Hip Castella Cake Brand Quolofune From Tokyo Opens Pop-Up Shop In Singapore

Chancing upon Japanese castella cake brand Quolofune at Takashimaya was like bumping into a glamorous, somewhat familiar old friend. There the pop-up shop sat, between two nondescript snack stands, largely ignored by scurrying shoppers. Back when travelling to Japan was the norm before the pandemic, we used to cart these bakes home on the regular. Unlike the majority of Japan’s more famous old-school castella bakeries, Quolofune styles itself as a contemporary cake brand. It was originally established in 2003 in Osaka, and is owned by confectionary brand Nagasakido, founded in 1919 in Nagasaki. However, Quolofune's flagship store is now located in Tokyo, along with several other branches.

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Simple set-up in Takashimaya

While the shops and café in Quolofune’s Tokyo outlets are sleek black-and-white affairs, the pop-up store in Singapore is simpler, though it adheres to the same minimalist chic colour scheme.

What’s sold in Singapore not signature castella cake offered in Japan

However, once we unwrapped our loot at home, we instantly noticed the difference in crumb, colour and texture between this loaf and the lighter, fluffier signature castella sold in Japan (above pic). While the latter is like a cross between a chiffon cake and a Japanese-style castella as it contains milk and cream, this version (below pic) is akin to the denser, sweeter traditional kasutera. Indeed, Hiroko Negishi, a spokesperson for Quolofune’s local importer, shares: “The castella cake from the Quolofune store in Japan are fresh sweets made with milk and cream and have a very short expiration date, making them difficult to sell overseas. The castella sold at the Singapore store is a product for overseas consumption, it’s baked without milk and cream and has a slightly longer expiry date. The taste and texture are different, but both items can be offered with confidence as Quolofune brand products”.

Original Castella Cake, $28 for eight slices

This baked-in-Japan loaf with a deeply brown caramelised crust contains only four ingredients: egg, sugar, flour and Japanese starch syrup (mizuame, made from malt and rice). Unlike the light, feathery quality of the signature cake sold in Japan, this one is soft but has a tighter crumb. It’s also slightly bouncier, with a faintly gooey, melt-in-the-mouth finish. But while the chiffon-esque version sold in Japan is only gently sweetened, this version has a pronounced sweetness, just like a traditional kasutera (which relies only on sugar — not oil or butter — and a painstaking baking method for moisture). Pleasant, but we miss the creamier, airier version sold in Japan.

Also comes in matcha and brown sugar flavours

If you find the original eggy flavour too plain, there’re also Matcha and Muscovado Sugar Castella Cakes ($32 each) on offer here. We bought the green tea one and found its fresh, roasty flavour good, but its texture a little dryer than the original version’s. 

Dorayaki and cookies on sale too

Rounding up the range here are a few other confections like cookies and a smooth but slightly too sweet Hokkaido Tokachi Bean Paste Dorayaki ($3.80 each; also comes in matcha and muscovado sugar variants).

Permanent store in S’pore a possibility

What happens after Quolofune’s temporary stint at Takashimaya? Will there be another pop-up elsewhere, or even a permanent shop? Hiroko says: “Both options will be considered after we see the results of this pop-up store”. 

The details

Quolofune’s pop-up store runs till Aug 31 at Takashimaya’s food basement (B2), while stocks last.

Photos: Florence Fong/8 Days

All photos cannot be reproduced without permission from 8days.sg