Taiyaki "Fish" Custard Cake

H Mart! There's an H Mart in Burlington. It's a big popular Korean-American chain. I went because I needed some sauces and deep-fried tofu (and to explore). Of course, I wouldn't skip the dim sum section! These "fish" cakes had no English on the package except the brand name, Taiyaki, and the ingredients. I was pretty sure from the picture on the front of the package that this was just going to be a custard bun of some kind, and I was right!

The first time I tried these was when Rydia was visiting. She was super psyched for them, because she's had them fresh at her local market in New Jersey. They are made in a cooking iron like a waffle iron. The dough does taste like Chinese egg waffles, so it all makes sense.

I ended up steaming them (alongside Chef Hon veggie buns and lotus buns), even though the directions said to microwave them. Which would have been weird, I think? Seaming them, they ended up kind of soft, but the flavors were great. The custard is a standard, smooth egg custard, and the shell has a light flavor.

The next time I tried these, I microwaved them part way to soften the custard, and then put them in the toaster oven to crisp up the outsides. Ross thought they were too crispy that way, but I liked them that way! There's definitely a balancing act with the timing. Microwave them too long, they rupture, not long enough, they will still have solid custard cores. Toast them too long, and the custard will dry out and the shell will be crunchy, not long enough and they'll still be soggy.

Score: 4/5 - These are pretty darn good. I will buy them again. I will probably try the red bead flavor of these I saw at H Mart, too. (And I hope to try them fresh in New Jersey.)