JL 2, Tokyo to San Francisco, Business Class

Flight Details

Flight: JL2.
Departure Time: 7:50pm.
Aircraft: 777-300.
Class: Business.
Seat: 9K

This flight from Tokyo was exactly the same as I had done 2 years prior, same exact timing.  You can read all about that experience here.

Since I've reviewed the route before, I'll skip all details of the seat, and focus only on the parts that were different this time around, and of course, the food.

Seat 9K.

It was a fairly standard flight, and my feelings on the aircraft and seat remain unchanged.  Amazing privacy even in the 2-3-2 setup, due to the large divider and staggered seats.  Very nice to have aisle access, and essentially no neighbor (I was only aware of him during takeoff and landing when we had to have the divider open).

The window seat really doesn't have much place to put anything though, and can feel a bit claustrophobic.  Still, I was happy enough with my seat, and it was comfortable enough for sitting and sleeping.

Amenities are standard and basic, no pajamas provided, but I brought mine from my Japan Airlines First Class flight to Tokyo, which I still really loved.  Service was polite.

The flight was fine, but of course, after flying First Class there, it was obviously a downgrade.

Dinner Service

As with my previous flight, for the main meal service, you have the choice of a Japanese or Western menu. Both have the same amuse bouche, but different first courses, mains, and desserts.

Japanese Menu.

Sakizuke
Deep-fried Eggplant with Grated Yam Sauce / Matsutake Mushroom & Turnip Flan

Crimson Sky 〜Selection of seasonal colorful delicacies〜

• Scallop &Vegetables marinated in Vinegar Sauce
• Chicken Teriyaki / Scrambled Egg / Green Beans
• Simmered Prawn /  Spicy-simmered Konjac / Roasted Chestnut
• Mushrooms dressed with Tofu & Sesame Sauce
• Tuna "Sashimi"
• Béchamel Sauce & Caviar

Dainomono
Beef Sukiyaki with Slow Cooked Egg
Grilled Salmon "Yu-an" Style

Steamed Rice
Miso Soup
Japanese Pickles

Kanmi
Matcha Green Tea Flavored "Ukishima"
〜Ukishima is Japanese style steamed cake made with sweet bean paste〜

There were elements in here that sounded good - scallop! Chestnut! Béchamel Sauce & Caviar! - but overall the menu didn't jump out.

I was sad to see the dessert was matcha based, and thus caffeinated, something I needed to avoid to have any hope of getting some sleep on the flight.

Western Menu.

The Western had an option for the main course (seafood, beef, or vegetarian), but everything else was fixed:

Amuse-Bouche
Deep-fried Eggplant Grated Yam Sauce / Matsutake Mushroom & Turnip Flan

Hors-d'œuvre

• Dauphinoise Potatoes with Truffle
• Pickled Radish
• Lobster rolled with Lardo Sunchoke Purée
• Snow Crab mixed with Celery Root
• Sautéed Lotus Root & Quail

Main Dish (Choice)

• "Wagyu" Beef Sirloin Steak / Burdock Flavored Madeira Sauce /Chicory
• Salmon & Common Orient Clam /  White Wine Cream Sauce / Watercress Purée

Special Bread from MAISON KAYSER

• Petit Pumpkin Ekmek
• Petit Pain de Campagne

Dessert

• Matcha Green Tea & Mandarin Opera

I was tempted by this menu, as I do like lobster and crab, and I actually tried to order the main dish salmon instead of the Japanese main, but alas, I was turned down.  I loved the look (from the photo) and sound of the cream sauce, salmon, and clam!

This dessert also sounded marginally better, but since it too was caffeinated, I had to be careful.  Again, no mix and match.

Dinner Feast.

In the end, I picked the Japanese mostly for the fascinating sounding Béchamel Sauce & Caviar ... as, well, those are delicious things.  I also was able to try both desserts (accidentally), and added on more dessert from the Anytime menu.

The meal was a mixed bag, but, a fun dining experience regardless.

Sakizuke / Amuse Bouche

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"Deep-fried Eggplant with Grated Yam Sauce / Matsutake Mushroom & Turnip Flan created by Chef Shinobu Namae."

