Latest news with #Mariko
SoraNews24
2 hours ago
- Business
- SoraNews24
7-Eleven Japan powers up even more with new baked-in-store breads and pastries【Taste test】
From fresh-baked melon bread to sausage sandwiches, there are now more reasons than ever to love 7-Eleven in Japan. In every convenience store in Japan, you'll find a bread aisle, stocked with individually wrapped sweet and savory baked goods trucked in from a central kitchen to each of the chain's branches. That goes for 7-Eleven too, of course, but at some 7-Eleven locations you can also get various kinds of breads and pastries that they bake right there in the store. Craving both bread and convenience, our Japanese-language reporter Mariko Ohanabatake made the way to 7-Eleven to try out as much of the 7 Cafe Bakery lineup (as the baked-in-store breads are called) as she could, and in the showcase near the register she found six different taste test subjects. ● Fluffy Melon Bread (160 yen [US$1.10]) ● Chocolate Cookie (200 yen) ● Chocolate Croissant (210 yen) ● Crisp Croissant (190 yen) ● Sausage French Bread (250 yen) ● Buttery Financier (150 yen) To Mariko's pleasant surprise, the clerk didn't just scoop her bread out of the case and into a shopping bag. Instead, each piece got one last individual stint in the 7-Eleven oven, with customized settings for each, to ensure it was finished to perfection before being given to the customer. This filled the convenience store with he enticing aroma of warm butter and chocolate, and that same scent greeted Mariko when she got back to the office and took the baked goods out of their bag to plate them, Logically, Mariko chose to start her tasting with the Chocolate Cookie. Honestly, she wasn't all that impressed with how it looked, thinking it had a sort of 'made by middle schoolers during home ec class' kind of visual vibe to it. The name, 'Chocolate Cookie,' is also a little unusual, since the dough itself isn't chocolate, and this is what we'd ordinarily call a chocolate chip cookie. But Mariko would quickly eat her words, and her cookie. In contrast to its lackluster appearance, it tastes incredible. The dough is nice and sweet, and the pieces of chocolate inside are big enough that more so than chocolate chips, chocolate chunks is the proper description, Mariko feels. Between the chunks' size and semi-melted state, chocolate was seeping throughout the inside of the cookie, making Mariko very happy. ▼ It's also a really big cookie by Japanese standards. Continuing with our policy of eating desserts first, it was now time for the Buttery Financier. This was another hit, reminding Mariko of the sort of fancy treats that people will line up for from famous shops in luxury department food sections. It was a little lighter on the almond notes than such premium-priced varieties, but with 7-Eleven being upfront about its butteriness this wasn't surprising or disappointing, and for its price of just 150 yen, this is one of the best financiers around. The texture in particular is just about perfect, fluffy and chewy on the inside with just a hint of crispness outside. Speaking of exquisitely contrasting textures, those are part of the deal for the Fluffy Melon Bread too: pillowy soft at its center, but with a satisfying touch of crunch to its cookie crust. The Crisp Croissant lives up to its name, and has a slight sweetness mixed in with its butter-forward flavor profile… …and since adding chocolate is pretty much always a good idea, we've got no real complaints about the Chocolate Croissant either. And last, the Sausage French Bread, with its crusty baguette-like bread would make a great lunch component, and also gives you a way to plausibly deny that you're just stocking up on pastries when you hit up 7-Eleven. With the 7 Cafe Bakery system still being pretty new, not every 7-Eleven branch us baking its own bread in-store, and not all of them that are have the same selection of items. For now, the 7-Eleven Japan website allows you to search by prefecture for locations offering 7 Cafe Bakery items here, and with how tasty they are, we wouldn't be surprised to see that list grow very quickly. Photos ©SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! [ Read in Japanese ]
SoraNews24
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- SoraNews24
Japan Super Budget Dining – What's the best way to spend 1,000 yen at Saizeriya?
