If you're in the Tokyo area, then you probably know that the weather has suddenly gone from balmy to frigid. This week, temperatures as low as December hit many parts of the Kanto area.

With cold temperatures and rain, many people are getting the chills and looking for something hot and tasty to warm themselves. We were no exception!

All steamed buns discounted 20 yen!

When we visited our local FamilyMart, we saw something that caught our attention: a promotion in which all steamed buns were 20 yen off from now until October 10th, 2022.

We don't usually eat steamed buns on a regular basis but this time, the discount tempted us to consider the steamed buns displayed in the case near the cash register. That's when we saw something new: Cheese curry steamed buns!

Cheese and curry are two of our favorite foods, so it was a no-brainer. We bought one and took it back to the office.

These steamed buns are supervised by Japan's most popular curry chain CoCo ICHIBANYA (called Coco Ichi for short), so we had high hopes.

Anticipation

These buns have been very popular since they were first offered in November 2020. This is the fifth time they've appeared at FamilyMart.

When FamilyMart announced it, there were numerous online comments expressing anticipation, such as:

Taste test

We'd seen curry steam buns before, as well as curry breads with added cheese but this was the first time we'd seen a cheese curry steam bun.

It was cold and rainy outside, so just holding a warm steamed bun in our hands was comforting. It already smelled like we'd stepped into a Cocoichi shop!

We split it in half to see what was waiting for us inside...

Hello melted gooey cheese! The wonderful aroma of curry spices filled our nostrils...

Taking a bite, we were happily surprised by how authentic the curry was. It had just the right amount of spiciness to it, too. The curry and delicious cheese created the perfect balance.

The CoCo壱番屋監修 チーズカレーまん (kokoichibanya kanshū chīzukarēman | "Cheese Curry Steamed Bun supervised by CoCo ICHIBANYA") is usually priced at 150 yen including tax, but during the sale period, the price is 130 yen including tax.

If you're interested, why not give it a try? We already went back yesterday and had it again!