The little starter duo was the same for both menus, and actually sounded quite appealing.  It was served 1 hour into our flight, along with drinks.

Unfortunately, I ... hated it.

The eggplant actually add a smoky (hmm, not fried ...) quality to it that was nice, but the grated yam sauce had a consistency I just couldn't stand.  It was like slime.  So unappealing.

The flan I was particularly excited about, but ... it was bitter, very very bitter.  I know turnips are bitter but it just tasted ... bad to me.  Even the mushrooms on top weren't really enjoyable, and it had a strange layer of goo on top too.

Crimson Sky 〜Selection of seasonal colorful delicacies〜

The first course is a beautiful box full of goodies.  I knew to expect this presentation, but I was still blown away by it.

Along with the box, I had fun origami bird shaped chopstick rest, and soy sauce.

Crimson Sky: Inside the Box.

The presentation inside the box was lovely too, with delicate glass bowls in nearly ever compartment, not just dividers.

Scallop &Vegetables marinated in Vinegar Sauce

.

Well ... I do love scallops, but this one was odd.  I like cold scallops even, but, once I uncovered the scallop, it just looked ... kinda strange.  Sorta ... gray?  I still tried it.  And ... it was just odd.  Fishy in a way I've never experienced with a scallop.  I did not like the scallop.

I did like the marinated onions, basically, pickles, and I like pickled onions.  Tart, sour, and tasty.  Meh to the bell peppers, which is how I feel about bell peppers in general.

Second favorite of the dishes, just for the pickled onions.

Chicken Teriyaki / Scrambled Egg / Green Beans

.

I don't like chicken, but, I do like Japanese eggs, and I do like teriyaki.

And I did kinda like those things.  The egg was, well, cold scrambled eggs, which mostly reminded me of chopped hard boiled egg like you'd get in a salad bar.  I liked it enough.

And the teriyaki sauce, although a cold congealed lump, was flavorful.  I didn't try the chicken, it too was kinda gray though.

Third pick, for flavorful sauce and egg.

Simmered Prawn / Spicy-simmered Konjac / Roasted Chestnut.

This trio was boring, and yet turned out to be my favorite.

The prawn was entirely inoffensive. Not fishy. Not chewy. Cleaned well. Really decent, but, it had no sauce or anything, so was quite plain.

The konjac was ... ok.  Not spicy as advertised, and just not something I really love, texture-wise, and it had no flavor.

The roasted chestnut however was FANTASTIC!  Huge, flavorful, <3 <3 <3.  But I love chestnuts.

So, first pick, for that chestnut, and the decent enough prawn.

Mushrooms dressed with Tofu & Sesame Sauce

.

Well, just like last time, I disliked the sesame sauce.  So close to good, but somehow, just not a flavor that does it for me.  And I do like sesame.

I also was horrified to see pine nuts (sorry, I once got pine nut syndrome, I can't deal with them still).  But there was one little bean-like thing I did like.  Uh ... 4th pick for the bean thing?

Tuna "Sashimi"

I've just been anti-raw fish lately, and this was no exception, although it really was presented nicely, wasabi on the side.  Rather hard to use soy sauce with it though, besides just dribbling over the top.  Least favorite.

Béchamel Sauce & Caviar

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And finally, the dish I was looking most forward to ...

Well, it turns out, even I, the girl who loves sauces, who loves béchamel ... doesn't really just want cold béchamel by the spoonful.  Or maybe I would if it were better?  Not that there was anything wrong with it, but ... it was just kinda heavy, and I really wanted bread or something to dunk into it.

The caviar ... was flavorless.  I guess 5th pick?

Dainomono

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"Beef Sukiyaki with Slow Cooked Egg / Grilled Salmon "Yu-an" Style / Steamed Rice / Miso Soup / Japanese Pickles."

The main dish was a duo of proteins, plus a slew more sides.  Again, nicely presented.

I'm not a rice eater, but, this seemed fine, sticky rice style.

Miso Soup.

The miso soup was ... kinda a disaster.  It was lukewarm.  It had a HUGE clump of miso paste just in the middle entirely not mixed in.  Not good.

Slow Cooked Egg.

