Japanese Desserts in Tokyo Review in 2022

Hi, I’m Chie from Zakzakka. My last article was about Japanese food I had in Tokyo. Today I am introducing you to some of the Japanese desserts you can enjoy throughout Tokyo.

In the case you have not heard for the last article, please find it here!

Japanese Matcha

Green tea is quite popular in UK now, but have you ever tried matcha? It’s a lot stronger and thicker than normal green tea, made from ground powdered green tea, prepared by a wooden whisk which creates a foam on top. It may look bitter, but quality matcha actually tastes somewhat sweet.

The hotel I stayed in served matcha as a welcome drink to the guests, and to be honest, this was my first proper cup of matcha. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Green Tea Parfait

Layers of whipped cream, corn flakes, green tea sauce, anko (sweet red bean paste) and green tea ice cream, you can enjoy various combinations of taste in each spoon. Different textures and a variety of sweetness makes it fun to eat too.

Cafe: nana’s green tea
Budget: £

Green Tea Haagen-Daz

I always, ALWAYS make sure I eat at least one cup of this when I’m in Japan. Why don’t they sell these in UK?

Shiratama an-mitsu

Shiratama is made from shiratama flour, mixed with water, then boiled. It has a chewy but soft texture. This dessert also has anko (sweet red bean paste) and green tea ice cream, as well as whiteish jelly made from agar, and it’s complete with pouring kuromitsu (dark brown sugar syrup) over them.

Cafe: nana’s green tea

Purin（Japanese pudding）

Somewhat similar to crema Catalana, a Spanish custard egg dessert, purin is a distinctively Japanese sweet. It’s made of eggs, milk, and sugar, but some are creamy, some have more texture.

I found this café on Instagram and had to try their premium purin, which they sell out by late afternoon. And it did not disappoint! Just the right texture, right amount of sweetness that matched well with the bitter caramel sauce.

Café: 4/4 seasons (all seasons) coffee
Budget : £

Fruit Parfait

It was mango season when I visited, and this was definitely the one to try. Ripe sweet mangos that would melt in your mouth, mango sorbet and thick mango sauce in the bottom, together with lightly whipped cream, I could have ordered another!

Café: Senbikiya Fruit Parlour
Budget: ££

Have you had any of the Japanese desserts listed here before? Have you found a favourite you might want to try some day? I hope I’ve inspired you to take a trip to Japan and try Japanese food and Japanese desserts yourself!