Piyorin cakes are so popular in Nagoya that there are multiple deliveries a day and a queue to buy them once they do appear. Here’s what the fuss is about and how to get in on the act.
‘What about Chicks,’ that’s the immortal phrase that launched a Nagoya legend.
According to the Piyorin team, the only thing they knew when they decided to make the now iconic cakes was that they needed to be ’round and cute’ – they tried bears, they tried pandas; neither passed the adorable enough test.
Chicks, however, worked, especially once they got the expression right – apparently, there’s an ideal ratio between everything to make it look super cute!
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The fact that the cakes look like chicks is even more appropriate when you know what’s inside. They are made from sponge cake filled with a custard-like pudding, but actually that description is the wrong way round, as the pudding is the star of the dish. It’s made from eggs laid by Nagoya’s famous Nagoya Cochin chickens.
This special breed of chicken not only produces rich-flavoured meat; its eggs come with deep yellow yolks that are full of flavour and higher in fat than normal yolks, making them very creamy and perfect for pudding!
The name is a mix of the onomatopoeia for the ‘piyo piyo’ noise that chicks make and the Japanese word for pudding, which is purin.
The cakes come in three flavours – strawberry, chocolate and the original vanilla-like pudding flavour. You can pick whatever flavour you like in the store, but beware: the boxes they pack them in are big enough for two cakes, so it seems a shame to just buy one!
Especially as you’ve probably had to queue for a while.
On the day I bought mine, I arrived at 4.05 pm, and there were about 12 people ahead of me in the queue with more joining every minute. The queue does move fast, though, and I was at the front within 10 minutes, but I did see the cakes starting to run out as I got closer, which was a bit stressful.
Expect the queues to be even longer on days they bring out the limited-edition flavours and designs… tiny chicks in Xmas hats or Samurai armour are even more adorable than chicks without them!
When Do The Cakes Arrive?
On the day I visited, there were four deliveries. 9 am, when the store opens. Noon. 3 pm and 6 pm.
By the time I got to the checkout, it was 4.15 pm, and some flavours from the 3 pm delivery were already thin on the ground. They do put a schedule on the store if you want to check the times.
How Much Do They Cost?
Each cake costs 550 yen, but as I said, the fact that they use double boxes means you’ll probably be tempted to buy two!
Important Notes!
Even though Piyorin is a common treat for travellers to Nagoya to buy to take home to family, they don’t travel brilliantly well. One of mine lost an eye on the 10-minute walk from the store to my hotel fridge, so treat them more like eggs than chickens!
If you don’t eat them immediately, also note that they do need refrigeration because of the custard inside. They give you a mini ice pack to take them home, but once you get there, put the box in the fridge until you’re ready to eat them.
How to Find the Piyorin Shop?
The main takeout shop is located inside the Nagoya Station Concourse. It’s about a minute away from the JR Nagoya Station Central Ticket Gate/Hirokoji Ticket Gate, and clearly marked on Google Maps.
It’s open from 9 am to 8 pm, but you have the best chance of getting the cakes if you go within an hour of delivery – when I first visited Nagoya, I missed out as I didn’t know the delivery times and got there too late.
This was my second attempt!
There is also a second shop called Piyorin Village in the station. This has lots of cute Piyorin merchandise plus a cafe serving all sorts of edible chick-themed goodies.
You can buy different colours of cake, but also a breakfast of Nagoya’s famous Ogura Toast, parfaits, cream sodas and more – all with an adorable chick on top.
The shop opens from 6.30 am to 9.30 pm; the cafe is open from 7 am to 10 pm (last orders at 9.30 pm). It’s listed as ぴよりんvillage on Google Maps and is just around the corner from the original.
If you really get chick-obsessed, the Henn na Hotel in Nagoya has an entire room themed around their cute feathery faces!
Who Writes Differentville?
My name is Helen Foster and I’m a journalist and author living in Sydney.
My travel articles have been published in titles including The Australian, Body & Soul at the Sunday Telegraph, RAC Horizons, Jetstar magazine and more.
I like the weird, the wonderful and anything that makes me jump and down with glee like I’m about three. That’s what you’ll find here.