The slow cooked egg was ... well, a soft egg, chilled.  The whites were very runny, but the yolk was nice.  It wasn't particularly flavorful, and I wanted salt, pepper or something with it.  I kinda used the sauces from the other dishes to help it out.  It was extremely hard to eat with chopsticks.

Pickles.

The pickles were fun - I didn't care for the white vegetable, just not very crisp, but I loved the kelp (?) and the little sour plums.

Beef Sukiyaki / Grilled Salmon "Yu-an" Style.

And finally, the proteins.

The beef was a mixed bag.  The flavor was great, and I did like the onions with it, and some bits were quite tender and nice, but other bits were extremely fatty and others were chewy.  So, some good bits, some not so good bits.

The salmon was ... fine.  Not mushy, not fishy, but also not particularly good.  Not much flavor on it.  I really wished I had been able to order the Western salmon with its cream sauce!

None of this was nearly as memorable as the last time I flew this route.

Kanmi (Japanese Dessert).

"Matcha Green Tea Flavored "Ukishima."

〜Ukishima is Japanese style steamed cake made with sweet bean paste〜"

This was my first encounter with Ukishima.

It was a fairly boring cake, not really flavorful in any way.  Not too dry, but not particularly moist.  It had a layer of generic red bean, and a thin layer of matcha paste.

Not particularly exciting, but the better of the two desserts.  Not worth eating though really.

Western Dessert.

"Matcha Green Tea & Mandarin Opera."

I was accidentally given this, but I didn't object, even though I did stash it away, since I couldn't eat at 10pm when I was trying to go to bed due to the matcha.

I didn't care for it.  Thin layers of dry cake, matcha buttercream, and a mandarin flavored gel.  The buttercream was decent, but everything else, meh.  Basically, not fresh, and not a very quality item.

Ice Cream: Custard Pudding.

Since I couldn't have either of the desserts after dinner due to caffeine, I opted for the custard pudding flavor ice cream then.  I don't think we have this flavor in the US.

Custard Pudding: Top View.

It was a small serving, just served in the Häagen-Dazs container, no additional plating.  Decent custard flavor, and unexpected sweet caramel-like swirl.  If you got a bite with lots of caramel, it was sweet and quite lovely, like an ice cream sundae built in.

I really did like this, certainly more interesting than vanilla, served hard but not too hard.  Basically, a pretty solid option.

Ice Cream: Topped!

I added my own toppings, of course, and paired it with a baked good from the lounge (sssh), and was happy enough with my dessert creation.

Drinks

Wine List.

The first page of the drink menu is dedicated to wine, with a fairly standard lineup of offerings: single champagne, 3 whites, 2 reds.  Nothing nearly as notable as those I had on my first class trip over to Tokyo (hello, Cristal!)

Friedrich Becker ”Doppelstück” Pinot Noir 2016.

"Freidrich Becker is cultivating wines in Germany’s Pfalz region in vineyards that straddle the border between France and Germany, in a completely natural way without using any chemical fertilizers. Becker is widely known as a producer of some of the top Pinot Noir wines of this area. Delight in the nuances of ruby-red cherries and the faintly sweetscent of oak.  ”Doppelstück” 2016 offers you a fresh, juicy palate mingled with an amiable bitterness and lingering flavors of cloves and fruit."

I wanted a white wine to start my meal, but when I looked up the options, all sounded more acidic than I like, and, well, pretty cheap (one $8 bottle, and the others ~$20).

So I went for the Pinot Noir, and it was decent.  Some complexity, not too much tannin, light but not boring.

Sake / Shochu / Spirits / Cocktails / Non alcoholic.

More interesting is the sake, shochu, cocktails, etc list, at least to me, as there are items that aren't on most flights, like, plum wine, and the JAL signature "Sky Time Kiwi" non-alcoholic drink.

Kamonishiki Junmai Daiginjo JAL Original

"This Junmai Daiginjo was brewed exclusively for JAL’s passengers so that you can enjoy just-pressed sake onboard. Savor the mild sweetness and freshness that evoke the best quality fruits, on top of the delicate scents inherent in Ginjo sake. Kamonishiki’s JAL Original sake makes a good marriage with a variety of cuisine thanks to its crisp flavor."

