Mizu, for various reasons, might be this city’s sweetest cafe. There’s a calm, quiet confidence to the place that makes it feel equally inviting for a meet-up with a friend or a solo coffee with a book. But what really sets it apart is its selection of Japanese specialties — rare finds in this city. For this reason it’s a magnet for Aucklanders returning from Japan with a newfound passion for egg sandos. You can take home loaves of shokupan, the inordinately soft Japanese milk bread which also serves as the base for the cafe’s various sandos, all made to order. Also on the menu are onigiri, served just so, in a variety of flavours, and the revolving lunch is highly recommended — it comes perfectly balanced with soup, vegetables, rice, pickles, a main and a sweet. The cabinet is crowded with other treats, like airy melon pan, pots of tiramisu, ludicrously soft yuzu doughnuts, cream-filled sponge rolls jewelled with seasonal fruits, and the understated (but delicious) anpan. Finally, there’s the kare pan, in two varieties, which might just be one of the best foods ever invented. And if you can’t make it to the Eden Terrace flagship to check out all this goodness, remember there’s also now a Mizu outpost in the central city.

While you’re in the area: Kiteworks, Southbound Records