On August 14th, many people are still enjoying the Obon holiday, and there is rainy and unstable weather due to a typhoon approaching. Despite the weather, there were many people in Ueno and Okachimachi. When I looked inside the restaurant, there were people eating, but since it was just after opening, I thought I could enter without waiting too long. However, I was shocked to see that there were already 55 people ahead of me, with a waiting time of 170 minutes. With no plans for the day, I decided to get a ticket and passed the time by window shopping for seafood and alcohol at Yoshiike, followed by seeking some coolness at Komeda. In the end, I waited for a total of 2 and a half hours before being seated. The shaved ice shop is not only specialized in shaved ice, but also a dessert shop, so the shaved ice menu is not extensive. However, most people recommend the shaved ice. The surprising thing is that the shaved ice is not fruit-based, but uses vegetables as motifs - edamame and summer squash. As it was my first time trying shaved ice, I couldn't help but be amazed. Since it's made with vegetables, I initially thought it wouldn't be very sweet. The shop's creativity and ingenuity are commendable, with a bright yellow color reminiscent of a Yellow Hat store. The milk-based cream is made entirely with squash, and the feeling when you pick it up with a spoon and put it in your mouth is quite rich and creamy, but not overly sweet or heavy. The natural sweetness of the summer-limited brand squash used is very noticeable on the palate. The finely shaved ice, warm but rich squash paste, and the balance of cream cheese and sweet red bean paste inside the ice, along with the fried squash and salty taste of squash seeds, create a necessary harmony between sweetness. Although it's shaved ice, it has a strong presence similar to traditional Japanese sweets, making it a satisfying choice for women, especially the small size. The regular size is quite voluminous, but I managed to finish it all without feeling too heavy. Despite the relatively high price and long wait, I have no regrets. It's worth trying at least once. The chic interior, colorful flowers, and stylish fashion of the staff all contribute to the excellent sense of the shop's concept.

I visited "Kurogi PARCO_ya store" located at the west exit of Okachimachi for the first time. I entered from the entrance facing the main street and received a tablet for reception and a numbered ticket. I ordered without a numbered ticket and received a rich chestnut flavor that I had been curious about. After paying, I was guided to my seat. Chestnut, chestnut, chestnut - the season of autumn is here. There were various flavors, and I enjoyed them deliciously without getting tired until the end. I savored a valuable shaved ice. Thank you very much. September 25, 2023, Taito-ku, Tokyo, Japan.

After eating tsukemen in the Akihabara area, I wanted to have shaved ice! So I visited this place. It was about a 10-minute walk from Akihabara Station, and I found the shop along a main street near Okachimachi Station. It seemed to be a ticket system, so I arrived around 12:30, waited for about 70 minutes, and then entered the shop. The modern interior had a calm lighting. It's better to decide on your order in advance since it's pay first. They offer several types of shaved ice, mainly Japanese-style. On this day, there was a limited edition of Japanese chestnut flavor! If you choose a small size, it's 200 yen cheaper, and you can also customize with various toppings to your liking! I ordered one that had black beans on top, resembling mitarashi dango. It cost 1,950 yen. The crispy shaved ice with a rich mascarpone cheese cream topping tasted like eating mitarashi dango. It was a new sensation. There was plenty of sweet red bean paste inside! A very satisfying Japanese-style shaved ice with a lot of volume. You will be full! The service of brewing hojicha was also wonderful. Thank you for the meal!

I arrived right at 10 o'clock, and the shaved ice arrived at 10:40. Sweet potato, chestnut, pumpkin! My favorite season has arrived! I really love the sweet potato, chestnut, and pumpkin flavors from Kurogi. The sweet potato cream, chestnut cream, candied chestnuts, candied yellow chestnuts, roasted green tea cream, red bean paste, and chestnut cream on top are all so rich and delicious! The shaved ice also has roasted green tea cream, red bean paste, and walnuts inside, which add a nice touch and make it enjoyable until the very end. I'm looking forward to trying their next shaved ice!

Kakigori shop on the first floor of PARCOya in Okachimachi. You can't make reservations from inside PARCO, you have to use the tablet at the entrance facing the street. Waited for about 20 groups, so took a stroll around Ueno in the scorching heat. Received a notification on my phone and went back to Okachimachi, finally entered the shop. Ordered the rich chestnut flavor I wanted. Was a bit surprised by the price of 3300 yen as I didn't know beforehand. The interior was chic and felt luxurious. The kakigori was big enough for sharing, which was a pleasant surprise. The chestnut cream was rich, and the hojicha cream inside was not too sweet, with a nice tea flavor. The contrast in flavors kept it interesting, and despite the large portion, it didn't get boring. I recommend visiting when you're somewhat hungry, not right after a meal.