To go with the course of little Japanese dishes, I opted for sake, remembering that I had enjoyed it before.

I enjoyed it again.  Smooth, slightly sweet, and so very clearly alcoholic.  Perfect to pair with the Japanese menu, really.

Anytime You Wish Service

After the main meal service, dining is on-demand, until 2 hours before landing, dubbed "Anytime you wish".

Anytime You Wish Menu.

The "Anytime you wish" menu had a few interesting options too, but nothing spectacular.  It was mostly a lineup of just lighter meals, pasta, noodles, curry, sandwiches, etc.

"Otoriyose" in the Sky
Japanese Jack Mackerel with Steamed Rice & Sesame Sauce

Light Meal

• Colorful Vegetable Salad with Five Grains & Beans Beet Dressing 〜Recommendation for light vegetarian〜
• JAL The Curry 〜JAL original chicken curry super vised by "Hashimoto" in Kumamoto, listed as a 1-star restaurant in the "MICHELIN Guide Kumamoto and Oita 2018 special edition."〜
• Fettuccine Carbonara / Bacon & Spinach

Noodles
Noodles are accompanied by Chinese rice dumpling.

• JAL Original "Japanese Soba Noodles Tsuta" Ramen Noodles in Soy Sauce Soup 〜Please enjoy rich aroma of truffle oil〜
• Japanese Hot "Udon" Noodles /  Edible Wild Plants

Sandwich

• Wasabi Flavored Smoked Salmon Sandwich
• "Sangenton" Pork Cutlet Sandwich

Cheese
Selection Assorted Cheese

Refreshment

• Fresh Fruits 
• Yogurt / Fruit Sauce 
• Häagen-Dazs Ice Cream:Vanilla / Matcha Green Tea / Custard Pudding

I was sad to see the swap from Dean & Deluca ice cream to Häagen-Dazs though, as I loved it so much, but the flavors at least sounded interesting.

The flight lands at 1:30pm, but, it does so after the night, so I usually like to have a breakfast item after getting a little non-sleep.  The only breakfast-like item was yogurt and fruit, which made me quite sad, particularly as I had loved the waffles so much before.

My "Breakfast" Lineup.

Of course, I knew the menu in advance, and came prepared with my own baked goods for breakfast, but I still tried a few menu items when I was woken up at basically exactly 2 hours before landing.  You know, 3.5 hours after I went to sleep, and 4 hours after eating a feast.  Totally time for another meal ...

Colorful Vegetable Salad with Five Grains & Beans Beet Dressing.

"〜Recommendation for light vegetarian〜"

I started with the salad.  

It did have a decent assortment of vegetables, although they weren't really things I like, such as blanched cauliflower and bell peppers.  The lettuce was decently crisp, although almost seemed ... frozen? I think it had been kept a bit too cold.  I liked the pile of colorful shredded cabbage on top.

The grains were decent too, not what I normally want, but they were mostly just crunch and texture, not a dominate item.  I'm not sure entirely what the 5 grains were, but there seemed to be lentils, beans, and some other hearty grains.

Unfortunately, I didn't care for the beet dressing, and it coated everything.  I wished I had asked for it on the side.  I almost asked for another salad without dressing, but, I didn't really need it.  The beet dressing was chunky, thick, tasted like beets, but also just had a flavor I didn't care for.

Overall, probably a decent healthy option, if that is your thing.

Fettuccine Carbonara / Bacon & Spinach.

The most tempting thing on the anytime menu for me was the fettuccine carbonara.  I knew it wouldn't be restaurant quality or anything, but, it was the only real comfort food on there, at least, western style comfort food.

Not that it was appropriate for breakfast, but, the egg and bacon kinda was?

Anyway, it was ok.  The fettuccine was green, I guess spinach, although I didn't taste spinach.  It wasn't mushy, but obviously wasn't fresh pasta.

The sauce was creamy, and that I did like.  The bits of bacon were nice with the sauce, and again, sparked the breakfast thing for me.  There were only ... 6 (?) little bits though.

