Melonpan enhanced with chocolate chips

Choco Chip Melonpan

Brand: Pasco

Price: 150 yen

Place of purchase: Namco branded vending machine

Rating:

To get me through afternoons when I'm running out of energy, I have a cup of tea and a snack. This time, I didn't want to trek to the nearest conbini, so I resorted to the contents of a Namco vending machine. The cheapest, most appealing option was Pasco's Choko chippu meronpan. The package touts the cacao volume at 70%. The crinkly surface of the melon pan gives way to soft bread sprinkled with the chocolate chips. It hits all the notes - crisp on top, soft inside, sweet and bitter with the addtion of the chocolate.

For the price, about 150 yen, this is a pretty good vending machine confection. Unlike other pastries and sweets, the Choco Chip Melonpan retains its texture over time in the machine. I was baffled by melonpan the first time I experienced it. The name is indicative of the texture of the surface but has nothing to do with the contents. But the first bite of one hooked me as it's got a crispy outside and a soft outside. This one has bittersweet chocolate which offsets the sweetness of the pastry. I enjoyed it with a cup of Ujicha. It's simply a variation on melonpan. Despite time in the vending machine, it retains its texture.