The portion size is a bit large, but it's incredibly delicious! It would be great if they had a smaller size option at a more affordable price! It can get heavy and I can't finish it all, so I wish they would offer a smaller portion. 2023#43 Edamame ★★★★ 2023#44 Chestnut ★★★★

This is my second visit. The seasonal shaved ice here is exquisite. I had the rich chestnut flavor in a small size for 3100 yen. The ice itself has flavor and is topped with plenty of chestnut cream, making it truly luxurious! Unlike other shaved ice places, there is no lack of flavor towards the end.

I saw a post on Instagram about no waiting, and since I was nearby, I couldn't help but go there haha. It's my last time eating the edamame milk this week! Today, I had cheese cream and rice cracker topping. I surprisingly like rice crackers. From the 16th, my favorite honey tofu will be available, so I'll go there again! ❤️

■Intense Warabimochi with Chestnuts【9/1〜】¥3,300 Ordered and arrived within about 10 minutes. Composition: chestnut cream, chestnut milk, sweetened Yokan made from Shibukawa chestnuts, sweetened Yokan made from yellow chestnuts, roasted green tea cream, sweet red bean paste, walnuts. The rich and creamy chestnut cream and chestnut milk ice cream, the yellow chestnuts are lightly sweet, while the Shibukawa chestnuts have a deep sweetness and a sticky texture compared to the yellow chestnuts, both are good. The roasted green tea cream inside has a slightly bitter taste, the texture of the walnuts and the moist sweet red bean paste make the flavor change enjoyable! I took another bite and experienced a burst of happiness. And another thing that impressed me. The waiting time was zero. By chance? Because it was September? In any case, I was so happy to be able to eat here without waiting in line for the first time in a while. Is it like this on weekdays? The best! LOL ※Around 12:30 on weekdays, no waiting time, no lining up. Payment method: PayPay. Thank you for the meal!

I heard it was a popular shop and was invited to go there. I visited on a Monday at 1 p.m. and was prepared for a long wait due to its popularity, but luckily the restaurant was not crowded and I was seated at a table for four right away. The interior of the restaurant had a monochrome theme of gray and black with a touch of red flowers in the middle, creating a chic yet impactful atmosphere. The shaved ice was very creamy and delicious. The red bean in the middle was especially exquisite. I was able to enjoy a limited-time menu item and it made me feel happy. It was not too sweet and I could easily eat it.

Visited the famous Japanese sweets shop "Kurogi" near Ueno-Hirokoji Station, just a 2-minute walk away. Despite arriving 10 minutes before opening on a Sunday, there was already a line of over 30 people. We couldn't get in on the first round, but after registering on their LINE app, we were able to wait our turn. About 30 minutes later, we were called back. I ordered the small size black honey kinako shaved ice for 1,550 yen, knowing it would be huge. It took about 25 minutes to arrive, and it looked like a piece of art. The shaved ice was firm but melted in the mouth beautifully. Despite being black honey kinako flavor, it had a mix of nuts and milk which gave it a western twist. As I ate, I found red bean paste hidden in the middle, adding a nice touch to the flavors. It was delicious until the last bite.

When "Kurogi" opened in the premises of the University of Tokyo with Kengo Kuma's architecture in 2010, it was a bit of a shock. At that time, shaved ice was becoming popular and the prices were starting to rise, but when Kurogi's shaved ice became surprisingly large and exceeded 2000 yen, I thought it was too much! However, I kept going back every time a new menu item was introduced. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, outsiders were no longer allowed into the university premises, and that wonderful place was closed. This restaurant has been open for almost 6 years now, but this was my first visit. I was drawn to the new chestnut menu, but I chose matcha, which I had never tried before. Inside, there is cream cheese and sweet red bean paste. The saltiness of the cream cheese makes it easier to eat. When I used to eat shaved ice regularly, I could easily finish two servings, but I guess I'm no longer as active. The small size here was just right. However, the deliciousness and service are still the same as before, which is great.

I love the season of sweet potatoes, chestnuts, and pumpkins! Especially chestnuts are my favorite♡ I went to try the new rich chestnut flavor that started this month right away (о´∀`о) The taste is guaranteed! I heard there is a lot of shaved ice, so just in case, I topped it with chestnut milk and candied chestnuts, but the chestnut cream is so rich and flavorful that you don't even need them. The chestnut cream is thick and rich, the chestnut milk has a thick texture with a milk flavor and a proper chestnut taste, and the candied chestnuts are a safe choice! The hojicha cream inside is not sweet at all, which tightens the whole thing nicely♡ The walnuts and red bean paste also harmonized well. As expected, the ice from Kurogi is expensive but the satisfaction level is high♡ Surprisingly, there was no wait on a Thursday afternoon around 11:30! It's so nice to be able to eat right away—happy〜（╹◡╹）

I ordered a small chestnut shaved ice and a drink set with hot coffee. The shaved ice here is huge! It's fluffy and incredibly delicious. The chestnut flavor is sweet like cake. It's the most delicious shaved ice I've had this year! It's a high-level shaved ice. It was a limited-time menu, so it was a bit pricey, but if it was a regular menu item, you could get a very satisfying shaved ice for around 2000 yen. I went with high expectations, and this shaved ice did not disappoint. It was delicious, fluffy, and truly impressive.