There were some tasty mushrooms in the mix too, only a few, not listed on the menu.  And ... I think, literally, two pieces of spinach (besides I guess what colored the pasta)?  So not quite what I expected.

Overall, fine, but still airplane food.

Ice Cream: Green Tea.

To round out my breakfast, I ordered the green tea ice cream.

It was funny, I asked if they had any ice cream left, and the FA told me that no one besides me had ordered any, the entire flight (!).  I almost volunteered to just take it all home with me, or at least, a few more, in my vacuum mug ...

This one came straight from the dry ice, clearly, and was rock solid.  Took a while to be ready to eat, but that was fine, as I had my salad, pasta, and baked goods I had brought along to eat anyway.

The green tea flavor was really, really good.  I quite liked it, and asked for a second one, knowing that they had plenty, and it would go to waste.  My neighbor followed my lead and also got ice cream, but everyone else was ordering "normal" food.  Silly people.

Anytime You Wish: Set Menus.

And finally, a choice of Western or Japanese Set Menu, if you wanted something more designed as a full meal.

FUMIKO's Japanese Set Plate
Dainomono: Grilled Mackerel "Yu-an" Style / Boiled Garland Chrysanthemum & Chrysanthemum Petals / Lemon
Soup: Japanese Clear Soup Sea Lettuce, "Fu", Yuzu Flavored Somen Noodles
Steamed Rice Japanese Pickles & Soy-simmered Kelp

FUMIKO's Western Set Plate
Main Dish: Frillice Lettuce Salad with Fricassée of Japanese Beef Sirloin & Mushroom Truffle Vinaigrette
Fig Compote
Special Bread from MAISON KAYSER: Pumpkin Ekmek Smoked Pain de Campagne.
You can enjoy your breads with butter. We are pleased to offer you jam. Please ask your cabin attendant.

Western Set Plate
The following set plate is also available.
Spanish Omelette with Sweet Potato / Tomato Sauce
Iberico Bellota Ham Salad & Caprese Salad / Lemon Dressing
Sweet Corn Mousse with Jellied Crabmeat
Special Bread from MAISON KAYSER: Pumpkin Ekmek Smoked Pain de Campagne

None of these menus really seemed like what I'd want after only 4 hours of sleep, although I was curious why the salad came with fig compote, and the sweet corn mousse with jellied crab (?!) might be interesting.

I didn't see anyone else order these either.

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Dessert from Family Mart, Tokyo

Update Review, September 2019

As you may recall, I discovered the joy of convenience store products in Tokyo during my last trip, ranging from sandwiches and salads in bags at 7-Eleven and Lawson, to soft serve ice cream at MiniStop, among many other things.  Family Mart was of course one of my stops, where I had a lovely salty milk pudding.

This time, I went seeking out baked goods, perhaps not what you'd expect from a convenience store, but I know they are delivered fresh daily (and do run out!), and, well, I was still on a quest for good melon pan, having struck out at even the most famous bakery in Tokyo (Kimuraya, granted, not famous for the melon pan).  I read that Family Mart makes the best melon pan out of all the convenience stores, so, it was my first (and sadly only, as I ran out of time), stop.

Chocolate Chip Melon Pan.

I was about to grab a regular melon pan when I saw the chocolate chip one.  That sounded even more delicious, so, I opted for it.

The bakery goods come from Familia Bakery, rather than Family Mart branded, unlike the other stores that brand as their own.

The first thing I noticed, even before purchasing, just based on feel ...  no crispy crust like I wanted.  Still, I took a gamble.

The topping, my favorite part usually, really did let me down.  It wasn't crisp, it wasn't sugar cookie-like, but it was sweet.  I did like the little chocolate chips studded throughout.  Tasty, yes, but, signature crispy awesome cookie-like crust it was not.

The rest of the bread was more disappointing, although, to be honest, it is what I expected.  Kinda ... dried out.  A bit stale.  Lacking any real flavor.

I'm glad I got this urge to try the melon pan out of my system, but I can safely say I wouldn't do this again.  It also clocks in at nearly 500 calories, which, for such a lackluster item, is clearly not worth it.  It made me wonder how it was possible to have such a high calorie count, honestly.  I mean, it was big, but ...

