中央製乳 愛知の梨アイス Pear Milk Ice Cream: Fruit is generally quite expensive in Japan, and it feels even more so because of the very small portion sizes – there's no so much thing as buying a large 1lb bag of grapes here. Fruits are also very seasonal, so for the most part, I've been eating only bananas and oranges and I seem to have missed pear season. That's why when I saw this pear dessert in the ice cream aisle, I was excited to try it. I had expected it to be a sherbet or even a type of Italian ice from its packaging, but it... (read more) 4.5/5.0
exceptional icecream queensisetan japanese 愛知の梨アイス pear milk ice cream 4.5
Nanaya Aoyama Matcha (7) and Roasted Rice Tea Ice Cream: Nanaya Aoyama is a small ice cream shop near Omote-Sando in Tokyo and had been on my checklist of places to try for Tasty Snacking since before I arrived in Japan. Its menu features matcha ice cream at different levels of concentration, from 1-7, with 7 being the most potent (they claim it's the strongest in the world). On display, you see how matcha ice cream 1-7 goes from a light shamrock color to a dark forest green (though there isn't too much difference visually between #5-7). The ice... (read more) 4.5/5.0
exceptional icecream tokyo japan greentea nanayaaoyama matcha (7) roasted rice tea ice cream 4.5
Hio Ice Cream Green Tea Milk Ice Cream: Even before I arrived in Japan, I had bookmarked this modern ice cream shop in Jiyugaoka to try for Tasty Snacking. Unfortunately, it's a bit far away from central Tokyo and I never got a chance to make it out there before COVID hit. I didn't realize, though, that you can actually find their ice cream at certain grocery stores. I went for the classic green tea flavor, which has specks of dark green mixed in. While I was hoping for a strong bitter matcha flavor, it actually disappointingl... (read more) 3.0/5.0
icecream japanese queensisetan hioicecream green tea milk ice cream 3.0 matcha
Häagen-Dazs Chesnut Mochi Ice Cream: This is another Japanese-exclusive Haagen-Dazs flavor featuring white bean paste (shiro an) flavored ice cream topped with mochi and a chestnut sauce, all topped with powdered sugar. I found the texture of the mochi to be not quite as good as the soybean flavor I had previously – a little too sticky and not quite as chewy. The flavor overall was also generally sweetener and less memorable. That being said, without the soybean powder, it was definitely much easier to eat. The same unique c... (read more) 3.0/5.0
icecream japanese hagendazs chesnut mochi ice cream 3.0
Häagen-Dazs Soybean Flour Brown Sugar Mochi Ice Cream (Hanamochi): The ice cream aisle in Japan consists largely of individual single-serving sized portions (kiddie-sized), whether for popsicles or regular ice cream. The most ubiquitous ice cream brand seems to be Häagen-Dazs, which has many exclusive Japanese flavors. Their Hanamochi series, originally introduced in 2015, features mochi-topped ice cream. The brown sugar soybean flour flavor I purchased has a peanut-colored powder that often coats traditional mochi treats. You ideally wait about 5 minut... (read more) 4.0/5.0
recommended icecream japanese coop hagendazs soybean flour brown sugar mochi ice cream (hanamochi) 4.0
Glico 牧場しぼり Affogato Ice Cream: These little ice cream cups, about the standard size of paper-cup ice cream snacks you'd get as a kid in the states, come sealed in plastic packaging. The affogato flavor consisted of milk ice cream surrounded along the perimeter and at the base with an espresso-flavored ice, whose consistency was somewhere between shaved ice and bruleed sugar. Overall, it was decently enjoyable, in the way that normal store-bought ice cream has a familiar but comforting taste. 3.0/5.0
icecream japanese glico 牧場しぼり affogato ice cream 3.0