There were a decent number of ATMs lined up at the AEON store in Obihiro. It was a scorching hot day and I was extremely thirsty, so I decided to head to the food court. That's when I noticed the shaved ice dessert on the menu. I had been craving shaved ice for a while, but I was hesitant to pay over 500 yen for just ice and syrup. I ordered the Rainbow shaved ice for 250 yen (excluding tax) at the Potato and Cream stall. I paid for it, received it, and enjoyed it in the food court. The flavors included strawberry, lemon, melon, and blue Hawaii. At first, I could taste the difference in flavors, but after a few bites, they all started to taste the same. The ice was crunchy as expected, but for the price, it was worth it. It was quite a generous portion, and even though I didn't get a headache from it, I can see how it might affect those who are more sensitive. It took me less than 20 minutes to finish it, and I instantly felt refreshed, as if I were in Alaska. The free hand washing station and water made it easy to clean up the sticky syrup from my hands. There aren't many reviews about eating in the food court, but I wanted to share this cool information. Thank you for the meal.

I visited Potato and Cream for the first time! It's located in AEON Obihiro store. There was still a restaurant next door that I haven't been to yet, a soba shop. The staff also work at the soba shop, so I had to wait in line with their customers. I ordered an iced coffee, which cost 100 yen without tax. The presentation was nice, with plenty of ice and a long straw. The taste was not too weak, with a good amount of bitterness. The regular price is 200 yen, but they are currently offering it for 100 yen. It was a good deal. In other news, Starbucks announced that they will switch to paper straws at their approximately 1500 stores in Japan starting in January next year, eliminating the use of 200 million disposable plastic straws annually. I have tried paper straws before, but I couldn't quite get used to the taste of paper. However, I suppose we will eventually get used to it. Thank you for the meal, Potato and Cream!

I came to POTATO & CREAM in Obihiro alone and couldn't explore as much as I wanted, but oh well, I wasn't putting much effort into it anyway. In the end, I decided to get takeout fried rice from Gyoza no Ohsho and came to Aeon. I thought I could probably visit a few places. While waiting for the fried rice, I drank coffee and decided to eat the soft serve ice cream I saw earlier. It costs 300 yen and is made by a cheerful old man. He seems to be in a good mood, which is nice. Some people go overboard, but he's just right. It used to be common for soft serve ice cream to cost 300 yen including tax, but after the tax increase, most places now charge the tax separately. I wonder if they're just following the trend. It's suddenly milky. The sweetness is mild and there are crunchy bits in it. It's delicious soft serve ice cream. It's been a while since I've had some.