Sakurado

"Sakurado is a Japanese patisserie spot on Shaftesbury Avenue that’s perfect for anyone who’s partial to window shopping of the sugared choux variety. It’s got that Noughties boutique look about it with a couple of black chandeliers, faux marble tables, and a counter of mille crêpe cakes so stylish that you could feasibly wear them to fashion week. But in the midst of matcha cheesecakes, slabs of fluffy milk bread, and a flaky pistachio croissant swirl that we’d like to nominate as our new alarm clock, is London’s most memorable mochi. These palm-sized beautiful blobs are handmade daily and everything from the glutinous shell to the creative, cream-rich fillings have convinced us that our Little Moons addiction was simply nibble training for these elite chewers. We like the fresh zesty mango one best, but whoever decided to cover tiramisu in their perfect rice pastry deserves a raise. Stop by whenever your day is crying out for a matcha reprieve or make use of their late-night closing time to grab a box of London’s best mochi after dinner nearby. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch video credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch" - Heidi Lauth Beasley