Tag: kakigori

Kakigori event at Florilege

Florilege is a Michelin-starred French restaurant in Tokyo, also included in the list of the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants. Reservations are pretty tough. But in October 2019 I was able to get a seat at one of their Kakigori special events nicknamed Gari Garilege.

Kakigori, of course, is Japanese saved ice (see this review). This random events at Florilege are announced through their Instagram and headed by pastry chef Miho Horio. I learnt about the event thanks to Time Out Tokyo event page.

The visit

I just showed up at around 3pm and I was promised a slot at 4.30pm. Meantime I hang out in the neighborhood (there was a festival going on in the nearby shrine), then I got an email from the receptionist for an earlier opening. All good.

Before being seated, I had to place my order and pay at the reception. I chose the kakigori with Japanese chestnut (by the way, I think there was a mistake in the menu because there was no chocolate). All kakigori available looked interesting. I should mention that they also had ramen available. But I passed on it since I had other dinner plans.

I sat at the counter circling the kitchen. The room was very dark and the pictures are pretty bad. It must be nice to have a full meal here.

I was shown the drink menu.

I ordered a cold tea that incurred in additional 500 yen that I paid directly to the waiter behind the counter.

The kakigori arrived with an additional glazed chestnut on the side. It was really rich with pastry-grade chestnut paste spread on top. It took a while to find my way inside this huge kakigori. It was certainly a great specimen of Japanese shaved ice.

The check

So, all in all, I spent 3,000 yen… that was a handsome amount of money for a kakigori and a tea. But it was in a top venue with top-shelf ingredients. No regrets.

Where in Tokyo:
2-5-4 Jingumae B1.
Website: https://www.aoyama-florilege.jp/en.
Keep an eye on their Instagram and Facebook for events like this.

Kakigori experience in Hong Kong with Shari Shari

Kakigori is the Japanese shaved ice dessert. Like its Korean and Taiwanese counterparts, it comes with various toppings. Hong Kong now has its own Kakigori house, opened by a Japanese gentleman that is importing even the ice blocks from Japan to ensure authenticity. I visited the original shop in Soho on a quiet September 2019 afternoon.

The visit

The original shop is on a lively street in Soho, easy to reach using the Central-Mid Levels Escalator.

It is a small place, but tastefully decorated and with a few seats. I heard of queues… but at the time of my visit (just after opening time, 1.30pm) I was the only customer. Weekend protests may have played a role.

I ordered the strawberry kakigori with a topping of Mikan oranges. Other flavors included pineapple and coconut milk, honey lemon, pink guava, mango lassi, Japanese tofu. The menu indicated green tea, strawberry with panna cotta, and earl gray milk tea as the store’s best sellers. There was also a list of extra toppings could also be added at a cost to customize your kakigori.

On the menu, they also had some other Japanese sweets such as a yuzu cheesecake, wagashi, and Hokkaido chocolate and cheese souffles. Some tea seats were also available.

The ice was fluffy and there was enough syrup trickling down the ice. They did not provide any extra syrup in a separate cup as it is often the case in these establishments. Yes, it was very authentic!

The check

The kakigori I ordered was 85 HKD (10.85 USD). It is a pretty standard price for a kakigori that could be shared between two people. The kakigori on the menu ranged from 85 to 100 HKD. It is, however, impressive to see the price increase from 2016 reading this other review.

It was a pleasant experience.

Where in Hong Kong:
G/F, 47 Staunton Street, Soho, Central.
In Chinese: 中環蘇豪士丹頓街47號地舗.
There is another branch in 14 Haven Street, Causeway Bay (in case you do not like the idea to climb up to Soho).

An introduction to the pleasures of kakigori in Kyoto

Korea has bingsu. Taiwan has Ice Monster. Japan has kakigori.

Kakigōri is a Japanese shaved ice dessert flavored with syrup and a sweetener, often condensed milk.

Umezono is a dessert shop in Kyoto with multiple branches. I visited one (not their largest) to try my first kakigori.

The visit

I visited the Kawaramachi branch located on a busy commercial street.

They also had other Japanese sweets, in particular sweet skewers.

I focused on the task on hand and chose a kakigori. Unfortunately this shop did not have many options in terms of flavor.

I had the green tea kakigori that came with a green tea scoop of ice cream on top, some red beans and mochi. There was also a small glad of additional green tea syrup.

The portion was big, but manageable for one person. Overall it was quite good, even if I do not crazy about matcha (green tea).

The check

I spent 930 yen (8.70 USD) for this huge dessert. Good value.

Where in Kyoto:
234-4 Yamazakichō, Nakagyō-ku.
In Japanese: 〒604-8032 京都府京都市中京区山崎町234−4.
Website: umezono-kyoto.com.
Tip: most of these kakigori places are closed on Wednesdays (do not ask me why). If you like to try Umezono, go to their main branch “Umezono Gallery and Cafe”.