Japan Eats: Starbucks Sakura

I've fallen off the blog'o'sphere for a bit.. but its mainly because I've been having such a fantastic time!! Japan is always offering me something to see or eat! I could happily live here forever and never grow tired of the food... or the people... or the atmosphere.. i just love it!

Anyways, moving on... It is no secret that I love Starbucks! On our journey here, we got to stop & visit the birthplace of Starbucks -- Pike's Place. I swear the special Pike's Place coffee i bought there is the most magical coffee ever!! Or maybe its the memories... either way, I'm a Starbucks kinda girl!

So I was super excited upon arriving in Japan to hear about the fun 'limited edition' flavors that come out! My first experience was the Orange Chocolate Mocha... superb!! However, what everyone really raves about is the yearly release of the Sakura line!! Every year, Starbucks joins the celebration of "Hanami", the cherry blossom viewing season, with a new latte/frapp recipe & an amazing line of mugs/tumblers/cards! They also decorate all the 'to-go' cups with sakura blossoms! such a fun touch!

Stock photo: Google

This years flavor was Carmelly Sakura Chocolate! YUMM!!

Both the latte & the frapp feature a drizzling of rich cherry and caramel sauce topped with shavings of subtly cherry-flavored white chocolate.

Doesn't that sound divine??

This had to be the sweetest coffee I had ever had. I like my coffee sweet, but this was so sweet your teeth hurt! The cherry caramel is ridiculously sweet & combined with the richness of the white chocolate, it caused us to wince at the sweetness. I tried both the latte & the frap, but this was not a repurchase for me. I'm sure I'll return next year to try the newest sakura coffee.

So now that I've raved about the coffee.. lets move on to cake!!

"Cake! Everybody loves cake!" ~Donkey

Sakura Chiffon Cake

I wish I had even the slightest clue how to create a cake this soft & decadent!

It was like eating a cloud. 

At first glance, I thought it would be like angel food cake, but it was softer! The subtle sakura notes, the fluffy whipped icing, the pickled cherry blossom on top.... heaven!

I have to rave about this pickled cherry blossom for a moment.

I'm sure it may not sound all that appetizing... I am willing to try anything once, but even I was a little hesitant to eat a flower. Even more so, one that had been pickled.

The verdict? -- some one please find me a jar of these!

Seriously... I could happily snack on these any day of the week. 

Lucky for me, my family didnt really care for the blossom, so our second trip for cake left me with the blossom all to myself!

I chose this beautiful pastel-hued coffee mug from the Sakura 2015 line.

There was a rather large selection of sakura themed mugs, tumblers, & cards, which all sell out within the first week, so I had to make my choice carefully. The line changes every year, so I am excited to see what my collection will look like at the end of our time here.

Have you tried any new Starbucks flavors lately? Fill me in on what's happening with Starbucks stateside!

Seattle Space Needle & Pike's Place Market

On our journey toward Japan, we made a short stop in Seattle to spend time with some friends. 

Brent & Tanya are some of our Florida friends, who now live in Washington... so they drove in with their girls to spend the weekend with us! Tanya & I met through a playgroup in Florida and it was so nice to catch up with them & let our kids hang out. They were kind enough to take us sight seeing in the local area.

Our first stop -- The Seattle Space Needle!!

We were blessed with a brisk, sunny day... a perfect day for a view from the top!

The crowd was pretty small, so we were able to buy tickets & then walk directly to the elevators.

At the top, there is a small cafe which serves Starbucks coffee.. and when in Seattle....

(the coffee actually turned out to be horrible... which will teach me to only buy Starbucks coffee from an actual Starbucks coffee shop.. but you live & learn!)

 

The Seattle Space Needle offers a free app which allows you to interact with these designs on the floor called Space Spots. They can be found on the floors around the top of the tower.

When you use the app, the Space Spots turn into photo prop spots!! They all have different surprises and our kids had a blast running from spot to spot to discover the hidden images & posing for fun photos! Oh who am I kidding.. Tanya & I had fun playing with them too! 

After a trip up the Space Needle.... it was on to Pike's Place Market!!!!

Isn't the view just gorgeous!?!

Pike's Place Market is home to the original Starbucks!

I just took a photo & moved on, as the line was ridiculously long & the store was packed.

 Inside the market we found craft vendors, food vendors, flower vendors, street performers... pretty much anything and everything you could think of!

Directly across the street from this entrance to the market is Starbucks at Pike's & 1st.

Stopping in Starbucks while at Pike's Place Market was an absolute must for me!!

It actually turned out to be a very quick and efficient shop... maybe a 10 minute wait in total. 

My drink of choice was the peppermint mocha.. my favorite!!

This was the best mocha ever!! just enough peppermint.. just enough mocha...

*deep sigh*

....incandescently happy...

Of course, no trip would be complete without a few goodies!

I picked up a fabulous canvas tote, a CD from The Tall Boys (street performers in picture above), and an exclusive mug & coffee roast from Starbucks at Pike's & 1st! The mug features the original mermaid logo & will be a fabulous addition to my collection!

~Ashley~