Eleven locals showcase their idea of the most satisfying meal at one of Japan's cheapest restaurants. If your stomach has decided to imitate a tiger, demanding to be satiated with food, but things are looking a little tight at the moment, there's one option in Japan that will leave you feeling completely satisfied upon exiting: Saizeriya. With its incredibly low prices, it's a perfect place to have a meal without breaking the bank. Our Japanese-language team has tackled many of Japan's popular chains in search of getting the best bang for your buck, with only a budget of 1,000 yen (US$6.95). Despite having two previous attempts, both first and second, at Saizeriya in 2023, the team have once again turned their eyes back on the Italian family restaurant chain to see what new and delicious combinations they can come up with after several updates to the menu. A total of eleven of our reporters descended upon the chain individually to take part in this challenge, and they only had one goal: have the most satisfying meal without going over 1,000 yen. ▼ Mariko Ohanabatake's 'Three-Course Meal with a Dash of Rock Salt' Grilled Chicken with Vegetable Sauce: 500 yen Focaccia: 150 yen Coffee Jelly with Milk Gelato: 350 yen Rock Salt: 0 yen Total: 1,000 yen Mariko's goal was to create a complete meal from three dishes, centered around the focaccia. As soon as everything gets delivered to the table, the first step is cutting the focaccia in half. While the iron plate is still sizzling, savor the Grilled Chicken with Vegetable Sauce, but be sure to leave a little bit of the corn. Gather up some of the sauce, along with the meat juices on the plate and remaining corn, and load it onto the focaccia, creating a delicious corn bread. Of course, you could just as easily create a grilled chicken sandwich, placing some between the slices of focaccia. Lastly is the dessert of Coffee Jelly with Milk Gelato. You must first taste the jelly by itself, then scoop about half of the gelato on top, creating the perfect balance from the rich sweetness of the gelato and bitterness of the jelly. With the remaining gelato, you will want to sprinkle on some of the free rock salt for an extra twist, adding an extra depth to the sweetness. You could even stuff the gelato into the leftover focaccia and create an imitation maritozzo. Not only will you leave full, but you'll also enjoy Saizeriya's potential for infinite creative combinations. ▼ Yuichiro Wasai's 'Fusion of the Best New and Old Items' Doria with 'Tarako' Sauce & Fried Shrimp: 400 yen Onion Soup with Bread & Cheese: 300 yen Grilled Spicy Chicken: 300 yen Total: 1,000 yen Yuichiro would like it to be known that he visits Saizeriya at least once a week, so when it comes to its menu, he is a pro. The tastiest food they have to offer is the Doria with 'Tarako' (cod roe) Sauce & Fried Shrimp. Doria is an Italian-style rice gratin that is quite a popular item found in Italian restaurants in Japan. A new item released this year, Yuichiro believes that this is Saizeriya's new star item. For just 300 yen, the Onion Soup with Bread & Cheese is delicious far beyond what it should be. Despite only recently becoming a lot more popular, it's actually been on the menu since 2014, so it could be said to be a well-established ace member of the Saizeriya dish line-up. Rounding out Yuichiro's meal is the long-time favorite: Grilled Spicy Chicken. No matter how many new items appear, the spicy chicken retains its title of being a must-order on every restaurant visit. Three items from three different generations of dishes makes for an all-star meal, yet still keeps to the budget. ▼ Go Hatori's 'First-Time-Experiences-Only Set' Spaghetti 'Nero Di Seppia': 500 yen Onion Soup with Bread & Cheese: 300 yen Drink Bar: 200 yen Total: 1,000 yen For Go, Saizeriya is the kind of place where you can try anything that catches your eye, due to the low cost which makes ordering stress-free. So, he decided to put this into practice by only ordering food that he's never tried before. Go's meal consisted of Spaghetti 'Nero Di Seppia' (squid ink pasta), with the same onion soup that Yuichiro ordered to complement it. He also wanted to drink some coke, and follow the meal with an