Weekend Reading

Soy milk dashi ramen at Mamezen

And here we thought — with temperatures hitting the 40s and all — that the end of winter was finally in sight. But the weather gods don't seem to agree and they plan on hitting the East Coast with yet another round of chilly weather next week. On the bright (albeit cold) side, that means it's still prime hot pot season, which makes my friend Elyse's handy guide to Japanese shabu shabu all the more useful.

Stay warm out there!

"Something appealingly unexceptional can provide a great deal of pleasure." That's Grub Street on Junior's iconic cheesecake. News broke this week that the Brooklyn standby is selling its flagship building to... a condo developer.

Time magazine picks the Kit Kat as the most influential candy bar of all time. Do you agree? (Japan seems to.)

Ever wonder what happens at the end of a restaurant shift? Edible Manhattan pops into Louro after-hours.

If you haven't already, check out the Piglet, Food52's annual cookbook face-off. The latest installment, written by Cherry Bombe EIC Kerry Diamond (she also co-owns Seersucker and Nightingale 9 restaurants), is fun and more importantly, pro-cupcake.

Finally, That Food Cray put together a list of her must-try Kyoto eats. I also loved the soy milk doughnuts at Nishiki Market and the soy milk dashi ramen at Mamezen (above). Sense a theme? Find more Japan photos here.