Yesterday, I stopped into Japonaise Bakery here in Brookline on my way to work for a bite to eat. I wasn't counting on family meal at work being a terribly rewarding experience. I knew the guys in the kitchen would be very busy putting out lunches and getting their mise en place ready for dinner service, it being Valentine's Day and all. It's one of the busiest days of the year for us and requires a lot of work from every hand available in the back and front of the house to prepare for the plethora of guests, so there isn't much time to think about making a feast fit for a king to be served up between services and to be eaten only by employees.
I left my apartment with a good deal of excitement thinking about stopping at Japonaise. I have been there many times and I knew that I would be able to get a quick and cheap meal that would satisfy my appetite and give me plenty of fuel for the busy night ahead. They have terrific sandwiches, pastries, and cakes. I usually get a loaf of their shoku pan, a traditional Japanese yeast bread enriched with heavy cream to take home. It's as delicious as it sounds and it has a really nice texture that makes me think of the "snap" of al dente pasta or a natural sausage casing.
