Something happened a few days prior that left me feeling a little down on my birthday this year. My husband colored me surprised with a beautiful assortment of cakes from Paper Cake Shop — a place I’d been wanting to try for a long time.
The set was called “Jewel Box.” Inside were six petite cakes, each with Asian-inspired flavors. They looked so elegant, almost too pretty to eat, yet they were wonderfully light - just right for a Japanese palate like mine.
Out of the six, the one that stole my heart was the Miso Chocolate Cake, made with local Yoka Miso. The miso added a deep, warm richenss to the chocolate - such a brilliant pairing! The balance was so seamless that I'm sure anyone unfamiliar with miso would simply sink, "Wow, this is marvelous," without ever guessing the secret ingredient.
To make the moment feel a little more special, I served the cakes on our Shiman-to Hinoki Sushi Plate Set. I removed the small dish and placed the cake description card in its spot, and suddently the whole setup looked like a curated testing at a boutique café.
The sushi plate is crafted from fragrant Shiman-to hinoki, yet the aroma never overwhelms food, not even delicate sweets. Instead, it creates a warm, calming backdrop that makes whatever you're serving feel a little more thoughtful. The soft, natural hinoki wood paired perfectly with the Asian-inspired flavors!
That afternoon, with this "jewel box" of cakes and heartfelt birthday messages from the people I love, my sadness slowly melted into gratitude.
When I was younger, birthdays felt like being the star of the day day. As I get older, they feel more like gentle reminders to appreciate. I will carry that gratitude into the year ahead.