Original Review, November 2017

When in Tokyo, eat at convenience stores.  Seriously.

I loved my salads in pouches from 7-Eleven.  The egg sandwiches from Lawson Station.  The packaged pudding from anywhere.

So next up?  Family Mart, the other big chain (alongside 7-Eleven and Lawson).

At Family Mart, I sought out one thing: dessert.

Desserts from Family Mart.

We only visited Family Mart once for dessert, so each just selected a single item: a cream filled pastry for my companion, a pudding for me.

They were both successful, and I wish we had a chance to go back for more.

Salty Milk Pudding.

The pudding selection at FamilyMart had many options.  I almost went for the caramel pudding, or the one that looked like flan, or the crumble topped one.  So many choices (although sometimes hard to guess which were yogurt, and which were pudding).

But in the end, I saw "salty milk pudding", and couldn't resist.  There are some thai desserts that are salty and sweet puddings that I love, and this sounded certainly the most unique.

Salty Milk Pudding Contents: Sweets Toppings + Pudding.

Once I removed the plastic top, I found a gold packet of "sweets topping", on top of the next layer of packaging, a sealed lid covering the pudding.

I easily pulled back the lid, and tried the pudding plain first.

It was a nice texture, not too thick, not too rich, sorta like almond tofu crossed with more traditional cream pudding.  It was moderately sweet, and slightly salty.

I liked it plain actually, and would have consumed it that way with no problem, but of course, it was time to try the unexpected topping.

Salty Milk Pudding with Sweets Topping.

I drizzled just a little on to try it.

It was ... well, sweet, caramelized sauce.  It reminded me of flan.  It was perfectly good, but I actually strangely preferred it plain.  Perhaps I just wasn't in the mood for really sweet?

But overall, a nice pudding, far nicer than anything you get in American grocery stores, and <$1.

Oh, and the cashier added the adorable little spoon to my bag, which was the perfect size to savor the pudding, just like a gelato spoon.

Cream Filled Taiyaki.

My companion couldn't decide between the cream filled pancake or taiyaki, and finally went for the taiyaki, because, uh, it was cuter?

Taiyaki: Inside.

He wasn't thrilled with the choice though, he expected it to be cake or pastry, and rather, it was mochi-like, as you can see the translucent layer under the outer layer here.  I agree, I like mochi, but that kinda soggy layer wasn't great.

The cream filling however was fantastic.  Super rich, super thick, very, very tasty.  Sweet, but not too sweet.

Once he discarded this, I used the mini spoon that came with mine to scoop out all the custard.  Such great custard!

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Kakigōri from Sebastian, Tokyo

Shaved ice.  Not something we have ... at all (?) in the Bay Area.  But it is everywhere in Tokyo.  The perfect treat to combat the sticky hot summer heat.

And hot summer heat it was during my visit.  I started my trip on a quest to have amazing Hokkaido milk soft serve ice cream as much as possible, but after 5 days of at least two a day, I finally was ready to mix it up.  Shaved ice didn't come to mind initially, just because it isn't something I've had much of.  In fact, I've never had the Japanese form, kakigori, before (only Korean style bingsu, like the mediocre one at Milkie & Snowie in Pasadena).

I wanted to start with the best, obviously.

My destination: Sebastian, a *very* small, *very* popular kakigori store.

Store Front.

Sebastian is located on a side street in Shibuya, a bit off the main block.

It has 10 seats.  And to get those seats, you have to show up at 10am (well, before actually), to put your name on the list for the day.  No reservations over the phone, no name on list over the phone, and no reserving, even in person, for the next day.

Um, yeah.  It is that popular.  And I knew this.  But I also knew they offered takeaway, which was my plan.

Dine-in Menu.

The menu is only in Japanese, which I knew to expect from my research.  I didn't need the menu anyway though, because I knew exactly what I wanted.

You see, Sebastian doesn't just make standard kakigori, shaved ice with some syrups and toppings.  They *do* make those, and in fact had 5 versions of it.  But they also make two additional, very special, kakigori.

The first is the strawberry brulee.  It looks like a creme brulee.  It is torched to order.  But under that brulee top is ... yes, shaved ice, fresh strawberries, and custard.  Oh my.  It looks incredible (also: huge!)

