milky flavor, which makes me very happy.
Next are the baked goods I bought at the Maruyama store.
Left: “Cherry Carob Cake” (519 yen), Right: “Fruit Rusk” (454 yen)
First, cherry carob cake. Carob is a locust bean, and the chocolate-like confectionery ingredient made from this bean is called carob chip. Unlike cacao, carob chips do not contain caffeine, making them a popular health food.
The aromatic cherries that are moistly blended into the almond dough have a mature taste. The slight hint of saltiness in the dough gives the taste a sense of depth. Combined with the flavor of the carob chips, you can enjoy a variety of tastes in a single bite.
The fruit rusk is a thinly sliced, crispy piece of liquor-infused fruitcake.
I really liked this flavor!
According to the ingredients label, the liquors used are amaretto and rum. Despite the fact that it was baked so well, the flavor was still there, and every bite brought a sweet aroma to the mouth.
Oh, this is an addictive taste.
Despite their rustic appearance, both of these baked goods are exquisitely thought out on the inside.
I became a fan not because they are vegan or gluten-free, but simply because they are delicious baked goods.
Gluten-free rice flour bread sold on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month
Luckily, the day of the photo shoot was a day when rice-flour bread was on sale (only at the Mitsukoshi store, and only on the first and third Wednesdays of the month). ), so I bought a plain bagel and a cocoa bagel (540 yen each).
As recommended by the store, I wrapped them in aluminum foil and baked them for about 5 minutes before making a sandwich.
The bagels are made from 100% “Yukihikari” rice flour, which is said to have low allergen content, and are crispy on the surface and chewy on the inside, making them easy to eat.
Original rice-flour bread kits are also available, so it will be fun to recreate CHaT’s bread at home!
CHaT Maruyama Main Store
This is the Maruyama Main Store.
It is about a 15-minute walk from Maruyama Koen Subway Station.
The basic lineup of baked and fresh confections is said to be the same as at the Mitsukoshi store, but naturally there were more sweets on display at the Mitsukoshi store in terms of the number of items sold.
However, it is said that at the main store, you may be able to find sweets that are sold prior to those at Mitsukoshi.
It might be a good idea to drop by for a visit when strolling around Maruyama.
There is also an extensive retail corner with organic herbal teas and other food items recommended by the store.
The extraordinary space was like something out of a picture book, and the atmosphere was different from that of a department store, giving us the feeling that time was passing slowly.
CHaT Store Information
Lastly, as a side note, Ms. Shibata, the owner of CHaT, has appeared on NHK Hokkaido’s cooking corner and holds cooking and confectionery classes on an irregular basis, and is active in many other fields.
I have participated in one of her confectionery classes.
Please take a look at the report of the class if you are interested.
Please note that the information presented here is current as of November 2023.
For inquiries about hours of operation or products, please check our official SNS at any time.
| store name | CHaT VEGAN & GLUTEN FREE |
| Address | Maruyama Main store: 4-26, Minami 6-jo Nishi 23-chome, Chuo-ku, Sapporo Mitsukoshi Store: Mitsukoshi B2, 3-8 Minami 1-jo Nishi, Chuo-ku, Sapporo |
| Access to | ・Main store: 13-minute walk from Maruyama Koen Subway Station, 12-minute walk from Nishi-Line 6-jo Station (tram) Open map ・Mitsukoshi Store: Direct underground connection from Odori Subway Station, less than 1 minute walk |
| phone call | (Mitsukoshi store only) 011-271-3311 |
| Business Hours | Maruyama Main store：11:00-17:00 Mitsukoshi store：10:00-19:30 *Same as Mitsukoshi |
| regular closing day | Maruyama Main store: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday Mitsukoshi Store: Same as Mitsukoshi |
| parking lot | Maruyama Main store: 1 unit in front of the store Mitsukoshi: see here |
| cashless payment | Maruyama Main store: Cash only Mitsukoshi store: Various credit cards and QR code payment accepted |
| Number of seats | Take-out only at both stores |
| Official website | https://chatsweets.jp/ |
| Official SNS | Instagram https://www.instagram.com/arisa_hokkaido/ https://www.facebook.com/arisa.ogasa note https://note.com/arisa_okashi/ YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@user-fp3rl3lw5i/featured |
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