Have you ever had mini taiyaki, tiny Japanese fish-shaped cakes filled with pure deliciousness? More specifically, have you ever been to Sweet Breams in San Mateo, CA to enjoy made-to-order-from-scratch mini taiyaki hot off the griddle? No?!? OMG YOU ARE MISSING OUT ON ONE OF THE MOST DELICIOUS THINGS EVER. But not to worry; if you’re going to FanimeCon 2012 (IN 7 DAYS, PEOPLE!), Sweet Breams will be bringing the mini taiyaki to you!
I met Tara, the founder and owner of Sweet Breams, back when I worked at EA. I had no idea at the time she would soon be taking off to start her own business, but we bonded over a shared love of anime when she saw me turn in some sketches of Spike from Cowboy Bebop for a campus art show. Then one day I come to work and… poof, she’d left! I later learned of this new Japanese dessert shop called Sweet Breams opening in San Mateo. Imagine my surprise when I went to check it out and saw Tara behind the counter!
Sweet Breams had been her dream. She’d spent a year after leaving EA gathering funds, getting a space, and going to Japan to buy all the necessary equipment (the griddle used to make the cakes is custom-made straight from Japan!). Sweet Breams has continued to grow since Tara first opened the doors in 2008; the shop now features an art gallery with art by local artists and stocks super-cute apparel, toys, and plush that are constantly changing. And the menu has expanded to include specialty items such as taiyaki sundaes – an order of mini taiyaki over soft serve ice cream. YUM.
Almost too cute to eat... but only almost!
What Tara’s created is nothing short of awesome, and now all you FanimeCon goers will have an opportunity to experience the awesomeness that is Sweet Breams, too! Tara will be making her delicious mini taiyaki on site from noon-6pm Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of the con in the food hall by Stage Zero in the convention center. So be sure to stop by and order a school of these teeny-tiny and scrumptious fish-shaped morsels (psst, try the Nutella!). I know I’ll be buying a few schools for the Hideo cast and crew, but it’s supposed to be a surprise, so… let’s just keep that last bit between you and me. 😉
P.S. Here’s my sketch of Spike, in case you were curious:
I <3 Spike!
