Panju (ぱんぢゅう) is a classic sweet in Otaru, Hokkaido. It is a small bite-size baked cake filled with dainty and semisweet Tsubuan (sweet azuki beans). It is baked using an iron pan that has many hollows.
One recommendation is Nishikawa Panju shop in Miyako-dori shopping mall. Nishikawa's panju has very thin coating sponge. This very thin coating has its distinct eating quality with softness and hardness. I guess that creating such thin coating should require very highly skilled techniques.
It is best to eat freshly baked one at the shop though you can also take it out.
Another recommendation is Kuwataya in Otaru Canal Terminal (Chuo Bus Otaru 2nd Builiding). Kuwataya provides smallish panjus with variety of contents (jam) such as tsubuan, cream, chocolate cream.
