Pudding d'or @ Isetan Shinjuku ......... Best pudding from all around Japan

Ever since I watched a Japanese Comedy Serial, "My Boss My Hero", I became skeptical about Japanese's fervour for pudding. In the show, when the bell rings for the recess break, the whole school will rush to the school canteen for the limited bottles of pudding. (Click here to watch this Pudding Mad Rush scene) The scene of Nagase Tomoya, the Hero, finally getting a bottle of pudding and savouring every last bit in an open field really makes me wonder if the pudding in Japan is really that good. The show's exaggerated and over-zealous antics that the students deployed to try and get at these bottles of dairy base desert provides a comical representation of Japan's love for pudding.  

My recent trip to Japan allows me to understand that the Japanese spirit and fervour over pudding (as portrayed in the show mentioned above) are very real! After I put the first mouthful of Japanese pudding into my mouth, I really felt that I have arrived at the gates of seventh heaven (the feeling that Nagase Tomoya was experiencing) ............. This stuff is heavenly. Well, I may be influenced by the show and clouded by my love for dairy based food. If you're in Japan give it a try but please be aware that the ones sold in convenient stores and the ones retailed by Pudding d'or is a world of difference.

Pudding d'or consolidates the best pudding from different desert shops all around Japan of which many seems to come from Hokkaido. If you're in Hokkaido, there should be many to choose from in that region. 

Pudding d'or can be found at the food section of the Shinjuku Isetan department store.

After spending the day time touring Tokyo, I'll spend the last few hours at the food section before the store closes at 8pm. It's good to go early if not the Japanese love for pudding will empty the store and leave nothing for you. 

The following are the best that I've tried and would recommend. They are in order of my preference.

Sweets Kitagawa - 

Origin : Hokkaido 北海道

Taste : Soft, sweetened and has a layer of cream at the top of the pudding. I like this because it doesn't come with caramel sauce that most brands include.

Cost : 420 yen

ひよこのお昼ねプリン - 

Origin : Hokkaido 北海道

Taste : Soft, sweetened and has a layer of cream at the top of the pudding.

Cost : 315 yen

おたる発牛乳プリン -  

Origin : Hokkaido 北海道

Taste : Soft texture, sweetened and has a layer of caramel sauce at the bottom of the pudding.

Cost : 351 yen

蔵王プリン -

Origin : Miyagi 宫城

Taste : Thicker texture, sweetened. It has a layer of caramel sauce at the bottom of the pudding and cream on top.

Cost : 389 yen

みやざき純〜白いカスタードプリン〜 - 

Origin : Miyazaki 宫崎

Taste : Very Soft, very mildly sweetened and has a layer of caramel sauce at the bottom of the pudding.

Cost : 630 yen

Zin Zin Gaspard - 

Origin : Kyoto 京都

Taste : Soft, sweetened coupled with a unique bitterness. The bitterness is too unique for me but this is popular. This is an acquired taste. I recommend this only for the bitter unqueness of this pudding.

Cost : 351 yen

Address : Tokyo, Shinjuku, Shinjuku San-chome, Isetan Department Store Basement 1 (Quite near to the Shinjuku JR station)

Country : Japan

Website: http://www.pudding-d-or.com/