TokyoTreat Reviews Demon Slayer Taiyaki!

What are two things that go so well together, you can’t have one without the other? Butter and Bread? Popcorn and Movies? For the team of the monthly Japanese soda and snack box TokyoTreat, it's gotta be anime and snacks! 

Nothing is more fun than snacking out and watching your favorite anime! But what if we were to combine the two… snacking with your favourite anime characters in mind! Today the TokyoTreat team did this with one of the most popular anime – Demon Slayer! We’re snacking out on the limited edition Demon Slayer Taiyaki!

What is Taiyaki?

First things first – what’s a Taiyaki? A taiyaki popular Japanese street food cake that is typically shaped like a fish. It takes the shape of the mold that the yummy pancake or waffle batter used as a base is cooked in. Typically there is a filling of custard or sweet red bean paste. 

The fish it represents – tai (or sea bream) is thought to be a symbol of good luck in Japanese culture, giving extra meaning to the cute Japanese sweet.

To make one of these tasty fish shaped treats, simply place the pancake or waffle batter that you’re using in a shaped taiyaki pan, add in the filling and cook on both sides until it is golden brown and crispy. 

So what about Demon Slayer Kimetsu no Yaiba Taiyaki?

From July 24th to September 12th 2021, you could score one of these tasty Demon Slayer Taiyaki at one of the many Sega Taiyaki stores in Japan! 

Typical taiyaki are commonly enjoyed at Japanese summer festivals or in more casual environments, and you can usually find a stall somewhere in the festival grounds. But for these special Taiyaki, you can only find them at Sega Taiyaki stores that are placed all around Japan.   

Sega Taiyaki are found in their arcades, offering snacks when you need to refresh after some intense gaming. We headed to their Akihabara store to get our snack on. 

Wanna visit yourself? You can find out how to access it here!

Once there we were greeted by not only the delicious, sweet aroma of taiyaki batter gently cooking away, but also with the super cute sign letting us know about the awesome Demon Slayer Taiyaki designs that represent the main characters' faces.

 You can pick from Tanjiro, his sister Nezuko, Zenitsu or Inosuke. All have a delicious custard filling and the flip side features one of the characters making a silly face

The stall is filled with so many delicious options featuring cute motifs – from Sega signs to other characters. The staff were friendly and watching them make the Japanese snacks was a real treat for the eyes!

We just had to try them all right then and there! So we tried all 4 of the characters!

Even though they’re baked, they are still surprisingly recognisable and their detail is amazing. Despite this, we still can’t resist giving them a try. We gave each one a bite and indulged in their soft batter outer shell and creamy custard center. 

The batter is very thick, and it’s not as easy to reach the filling as you might initially believe. They have a distinctly spongy and waffle-like texture to them, which definitely adds an added volume and density to the snacks. Once you reach the creamy center, the sweetness and moisture adds a new texture and a new level to how addictive they were!

Each Taiyaki cost ¥500, which you might think is more expensive than your typical Taiyaki (and you’d be correct). But for a limited edition treat such as this, we think it's okay to splurge a little. 

Our Verdict

Although they were only available for a short time and are just a distant memory now, they were truly an unmissable treat, especially for Demon Slayer fans. But the good news is that there is a never ending rotating selection of character taiyaki. From Sonic the Hedgehog to Love Live!, you always need to make sure to check in with the store to see what is coming.

However, we have another option for those who are looking for some snacks that are perfect for an evening of anime watching. For all your seasonal and limited edition treats, make sure to check out TokyoTreat! Enjoy plenty of delicious snacks from huge brands like Japanese KitKat, Fanta, Pocky and so much more. 

Take a look at the awesome Japanese snacks, sweets and soda that are coming to TokyoTreat this month!