espresso, so the drink bar was a necessary inclusion. ▼ Seiji Nakazawa's 'Extravagant 1,000 yen Course' Beef Hamburg Steak with Vegetable Sauce Lunch Set (with Focaccia): 600 yen Doria with Meat Sauce 300 yen Red Wine (glass): 100 yen Total: 1,000 yen With rising costs, Seiji has recently been lamenting the fact that even new dishes at beef bowl restaurants, which have long been renowned as places to pick up a cheap meal, can hit the 1,000-yen mark. So, he went into the challenge expecting Saizeriya to struggle to offer more than a single dish for the budget, but he was blown away by how much food he could order. Saizeriya has a lunchtime-only menu that usually consists of a meal, side dish, and soup for a cheaper price than the regular menu, so Seiji set his eyes on that, opting for a Beef Hamburg Steak with Vegetable Sauce. The lunch set usually comes with rice, but you can easily swap it out for focaccia, which he did. Adding onto that, he also ordered Doria with Meat Sauce, resulting in the table being covered with food. With 100 yen left to spend, he added a glass of red wine to have a little lunchtime party. ▼ Yoshio's 'You Must Eat the Hamburg Set!' Beef Hamburg Steak with Vegetable Sauce Lunch Set (with Rice): 600 yen Spaghetti 'Tarako' Sauce: 400 yen Soda Water: 0 yen Total: 1,000 yen Similar to Seiji, Yoshio based his meal around the Beef Hamburg Steak with Vegetable Sauce lunch set, but kept the rice instead of opting for the focaccia, because the unlimited soup you can get until 3 p.m. is just too good of an opportunity to pass up. After eating though, he was left shocked by the flavor: the 100-percent beef hamburg steak was so delicious it could easily compete with those found at specialty stores. The office was filled with his ravings about the deliciousness of the hamburg steak for days after, speaking volumes about the impression it made on him. Finishing up, he went for the Spaghetti 'Tarako' Sauce. The quality of the meal was fantastic, and he left the store feeling completely full and satisfied, also having enjoyed the free soda water. ▼ Ahiruneko's 'Infinite Ajillo Creation Set' Grilled Escargots: 400 yen Shrimp with Saizeriya Dressing: 280 yen Red Wine (small decanter): 200 yen White Wine (glass): 100 yen Total: 980 yen To our alcohol-loving reporter Ahiruneko, Saizeriya is less of an Italian family restaurant and more of an izakaya. Every item is purportedly a great fit as a drinking snack, but this time he would like to share one of his own creations: the 'Infinite Ajillo'. The secret to his dish is to place the shrimp into the empty escargot dish, creating a seemingly endless supply of ajillo. In order to survive the cascading shrimp, at least three glasses of wine is essential. For people who are fond of just even a little bit of alcohol, Ahiruneko strongly suggests you give his dish a try. ▼ Masanuki Sunakoma 'Super-Popular Lunch Set' Beef Hamburg Steak with Vegetable Sauce Lunch Set (with Rice): 600 yen Pizza with Buffalo Mozzarella Cheese: 400 yen Total: 1,000 yen The Beef Hamburg Steak with Vegetable Sauce Lunch Set makes its third appearance in this round, although Masanuki decided to go for the fan-favorite pizza, with rich, milky buffalo mozzarella imported straight from Italy. Going in a different direction to some of the other challengers who have opted to experiment, Masanuki felt that these two popular items can best showcase what Saizeriya has to offer. ▼ Mr. Sato's 'Totally Stuffed for 1,000 Yen Set' Doria with Meat Sauce: 300 yen Spaghetti 'Peperoncino': 300 yen Pizza with Buffalo Mozzarella Cheese: 400 yen Total: 1,000 yen Mr. Sato deliberated long and hard about what combination he should go with, so much so that he eventually just got fed up and went with some staples: doria, pasta, and pizza. With so much food, he walked away with his stomach feeling like it'd burst. If you want to be full, this is the meal you should get, and only Saizeriya can do this with just 1,000 yen. ▼ Takamichi Furusawa's 'Relaxed Italian 1,000 Yen Course' Sauteed Spinach: 200 yen Doria with Meat Sauce: 300 yen Tiramisu: 300 yen Drink Bar (with a meal): 200 yen Total: 1,000 yen Takamichi never spends 1,000 yen at Saizeriya, mostly going for a light meal in