Kurogi is a high-class Japanese restaurant located at the main gate. They also have a shaved ice shop which I visited on a cloudy weekday to avoid the long weekend lines. They use a ticket system, and I had to wait for about 30 minutes with 7 groups ahead of me. I received a notification when my turn was near, so I could leave and return later. I ordered the black syrup with soybean flour shaved ice, which cost 1550 yen for a small size. The atmosphere inside the shop was elegant and the service was polite. The shaved ice was large even in the small size, with a unique ice texture that melted quickly. The black syrup cream was delicious, with a rich flavor that complemented the light and fluffy ice. The soybean flour was fragrant, and the toppings like walnuts and red beans were tasty. Overall, the balance of flavors was excellent, and I enjoyed the shaved ice until the last bite. Although it's a bit pricey, the quality justifies the cost. I may not be able to eat it often, but I would definitely come back as a treat. The seasonal specials also caught my eye. However, the dim lighting inside the shop made it difficult to take good photos, which was a bit disappointing for food bloggers. Overall, it was a delightful experience!

When I passed by before evening, there happened to be an open seat so I was able to get in right away, but usually there seems to be a long line waiting for tickets. I ordered the seasonal limited edition Edamame Milk in a regular size. It was surprisingly huge when I saw it up close. The Edamame Milk had a subtle salty taste, and inside there was red bean paste and soy sauce cream, making it enjoyable to eat without getting bored. It was delicious, but I felt like even a small size would have been enough. It was my first time getting full from shaved ice.

I love Kurogi-san so much♡ The season of Japanese chestnuts has come again this year. This time, I was able to eat Japanese chestnuts twice! I'm not a big fan of hojicha cream, so I skipped that and topped it with cheese cream instead!! I also added walnuts and chestnut simmered in syrup as toppings! I'm happy that I accumulated enough points! This is a restaurant I want to visit regularly in the future!

I arrived 10 minutes before the store opened and was given number 37. The wait was about 1 hour and 40 minutes, just as scheduled. I was surprised by the size of the shaved ice, it was huge, unlike anything I've seen before. It's impossible for one person to finish it. The chestnut flavor was indeed delicious, but I have had better shaved ice elsewhere. It was expensive too. I think I'm done with this place.

I visited this restaurant on a holiday night as part of my tour of popular eateries, and I was able to enter without waiting as it was not particularly crowded. They provide a numbered ticket through LINE for calling customers, and once inside, I found the elegant and sophisticated restaurant with around 30-40 seats. Even though I am not a huge fan of chestnuts, I decided to try their seasonal chestnut shaved ice called "Koi Wakuri." The shaved ice was unbelievably rich and creamy, making it possibly the most delicious chestnut dessert I have ever had. It was topped with real chestnuts, which added to the great taste. The ice also contained sweet red bean paste, resulting in an overall rich flavor. Although this restaurant is on the pricier side, I believe that trying this chestnut shaved ice is definitely worth it! Thank you for the wonderful meal!

I arrived at the shop around 9:45 wanting to eat delicious shaved ice! There was already a long line and I received ticket number 18. I was able to enter the shop around noon. I ordered the small size with matcha and kinako flavors. Even though it was a small size, it was quite large. The ice was fluffy but packed tightly, so it felt like a lot. The matcha flavor was very rich and had an adult taste. The kinako and black honey with walnuts were a great accent. Both flavors had red bean paste inside. Personally, I think topping kinako with matcha or shiratama would be good. Of course, the small size was enough. It was delicious. Thank you for the meal. I will come again!

I visited Kurogi, located right in front of Ueno-Hirokoji Station, to jump on the recent shaved ice trend. However, I was surprised to find out there was a 110-minute wait. I received a ticket and went to have dinner at a burger joint before coming back. I had been to their previous location near Tokyo University, but this was my first time at their new spot. The prices were quite high, with some shaved ice options costing over 3000 yen. I ordered the classic black honey and kinako small size for 1500 yen. It was a decent size, with fine ice, red beans at the bottom, and topped with walnuts, kinako powder, and cream, all drizzled with black honey. While it was tasty, I ended up getting a bit tired of it towards the end and left some. I couldn't help but think about the high profit margin they must be making. Nevertheless, the place was packed with people willing to spend that much on shaved ice. It might be a luxurious treat for those who eat it quickly or a great place to spend time chatting leisurely. I tried to justify the high prices by thinking of it as a visit to a fancy bar. Personally, I'm not sure if I would come back, but it was an interesting experience.