The simplest way to transform a ho-hum sweet into something that jumps out at customers is to make it look like a different foodstuff altogether. I've lost count of how many bland creampuff-like treats I've eaten during my lifetime simply because a machine shaped them to look vaguely like a strawberry.

Family Mart knows how to play this game, and just in time for Easter they've rolled out a steamed cake that looks like an egg. Specifically, this looks like a cooked egg white with a dim yellow yolk in the center. (Family Mart might want to double check what "Easter eggs" are.) It certainly stands out from the less remarkable offerings around it, but still costs about the same (¥130).

Visuals, however, only go so far. What this egg-shaped bread lacks is an interesting taste. Bite into the soft treat, and all you'll find is whipped cream and a flavorless custard. It isn't exactly a letdown, given that this is, after all, konbini bread, but the faint glimmer of hope offered by this novelty snack vanishes quickly, and that is a different kind of disappointment.