Like many trips, my August/September trip to Tokyo revolved around a theme. Last time, the theme was food from convenience stores (like 7-Eleven, Lawson, Family Mart, Mini Stop ...). The time before that? Michelin star dining (I managed 8 stars in 3 days!). This time? Soft serve ice cream. You can see more of my adventures on my master post.
My theme choice is likely not a surprise. You know I love ice cream, particularly soft serve, particularly when it is warm, so given that it was above 80* the entire time I was there, and, well, Tokyo has some fabulous soft serve, what other theme *could* I have? Sushi? Meh, everyone picks that one.
The soft serve, er, soft cream, culture is legit, all revolving around Hokkaido milk, full fat, and the real experience of the dairy. The soft cream isn't as sweet as in the US, and the most common flavor, and the best one, is ... milk flavor. So pure, so incredible ... when it is good.
I've had plenty of great soft cream in Tokyo. This, however, was not one of them.
My destination was the Ginza outpost of Nakahora Ranch, a legit dairy farm, known for the soft cream even. They have a stall in the Matsuya department store food hall, and it is there that I sought them out.
As with many places in Tokyo, the display case housed plastic fakes of the items offered. I can't say that plastic ice cream actually looks very good.
The menu was easy to understand, given that it had English and pictures of everything. A simple cone or dish (3 sizes), a dish drizzled with chocolate, green tea & brown sugar syrup, or soybean flour & brown sugar syrup, or floats with assorted bases (coffee, milk, currant yogurt, currant juice, green tea latte, or yogurt). Also interesting was the custard pudding topped with soft serve, not something I've ever seen before.
"Soft Serve Ice Cream milk from pasture-raised cows."
Well, I have nothing positive to say about this one.
It was sloppily made. The texture was not smooth and creamy. It was sour. Everything I love about Tokyo soft serve was missing.
It was handed over before I paid, and I struggled to hold it and get out change.
The worst soft serve I had in Tokyo, even compared to that from convenience stores.
My theme choice is likely not a surprise. You know I love ice cream, particularly soft serve, particularly when it is warm, so given that it was above 80* the entire time I was there, and, well, Tokyo has some fabulous soft serve, what other theme *could* I have? Sushi? Meh, everyone picks that one.
The soft serve, er, soft cream, culture is legit, all revolving around Hokkaido milk, full fat, and the real experience of the dairy. The soft cream isn't as sweet as in the US, and the most common flavor, and the best one, is ... milk flavor. So pure, so incredible ... when it is good.
I've had plenty of great soft cream in Tokyo. This, however, was not one of them.
My destination was the Ginza outpost of Nakahora Ranch, a legit dairy farm, known for the soft cream even. They have a stall in the Matsuya department store food hall, and it is there that I sought them out.
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| Fake Ice Cream Display. |
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| Ice Cream Menu. |
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| Petit Cone. 391 yen. |
Well, I have nothing positive to say about this one.
It was sloppily made. The texture was not smooth and creamy. It was sour. Everything I love about Tokyo soft serve was missing.
It was handed over before I paid, and I struggled to hold it and get out change.
The worst soft serve I had in Tokyo, even compared to that from convenience stores.
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