the form of Doria with Meat Sauce and the drink bar. However, thanks to the challenge, he had twice the amount of money to spend, so he fashioned together a three-course meal. His appetizer came in the form of Sauteed Spinach, and with tiramisu for dessert, his table felt a lot more bustling than it usually did. Following the meal, he felt completely satisfied, and knew he had made a great choice for a meal. Due to having to order everything at once for the photo, he'd like to order it in courses next time: first the appetizer, then main, and finally dessert. ▼ Takashi Harada's 'Italian-style Full Stomach Set' Doria with Meat Sauce & Egg 350 yen Onion Soup with Bread & Cheese: 300 yen Tiramisu: 300 yen Total: 950 yen When you think of Saizeriya, you naturally think of Italy, so Takashi constructed his meal with dishes that seemed the most 'Italian' to him. His choice of doria, soup, and tiramisu made for a well-balanced meal. Commenting on his order, Takashi believes that you should never leave out the doria when you go to Saizeriya. ▼ P.K. Sanjun's 'Viral Dish Copycat Set' Grilled Skewered Lamb: 400 yen Shrimp Salad: 350 yen Focaccia with Cheese: 250 yen Soda Water: 0 yen Total: 1,000 yen P.K. has many favorites at Saizeriya, but his all-time favorite is the Grilled Skewered Lamb, particularly after witnessing diners at a neighboring table creating a lamb sandwich on one of his visits. However, much to his dismay, the store no longer sells the Mini Ficelle, nor the Green Salad, so he had to substitute them out for focaccia and shrimp salad. Even so, the flavor is still the best: the combination of lamb, fresh vegetables and bread is unbeatable. Everyone needs to try this at least once; it's just that good. Which meals tickled your fancy? We saw several dishes crop up a few times, so if you haven't had the chance to try out Saizeriya yet, consider choosing from among them, or go wild with experimentation. Despite the rising costs in Japan, Saizeriya still maintains its cheap but delicious meals. You don't even need to spend 1,000 yen to come away feeling fully satisfied, making it one of the best options for dining on a budget. Photos ©SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! [ Read in Japanese ]
The South African
30-06-2025
- Sport
- The South African
DONE DEAL: Orlando Pirates sign NINTH player!
Orlando Pirates have just signed another player – their NINTH so far. Orlando Pirates are planning big changes. This new player has been spotted in training with the Bucs. Meanwhile, reports claim that he has just signed a deal with Pirates. Introducing, Abdoulaye Mariko from Mali. 'The 23-year-old is understood to have penned a two-year deal with Pirates, which includes an option to extend by a further year,' the insider stated on KickOff. Furthermore, as reported on The South African, he is currently training with the Bucs. Mariko joins EIGHT new players who have recently signed for Pirates. So, he joins Yanela Mbuthuma and Nkosikhona Ndaba from Richards Bay FC, Masindi Nemtajela (Marumo Gallants), Tshepang Moremi (Amazulu FC), Bafana Bafana international Sinoxolo Kwayiba (Chippa United). Neo Maema is the latest big-name Sundowns and Bafana Bafana star linked with Pirates. 'Yes, the club is believed to have made enquiries about Maema. Actually he was the first one even before Sipho Mbule. It has to be seen what will be the next move because apparently he still has one year on his contract with Sundowns. And Kaizer Chiefs are also believed to be interested in him,' the insider stated on SNL. Pirates are linked with several red-hot transfer targets from the likes of Mamelodi Sundowns, Bafana Bafana, international stars and PSL rivals. Pirates have appointed a new head coach in Abdeslam Ouaddou. Furthermore, the new Bucs coach is tasked with the responsibility of appointing a new Pirates captain. This is because former club captain Innocent Maela has left the club. He is one of FOUR Pirates player departures with Miguel Timm, Thabiso Monyane and Paeko Mako all leaving the Bucs. Meanwhile, FOUR more Pirates player departures are on the cards. Whilst, Pirates are closing in on their next new signing with these Bafana Bafana and Sundowns stars on their radar. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The South African
