Tayyaki

Taiyaki is a cafe with a soul, where everyone feels at home, where the Japanese philosophy of combining beauty, care, and seasonality is reflected in every dish, drink, and element of the interior.

Taiyaki is a story about how a small passion and a sincere desire to bring Japan closer to St. Petersburg grew into a full-fledged gastronomic project. It all started ten years ago with a small cafe on Brin'ko, which was only 14 square meters, with a few chairs and the spirit of a Japanese dream. It was there that the life of Taiyaki began – small fish-shaped pastries with fillings, designed to convey the atmosphere of a Japanese home, the warmth of home, and care for the guest. For the founder of the network, Anastasia Berezhenets, Japan is about attention to detail, a sense of seasonality, aesthetics, and nature, which are present even in the hustle and bustle of the city. And Taiyaki was born from this feeling: not as a concept designed to appeal to the market, but as a desire to share a personal passion.

The first steps of the project were not easy. The cafe on Marata struggled – it was operating at a loss for several months, until Anastasia brought in experience from real home cooking from Japan: oyakodon, okonomiyaki, butadon. Together with Timur Zhigunov, who started baking the pastries from the very beginning and fell in love with Japanese cuisine, the menu began to grow and take shape. It was important that it wasn't about sushi rolls, which, in fact, don't really exist in Japan, but about the dishes that Japanese people eat every day. The entire menu was gradually formed, with trial and error, experiments with seasonality and flavors, and it has been evolving for ten years.

The project experimented with different formats: a food truck at the Sytninsky market, participation in Japanese festivals, its own Taiyaki show with a visible oven and a master creating pastries right in front of the guests. The 2020 pandemic was a challenge and an opportunity – delivery was launched in three days, and along with orders, there were Japanese gifts, which allowed the project not only to survive but also to increase revenue. Later, the network expanded to Chelyabinsk, and then a new cafe opened on Vasilyevsky Island, each time preserving the philosophy of a cozy Japanese home.

Each cafe in the network has its own unique energy and symbol: Brin'ko – sakura, a symbol of dreams and the beginning of the network; Marata – hydrangea, a symbol of sincerity and patience; Vasilyevsky Island – wisteria, embodying femininity and refinement; Kominarny Prospekt – peach, a symbol of youth, rebirth, and protection; Chelyabinsk – a four-leaf clover, a harbinger of luck and prosperity. These symbols are not just decorative – they reflect the character of each project, create an atmosphere, and help guests immerse themselves in the Japanese world through colors, flora, and philosophy.

The Taiyaki kitchen offers carefully crafted dishes, brought from Japan or created based on Japanese traditions. The hits of the network include tempura udon (750 rubles) with shrimp and shiitake mushrooms, matcha tiramisu (590 rubles) with a perfect texture, dango (380 rubles) – rice flour balls with various toppings, and, of course, the Taiyaki themselves (240 rubles) with a crispy crust and a generous filling. The recipes were developed together with Japanese masters, tested, and adapted for St. Petersburg, preserving their authenticity. All dishes are created with the philosophy of home-style Japanese cuisine – light, pleasant, without excessive pretension – simply delicious and honest.

The bar and drinks are based on the principle of "go, try, bring," drawing on Japanese tea culture and the concept of omotenashi – the art of warm, hospitable hospitality. The Dream Drinks line, a collection of signature drinks, has become a story in itself: from "Autumn Leaves Dream" (370 rubles) with hoji and pumpkin to "Grandma's Glühwein" (370 rubles) with wakotya and homemade sauce, from "Peach Osmanthus" (390 rubles) to "Clear Stream" (420 rubles) with the citrus freshness of yuzu and rosemary. All the drinks are united by a vanilla ice cream foam – a silky texture that gently blends the flavors and creates a feeling of comfort and care, like in a Japanese home. To create the drinks, the network collaborates with masters who bring harvests from the most famous tea prefectures in Japan, which allows them to maintain the principle of Kodawari – an obsession with impeccable quality.

The interiors of Taiyaki also create the atmosphere of Japan. There are many Japanese items, decorations, and tableware, each lamp is carefully designed, and in some places, traditional kumiko techniques, Japanese patterns, and even Japanese toilets are used – all to make the guest feel like they are in another world. Each cafe is unique: Marata preserves the history and coziness, Vasilyevsky Island – the spirit of youthful rebellion and anime, Kominarny Prospekt – a bright and family-friendly space, Brin'ko – an authentic miniature to-go format, and Chelyabinsk – a corner of Japan with large windows and a red brick facade.

A feature of the network is its original promotions and quests, often anime-themed, designed to evoke emotion, laughter, and enjoyment in the guests. Taiyaki participates in corporate events, children's parties, and master classes – from learning how to make Taiyaki and onigiri to conducting lessons in various Japanese arts and lectures on Japanese culture. This is a way to share cultural experiences, create interactive worlds, and involve people in an atmosphere where every detail is thought out, where attention to the guest is the main value.

Taiyaki is a cafe with a soul, where everyone feels at home, where the Japanese philosophy of combining beauty, care, and seasonality is reflected in every dish, drink, and element of the interior. It is St. Petersburg through the eyes of Japan, from a dream on Brin'ko to a modern cafe on Kominarny Prospekt, where everything is designed to bring joy, comfort, and a moment of real Japanese life.