Hyperlocal Tokyo

I ordered the "White Peach Milk Shaved Ice (Okayama Prefecture Produce) (Large)" for ¥3,500 and a chai tea for ¥650. The shaved ice 🍧 wasn't that big, and the peach 🍑 decoration on the front was thin, only 3-5mm thick. I was shocked to find no peach on the back. I thought shaved ice was supposed to be covered in something on all sides, but this was ¥3,500... Moreover, it wasn't that sweet or flavorful. Considering it was advertised as Okayama Prefecture produce, I didn't think it was a brand name peach, it tasted like the kind of melon-like peaches you find at the supermarket. Maybe the one I had was just a bad one. After eating the top third, the peach was only on the front surface, and there was only a small amount of milk sauce, about 1cm thick. I tried to eat the peach sparingly, but... the flavor disappeared quickly. I thought there would be more milk sauce and peach in the middle and as I ate further, but by the time I finished half, it felt like I was eating condensed milk diluted with cold water, like a watery condensed milk slush. Also, there was a one-drink order rule. The chai for ¥650 that came out was just like chai powder from Kaldi dissolved in hot water. It was in a paper cup (the size of a Starbucks short size cup) and the amount was small, leaving me speechless. I would have been more satisfied with the taste and quantity of a Starbucks café latte venti size. I was disappointed and regretful. Water was self-service, but it was difficult to get to with the cramped interior and there were no luggage racks at all seats, so I had to put my bag on my lap. There were no hand towels either. Was it just for me? For the same price of shaved ice, there are other shops with more creative flavors for around ¥2,000, so I was really disappointed because I had high expectations for the price. Also, I waited in line in this scorching heat, but there were only two groups in front of me. There were no signs indicating where to line up or how to line up, and I didn't know who was in front of whom. Normally, there would be signs about how to line up, but there was nothing. I tried to make eye contact with the staff, but even when they looked at me, they didn't give any instructions. The shop is on a street with little foot traffic, and the line was in front of the shop. If there had been more people, it would have been even more troublesome. There is no sidewalk in front of the shop, so the line was scattered in front of the building across the narrow street, on the sidewalk? plaza? The staff seemed to be aware of the situation outside, and after the other two groups went inside and it was my turn, they asked how many people were in my group. They didn't respond to the customers who came after us and started lining up/gathering. The staff were unfriendly and ushered me inside. I ate silently in the cramped interior, and 10 seconds after I finished, my plate was taken away. I felt rushed. I paid ¥4,150 and the other person paid over ¥4,000, but we couldn't even enjoy the food. If we had spent over ¥8,000, we would have been better off going to Starbucks, having a little something sweet, enjoying it, and leaving after cooling down a bit. I finished eating just as my sweat started to dry. I left in a hurry. The gap between the hype and the reality was shocking. I went out of my way to come here in the blazing sun and wait in line... This experience shattered my excitement and left me with a disappointing memory of how a restaurant can get away with serving such a lackluster meal.

The fruit shaved ice was reservation-only. I made a reservation through Instagram. As expected of a fruit parlor, they used delicious fruits from various regions. However, it was quite pricey.

I had the Peach Milk Shaved Ice (Large, ¥3300). On this day, I could choose between peaches from Fukuoka and Okayama. The staff explained that the Okayama peaches were just starting to come into season and might have a bit of acidity. I thought the refreshing taste would be nice, so I chose the Okayama peaches, but they were incredibly delicious. I believe the variety was called "Hanayome." The shaved ice was fluffy and had a peach sauce-like layer in the middle, which kept it interesting and very enjoyable. If you like refreshing milk ice cream, you'll love this. The temperature was approaching 30 degrees Celsius, but the air conditioning was off, which was also nice. I was able to finish it without getting cold halfway through. It was a delicious treat. Thank you.

The shaved ice was expensive, but as it's a fruit cafe, I was expecting to be able to enjoy some amazing fruit. I ordered the peach and mango half-and-half. I questioned my eyes when I saw the mango, it was such a terrible color. The mango was a dull, dirty brown, completely different from the picture on the menu. The peach was also disappointing, lacking sweetness, which is a shame for a peach lover like me. The shaved ice itself was fluffy and delicious, but it was absolutely not worth the 4,000 yen price tag. I had heard about it in reviews, but the shop was incredibly cramped, with seats so close together that you'd bump shoulders with the person next to you. It was barely possible to stand, and the water was served in paper cups, self-service style. Apparently, you can choose the color of your tray for Instagram purposes, but I wasn't even asked. If fruit is their selling point, they need to be more discerning in their selection. I was so disappointed, I wish I could get my 4,000 yen back. I won't be going back, and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.