28-06-2025
- Sport
- The South African
Orlando Pirates latest signing puts Angolan star's future in doubt
Orlando Pirates have edged closer to announcing their ninth signing ahead of the 2025/2026 campaign, and it's a name that's already turning heads. Malian midfielder Abdoulaye Mariko has touched down in Johannesburg, ready to join the squad's pre-season preparations. At just 23 years old, Mariko has already made a name for himself on the African football stage, with impressive performances for Djoliba AC in the CAF Champions League. His imminent arrival has not only excited fans but also raised eyebrows over what it means for Gilberto, the Angolan international who returned to Petro de Luanda on loan in January. According to a source, Pirates moved swiftly to fend off interest from rival clubs across the continent to land the highly rated central midfielder. 'The new guy is already in the country, and his announcement is imminent. He's expected to be part of the squad heading to Spain for pre-season,' confirmed a source. Mariko's inclusion in the travelling party heading to Spain next month. The fact that Pirates will face Bolton Wanderers, Pafos, Las Palmas, and Granada all but confirms that coach Abdeslam Ouaddou plans to include him in his setup. Gilberto joined Pirates last July but couldn't secure a regular starting spot, so the club sent him back on loan. His spot now looks increasingly under threat. 'It's not looking good for Gilberto. From what we understand, he could be one of the players placed on the release list,' revealed the source. 'He'll likely either move on permanently or go out on loan again. That's exactly why the club targeted Mariko, to potentially replace him in the available foreign slots.' The Soweto giants have already confirmed eight new arrivals this week. The likelihood of Gilberto remaining at the club appears slim. What will happen to Gilberto at Orlando Pirates? Let us know by leaving a comment below or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
The South African
27-06-2025
- Sport
- The South African
Confirmed: Orlando Pirates set to announce signing number NINE!
Orlando Pirates have recently announced eight new signings ahead of the new season, with more expected. Pirates are set to begin their pre-season with some routine medical tests this morning as preparations begin for 2025/26. On Tuesday, Pirates sent shockwaves through the South African football fraternity following the signing of Sipho Mbule. The former Mamelodi Sundowns playmaker joined the Buccaneers on a free transfer after being subsequently released by the Brazilians. This move came as a shock primarily as the player was constantly linked to arch rivals Kaizer Chiefs . His agent Mike Makaab made it public that he was offered to Amakhosi. Mbule's signing came at a time when Pirates fans were still digesting the appointment of new coach Abdeslam Ouaddou. Although that has just been the start of a crazy week for the club as they announced seven new signings on Thursday. That, while additionally having a ninth in Abdoulaye Mariko flying to South Africa to complete his move. Now since that report, iDiski Times have confirmed the story Mariko, saying it is now a done deal. 'Orlando Pirates have agreed to sign Mali midfielderAbdoulaye Mariko from Djoliba ahead of the 2025/26 season. The 23-year-old is set to arrive in Johannesburg on Thursday to start life with Pirates for pre-season, where he's agreed a two-year deal with an option to extend. Pirates fended off interest from several club's in North Africa for the services of the defensive midfielder who played seven times in the CAF Champions League for the 24-time Malian Première Division champions. Mariko becomes the fourth midfielder Pirates have signed in the current window after the acquisitions of Sipho Mbule, Sihle Nduli and Masindi Nemtajela.' Wrote the publication. Pirates fans, are you happy to have Mariko signed and sealed? Let us know by clicking on the comment tab. Or by emailing info@ or sending a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. You can also follow @TheSAnews on X and The South African on Facebook for the latest news.
