じゅりぽん
The restaurant is located just a minute's walk from Exit 1 of the Nanboku Line and Oedo Line at Azabujuban, where you can turn right immediately after exiting. It just opened, and there have been many congratulatory flowers posted on Instagram. I quickly made a reservation on Tabelog, but it seems that they’ve now integrated the reservations with table checks.
The interior of the restaurant features white walls with wooden accents, and colorful chairs arranged stylishly, creating a very chic atmosphere with a spacious layout. There’s a large L-shaped counter and table seating in private rooms. I visited on a holiday, and the place was fully booked for the day, so even those with reservations had to wait in the seating area. It seemed that managing the crowd was quite challenging for the staff.
That day, there were seven types of kakigori (shaved ice) on the menu, which changes daily. Upon entering, I purchased my meal ticket from a vending machine on the right side, and both cash and credit cards are accepted. I was told to sit closer together at the table. As an opening promotion, all items were 1000 yen, but unfortunately, I could only order one per person. I was a bit disappointed since I wanted to try two!
I decided on the seasonal option: “Fig Gorgonzola” for 1000 yen, which includes domestic figs, pure Japanese honey, gorgonzola sauce, and Tahitian vanilla milk, topped with milk espuma. The fresh domestic figs were abundant. The white flesh had a refined sweetness, while the red flesh was intensely sweet and had a creamy, smooth texture. You can change the flavor with the gorgonzola sauce, which pairs wonderfully with honey and vanilla milk.
The figs were impressive and clearly fresh and high-quality. It was incredibly delicious, and the texture was just perfect. The balance of sweetness was spot-on, and the richness of the gorgonzola complemented it beautifully, especially with the drizzle of honey. I had never tasted such an exquisite kakigori before, and it made me appreciate the dessert even more! Perhaps it was because I’m not used to having kakigori, but the innovative addition of black pepper for flavor change was also splendid, leaving me in bliss.
As I continued to eat, it got colder, so the self-serve hot hojicha was very much appreciated. There were two kakigori machines in the kitchen, each attended by one person, and the staff was quite busy since the place was fully booked. However, there was no signage indicating that reservations were required, so walk-ins were often confused and tried to buy tickets without realizing the situation, causing further delays.
There’s a space underneath the seats to store your belongings. I recommend making reservations until the end of November, as noted on the restaurant’s Instagram linked to the table check. The kakigori was so delicious that I made another reservation (σ*´∀`) Thank you for the meal!