Dean & DeLuca is relatively well known in major cities for their gourmet, curated, line of markets and cafes, plus mail-order business. During my 2017 visit to Tokyo, my hotel had a Dean & DeLuca downstairs, but I never visited it.
Tokyo was Dean & DeLuca's first international location. And in Japan, they carry a house brand of incredible Super Premium Ice Cream.
It wasn't there that I tried their ice cream though (although now I wish I had discovered it sooner, as they did serve it at that cafe/market, and I certainly would have returned for it!). Instead, I had it on my return flight, on Japan Airlines, where they offer Dean & DeLuca ice cream on the "Anytime You Wish" menu (for flights out of Japan only, it was Häagen-Dazs on my flight from the US).
Um, it was delicious. Really, really good ice cream, and I promise it is not just because I was a captive audience! Available in chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, and pistachio.
Our flight had only one option: Madagascar Vanilla. Vanilla is generally a flavor I reserve only for pairing with a fruit crisp/crumble/pie, a base for a sundae or shake, or perhaps an affogato. It is not a flavor I generally will eat on its own, and in most cases, a flavor I just don't really like (an exception is Three Twins), which, until I tried this, I believed was the best vanilla out there.
It was creamy. It was luxurious. When they talk about a smooth mouthfeel, this is what they mean. It was so rich, it almost tasted like it was laced with mascarpone, or something more than just cream. (I wonder if, like the soft serve in Japan, they use higher milk fat percentage?).
The vanilla flavor was also very pronounced, with flecks of real vanilla bean in the ice cream.
Amazingly, I enjoyed it just plain, I didn't bother make an affogato, add anything else I had with me as toppings, or do anything to it. It was perfect as it was.
I immediately ordered a second one. Seriously, the best vanilla ice cream I've ever had.
Tokyo was Dean & DeLuca's first international location. And in Japan, they carry a house brand of incredible Super Premium Ice Cream.
It wasn't there that I tried their ice cream though (although now I wish I had discovered it sooner, as they did serve it at that cafe/market, and I certainly would have returned for it!). Instead, I had it on my return flight, on Japan Airlines, where they offer Dean & DeLuca ice cream on the "Anytime You Wish" menu (for flights out of Japan only, it was Häagen-Dazs on my flight from the US).
Um, it was delicious. Really, really good ice cream, and I promise it is not just because I was a captive audience! Available in chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, and pistachio.
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| Madagascar Vanilla. |
It was creamy. It was luxurious. When they talk about a smooth mouthfeel, this is what they mean. It was so rich, it almost tasted like it was laced with mascarpone, or something more than just cream. (I wonder if, like the soft serve in Japan, they use higher milk fat percentage?).
The vanilla flavor was also very pronounced, with flecks of real vanilla bean in the ice cream.
Amazingly, I enjoyed it just plain, I didn't bother make an affogato, add anything else I had with me as toppings, or do anything to it. It was perfect as it was.
I immediately ordered a second one. Seriously, the best vanilla ice cream I've ever had.
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