Next, the mango yogurt shortcake.  This one looks like an elaborate cake.  Frosted with whipped cream, garnished with fruit, but inside .... shaved ice, mango, mango syurp, yogurt cream .... Now that one looks incredible.

I wanted both of the special items, but alas, I knew they were both huge, and I was alone, so I had to narrow it down to just one.  I agonized over which to pick, stared at so many Instagram photos, and finally arrived, ready to order.  I had my hotel concierge call in advance to make sure these items were offered for takeout, because I was worried they were too elaborate to be takeout, and I hadn't seen any photos of them this way.  I was assured the mango one was.

So, I got there, saw the sign saying no more seating (expected), and tried to order the mango yogurt shortcake as takeout.  Not allowed.  I tried the brulee.  Not allowed.

Takeaway Menu.

Quite sad, I almost left and went on another dessert mission, but decided to stay and just get a shaved ice.  So I asked for the one shaved ice from the normal menu that sounded most interesting, with almonds, raw caramel, dark cherry, and custard.  But guess what?  Not on the takeout menu.

The takeaway menu had only 4 items, and 3 of which were also on the regular shaved ice menu (chocolate orange, berry and lemon, and one other I forget).  But they also had a mango shaved ice, a simple one, not anything like the cake.

Kitchen.

Through the takeout window I could see the action inside, with two workers building the incredible looking shortcakes and brulees (because everyone inside was ordering these, of course).  But my takeout server had her own area, with just a shaved ice machine and a few squirt bottles of toppings.

She set about making my ice immediately.  It took longer than I expected, I guess even the simple ones require a fair amount of work, close to 5 minutes?

Mango Shaved Ice.

And then this was handed over.

Wowzer.

I knew it would be huge, I had seen photos of course, but ... still nothing really prepared me for the shaved ice that was literally as big as my head.  I was told to be careful, it was going to melt quickly.  And yes, it melted extremely quickly.  It was 88 degrees after all, even though it was 6:30pm and dark.  I can only imagine what a disaster these are in the hot sun in the afternoon!

The ice was incredibly fluffy.  Light and fluffy.  Except that, of course, it was loaded with syrups.  The top half was sweetened condensed milk, creamy and quite sweet.   The bottom half, mango, also quite sweet.  And that was it.  Fruity ice and creamy ice, with a couple little red things stuck on the side.  I was hoping it would have real mango, or cream, like the cake version, but alas, just the ice.

It was good.  I liked the flavors, although it trended just too sweet for me.  The lightness of the ice was incredible.  It was really fun to eat ... while the ice lasted, which was all of ... 4 minutes?  It quickly, way too quickly, turned into a puddle of melty ice, and then, melty cold liquid.  It was still good melted, I ate the entire thing, but the last half was more like a mango smoothie, I literally was just drinking it from the cone.

Overall, I'm still glad I went, I'm still glad I tried it.  But ... I really did want to try one of the other items, and sitting inside with some climate control likely would be more successful than the hot outdoors!

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Milk Cream Craft Cafe, Tokyo

During my last visit to Tokyo, I discovered the joy that is soft cream.  That is, soft serve ice cream, as it is known in Japan.

I've always been an ice cream lover, and soft serve in particular,  and I guess I shouldn't be surprised that Japan has perfected this too (like the 10 years of development that went into cremia, the soft serve I had at Silkream).  I was planning to go back to my favorite of the soft serve places, Mother Milk Farm, but discovered (at least before I went!) that they had sadly closed down.

So I sought out another similar sounding place, Milk Cream Craft Cafe.

"Have you ever experienced the true delicious taste of fresh cream?"

With a tag line like this, it is clear what the focus is.  Cream.  I thought I had experienced the true delicious taste of fresh cream, but it turns out, I had more to learn.

Delicious.

This was very, very fresh cream. Pure, quality dairy.

Yes.

Where's the ice cream?

Navigating around in Japan can be pretty hard, but Milk Cream Craft Cafe was an easy find - with the large soft serve statue, the English signage, and, um, the cows, I knew I was in the right place.

Curb Appeal.

