When I was a kid, my mother bought me a pudding when I fell asleep with a cold. I thought, "If I have a cold all the time, can I continue to eat pudding?"

When I was thinking about pudding, I was informed that there was a pudding called "happy pudding". "I'm happy"? Isn't it "delicious"? What kind of pudding is that? The only other information I got was that the store is located in Nakameguro and the store name is "Mahakala", and that all the puddings are handmade and use "the best eggs in Japan". I have no choice but to listen to the story directly at the store and try it!


So, I went to Nakameguro. It takes about 7 minutes to walk from the station while the snow flickers. A little along the Meguro River, there was a "Happy Pudding Mahakara" shop.


◆ What is Happy Pudding Mahakara?
When I opened the door, I saw colorful puddings lined up in the showcase with colorful labels. This is the rumored "happy pudding"! It is handmade at the shop every morning using "Japan's best eggs" from Hyogo prefecture. There are three types of pudding that are always on sale: custard flavor, white pudding (milk coffee flavor), and matcha pudding. On this day, in addition to these, I was able to meet a total of 6 types of "happy pudding", "pudding pudding," "cheese pudding," and "chocolate pudding," which change with the seasons.




Inside the store, you can see the glass-enclosed work space.


The walls are painted in egg color and have a caramel-like pattern. You can feel as if you are in a pudding.


And if you look closely at the wall ...


The letters "Mahkara" that mimic the pattern on the wall!


◆ Enjoy "Happy Pudding"!
There are three types of "happy pudding" you will receive this time. Standard "custard flavor", "chocolate pudding" after Valentine's Day, and "cheese pudding".



◆ Happy Pudding "Custard Flavor"
First of all, from the most popular "custard taste".



When you insert a spoon, it goes on without resistance and is very soft. However, the scooped figure is solid and reliable.



When you put it in your mouth, it melts smoothly. I thought the sweetness was modest and light, but gradually the rich egg taste spread in my mouth. The caramel sauce on the bottom is a smooth liquid, and the color is clear amber. The simple yet firm sweetness makes you feel a well-thought-out balance when you bring it to your mouth with pudding. The reason why it doesn't make you feel dull despite being very rich is whether it is the technique that "Japan's best egg" can do, or the recipe of the shop. It has a strong aftertaste, but the sweetness is not persistent, so I immediately bring it to my mouth again. Certainly, this delicious taste makes you feel "happy"! The taste that each bite is directly linked to "happy", and it doesn't stop!

◆ Happy Pudding "Chocolate Pudding"
Next is "chocolate pudding" which I chose because it was Valentine's Day.


Pistachios are displayed on the top.


This is even softer and has a chocolate mousse-like texture. It is not just a "chocolate taste", but a rich cacao taste like chocolate itself. There are things that are similar to raw chocolate, and it should be liked by those who like chocolate. It goes well with sweet and sour strawberry caramel and complements each other. I want to keep it in my mouth forever, but it melts in my mouth more and more ... So I have no time to rest in my right hand holding a spoon.


◆ Happy Pudding "Cheese Pudding"
The last is a rare "cheese pudding".


The color is similar to custard flavor, but occasionally raisins are adorned and lemon peel is observed in the sauce. You can also feel the strong scent of cheese.



Cheese pudding is like a rare cheesecake that has been smoothed to the limit. The mousse has a high density, and the taste is still pudding. This is also quite rich, and the cheese flavor spreads throughout the mouth. The firm sweetness will give you a different taste when you bring it to your mouth with a refreshingly sour lemon caramel. In addition, the lemon peel in caramel is not only bitter but also accentuated in texture. It is a dish that has a well-balanced combination of sweetness, acidity, and cheese taste.

◆ Summary of pudding
Each pudding has a clear flavor, and I never got tired of eating several kinds in a row. Rather than arranging the base pudding into several types, I get the impression that recipes are created that allow you to fully enjoy the taste of each flavor. No matter which one you eat, you will be impressed by the taste and you will be happy with it. I'm sure other flavors will have completely different surprises and excitement.


◆ What is "Happy Pudding"?
Impressive and slightly mysterious name "Happy Pudding". When asked about its origin, Mr. Kanamaru, a staff member, replied as follows. "When you eat something really delicious, you may not be able to speak and you may laugh. At that time, I think people are feeling" happy "beyond" delicious ". I named it with the feeling that it is a pudding that makes me happy on the other side of the world. "Certainly, when I ate something very delicious, I skipped" delicious "and felt happy and grateful. The experience I have lost is familiar to me. A taste that not only brings out "delicious" but also instantly leads to "happy" in the back. I found that "happy pudding" is a delicious pudding that reaches deep inside.

◆ What is the origin of the name "Mahakara"?
The name of the store doesn't seem like a pastry shop. I asked about its origin. According to Mr. Kanamaru, "The etymology comes from" Mahakala, "which means Daikoku-sama in the Sanskrit language of India. Originally, my parents' house was running an okonomiyaki restaurant under the name" Daikoku, "and when I looked it up, Daikoku-sama said," The god of the kitchen. " From there, I named my shop "Mahakala", but since customers often called it "Mahakala" for short, I officially named it "Mahakala". ". You inherited the name of your parents' house. The name that feels India is often mistaken for a curry shop.


◆ How did you come across "the best egg in Japan"?
Mahakara's pudding uses "Japan's best egg", which is produced with particular attention to the food, drinking water, and breeding environment of the parent chicken. The poultry farm of "Japan's Best Eggs" in Hyogo Prefecture is near the parents' house of Mr. Kanamaru's wife. It was decided to use it because it was delicious and locally produced. In addition, the shop also sells "the best eggs in Japan" itself.



◆ History of Mahakala and Pudding "Mahakala" was originally a squid ball-grilled izakaya. I started making pudding when I made a lunch plate for egg dishes, saying, "If you say dessert with eggs, there is only pudding!" It became popular as delicious and started selling from the bay window of the izakaya in the daytime. Eventually, I began to think "I want to make it in a more relaxed environment" and set up a new store with a dedicated kitchen space. Yes, there are actually two "Mahakara". The original shop is right next door and is open as "Ikatamayaki Dojo Mahakara". (In addition, when I made a mistake at the beginning of the interview, the staff carefully guided me.)

When setting up a store specializing in pudding, the staff tasted 120 to 130 types of pudding, and among them, we recreated the pudding that we thought was our favorite. Today, we make 300 to 400 puddings on weekdays, 500 on weekends, and more than 1000 puddings at the shop every morning during the cherry blossom viewing season when the Meguro River is crowded. If you think about it, the pudding in a bottle with a lid is perfect as a souvenir for cherry blossom viewing or as a food walk while watching cherry blossoms. Unfortunately it was raining on the day, so it was folded, but usually benches and chairs are set up around the shop, and many customers eat on the spot.



◆ Conclusion
Pudding that I ate when I was a child and had a cold. Despite my illness, I certainly felt "happy" there. And "happy pudding" that I ate as an adult. The time-consuming and heartfelt and delicious pudding brought a new "joy" to me as an adult. Even in different situations, pudding always brings us "happy" feelings. It was Mahakara's "Happy Pudding Mahakara" who taught me such a thing.