But to be clear, this is not actually a tacky place at all.  The curb appeal, once you get past the statues, is real.  

Large windows, bright, inviting, casual.

Tables.

I seated myself (after trying to order takeout and being denied).  I think it was ok to seat myself?

Tables were decorate with grass placemats, and came with menus and silverware all set up.  I appreciated the extra cushion at each seat!

A server quickly came over with an English menu for me, changing out the Japanese one on the table, and a glass of water.  I knew what I wanted and ordered right away.  My treat came quickly.

I was never checked in on again, and wasn't entirely sure how to pay, until I watched another pair go up to the register in front to pay when they were done.  I copied, and it seemed to  be the right thing to do.

I appreciated the entirely non-invasive, but prompt, service.

Menu.

The menu entirely revolves around fresh cream.

"Fresh cream has always been used to complement something else such as cakes or pancakes.We thought of “Starring Fresh Cream” sweets because perhaps you still don’t know about the true delicious taste of fresh cream."

You can get fresh cream (whipped) served with a light fluffy chiffon cake (and optional berries or chocolate sauce).  You can get it inside a crepe.  You can get it as a drink with coffee or tea.  As a shake.

Or, as I did, you go all in, getting a parfait, layered with the fresh whipped cream, soft cream (aka soft serve ice cream), milk pudding, tapioca, and crunchy cereal.  Parfaits are available in 3 varieties: milk, strawberry, or chocolate, where the flavor is just the drizzle that is applied over the top.

Milky Soft Milk Parfait. 780.

I picked a parfait since I wanted a chance to try their cream and the soft serve ice cream, and this seemed to be the way to do it.  I didn't want chocolate since it was evening, and the berry sauce wasn't calling out to me, so, simple milk it was.

When it arrived, it looked like a mound of whipped cream.  Which, actually, is what it was, from the outside.  Their website describes the process of creating it:

"It required blend research involving over 100 prototypes to be able to achieve the “rich flavor” and “clean aftertaste” as original creations of fresh cream with different quantities of milk fat."

The whipped cream was ... most likely the best whipped cream I've ever had in my life.  Hard to describe exactly, but, um, the flavor of the cream was so real, so ... cream-forward?  It was rich, fluffy yet dense, and slightly sweet.  I guess, "rich flavor" and "clean aftertaste" really are accurate, actually.

Truly, truly fabulous whipped cream, but even for a whipped cream lover like myself, it was a bit too much whipped cream.  To say it was generously covered is an understatement.

I'd like to subtract a fraction of a point too for the thing sticking out - a little sign that says "do not eat".  Why oh why include it then?

Soft Cream Inside!

Under the massive pile of whipped cream was the soft serve ice cream I was seeking out (known as soft cream of course).

It too was lovely.  Sooo smooth, creamy, rich, and again, incredible cream flavor.  It melted slowly, and the texture was just fantastic.

I can see how chocolate or berry sauce would help break up the slightly one-note flavor profile of cream on ice cream, but, the flavor really was so deep that I didn't mind all that much.  The drizzle of condensed milk over the top just accented it more.

Crispy Cereal.

Under the whipped cream, under the ice cream, lay two smaller layers.  One was a layer with a little bit of tapioca pudding, good for a bit of texture, and just slightly different cream component, but there certainly wasn't much of it.  I would have liked more of that, slightly less cream.

And the very base, crispy rice cereal.  I didn't really think I'd eat it, because even though I like crunch I'm fairly eh on rice cereal, but, when I had just a big bowl of whipped cream left, with some crunch, it actually worked well.  Side note: have you ever had granola or other cereal with whole milk and whipped cream and sprinkles (part of breakfast of champions)?  I do it at least a couple times of month, and always adore it.  It always makes me feel like a slight rebel (who has sprinkles for breakfast!) but it really is delicious.  Sometimes I go crazy and use chocolate milk instead.  Anyway.  In the same way that works, a bowl of whipped cream and rice cereal works.

I happily polished off this parfait, even though it was considerably bigger than I wanted given my hunger level, and even though it seemed like a daunting amount of whipped cream.  Truly delicious, and I'd gladly return, although I think I'd just get a soft cream.

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