Joys of Japan

[gnine]

We came, we saw, we devoured obscene amounts of ice cream, whip cream, fruit and lord knows what else conquered!

See, Japan is quite fond of its parfaits, a common dessert in many restaurants and cafés here. But this one place, with over 150 different parfaits to chose from, is in a class all of its own. In the entrance to the restaurant, there are display cases featuring far-too-mouth-watering-considering-they're-made-of-plastic replicas of their entire menu, including their specialty: the very aptly-named Jumbo Parfait. On multiple visits, while standing in line waiting to pay, we've gazed upon it, promising each other "someday...someday". Well, our post-Halloween, look-at-all-the-candy-we-*didn't*-get-cause-Japan-doesn't-really-celebrate-Halloween, dang-it!! party turned out to be that day.

Costing ¥10,000 (roughly $100), with a ¥3,000 deposit required at least a day in advance (yes, a down payment...for a DESSERT), meant for 6-10 people, with I don't know how many flavors of ice cream, and a tremendous variety of fruits including strawberries, raspberries, other berries I'm not sure the name of, cherries, kiwi, pineapple, whole slices of melon, mango, and banana(also, usually, oranges, but we had to very carefully explain, repeatedly, that those would kill one of our group if consumed, an extra fun challenge when doing so not in your native language :-p), I give you the Jumbo Parfait:



More pictures, documenting the slow decimation of this amazing, INSANE, dessert below the cut.

Nov 1st, 7:35 pm: The nice little Japanese boy, presenting us with our parfait:



7:48 pm: Just getting started. Having gotten through a lot of the major fruit and whipped cream, we make the discovery that apart from an amazing variety of delicious ice cream flavors, there are also these wedges of brownie/cake propping up the peak of this monstrosity:



8:02 pm: We cleared the top...already feeling quite full, we rally and press on. Notice the pieces of waffle, along with the fallen piece of brownie/cake:



8:48 pm: Almost there. We've slowed down a LOT by this point. Occasional bites, here and there, a LOT of groans and patting of bellies....and discussion of how we're going to burn all of this off. A suggestion of a karaoke is made.



9:26 pm: Success!



Over the course of the night, we got a LOT of hilarious looks from the restaurant's other patrons. A group of eight gaijin (foreign) girls, half of them blond, is ALWAYS gonna get some turned heads in Japan, but add in a giant parfait? They *really* couldn't resist. (There was even some not-so-covert snapping of pictures when the thing was first brought out! ^_-)

Following our accomplishment, most of the group carried out the karaoke plan. Our first song of the night? "We are the Champions." ^_-

Comments

[naye]

Eee, you posted! Great pictures, and I love the dramatic narrative of our conquering the giant parfait. XD

[gnine.livejournal.com]

Hee, thanks! We rule, we really do! ^_- *huggles*

[pennyplainknits.livejournal.com]

I am getting a sugar headache just looking at that!

[gnine.livejournal.com]

Yeah...we were all craving lots of salty/bitter foods after. It was...quite the sugar rush. And the crash afterwards was rather brutal :-p

[spacealien-vamp.livejournal.com]

Wow, I'm impressed that not only did you order it, you finished the whole thing. Grats!

[gnine.livejournal.com]

It was at the parfait place we all went to last winter break when you guys were all here. And, well, ever since then, every time I've gone, it's just called out. Finally, we broke and just had to get it! ^_- Finishing it, though, that was HARD! Fun, delicious. But HARD! ^_-

[highonstargate.livejournal.com]

OMG! That is huge!! I'm getting a sugerhigh, just looking at it.


Which is partially true, cause I got lots of candy upstairs so... (bounces everywhere)

[gnine.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the sugar high was pretty spectacular...worse, though, the crash that followed! ^_-

[mezzo-cammin.livejournal.com]

Oh, what fun! But where are the pictures of you all??? The Japanese may not do Halloween, but I'm curious - do they still have about a festival a month where a dragon is wreathed throughout downtown traffic? I lived in Japan from when I was 6 to 9 (part off base, part in Grant Heights Air Force Base - which I think no longer exists), and as a child, I fell in love with the people and the customs, and especially the dragons. We were encouraged to mingle with the natives and absorb the culture, and to this day, I cover my mouth when I laugh...I just never broke that habit. And take my shoes off at the door. I think the parfait thing must be new, though. Relatively speaking (It's been over 30 years since I lived there). Also? I will never, ever forget the benjo (sp?) ditches. Do they still have those?

[gnine.livejournal.com]

I was careful posting the pics, cause I forgot to ask the rest of my dinning companions how they felt about them being posted to a public journal, so...

Hmm, well, there are still a lot of festivals, though I've never seen ones with dragons. Depends on the local, for the most part. The festivals are all so different depending on the city.

And, yeah, I feel SO STRANGE being in a house with shoes (course, even before Japan, my mother usually had us remove our shoes...but now?)

Yeah, I think the parfaits and obsession with french desserts in general is rather recent.

And yes, they still have the squat toilets. *shudder* Often in the same bathroom with the nicest, most crazy fancy, heated-seat, bidet toliets, so *shrug* um, crazy Japanese? ^_-

[lysambre.livejournal.com]

Hehehe, very courageous to even think about eating something that big !!! lol

[gnine.livejournal.com]

LOl, well, it was tormenting us, mocking us, every time we went to the place. Just, couldn't resist, after a while. That, and having seven others to back you up...it's a group courage thing! ^_-

[greyias.livejournal.com]

Holy schnikes, that's a big dessert! :O Is it in a vase?

[gnine.livejournal.com]

Yes, in fact, I believe it was...or something very vase-like. Even after the parfait was mostly eaten, we kept getting the funniest looks from newly-arrived costumers, who would do a double take when they saw the size of the...vase. ^_-

*applause*

[angelwings9.livejournal.com]

that looks amazing! i gotta get me on of those beauties!!! xxx

*bows*

[gnine.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it really was something! ^_^ You'll just have to come to Japan ^_-

[me-ya-ri.livejournal.com]

OMG! That was insane dessert! My hubby and I have been to Kyoto and we're both dying to know--was this the parfait shop in the Kyoto train station? We'd seen a giant parfait advertised there but the last time we visited the city the station was being renovated and we couldn't get pics of it. We have much awe that you managed to demolish the whole thing! O.O Jumbo parfait is JUMBO!

[gnine.livejournal.com]

I've seen a parfait shop in Kyoto station, but this wasn't there. This one's fairly new, only been around for about a year. Up by Sanjo Kawaramachi, if you remember where that is? By the covered shopping arcades. There are quite a few places that do the big parfaits, but this is by far the craziest I've seen. Yeah, when they say jumbo, they mean JUMBO! ^_- God, I love Japan! XD

[me-ya-ri.livejournal.com]

Sanjo Kawaramachi? My husband walked down that area a few years ago. He said he found it after taking a stroll down Pontocho Alley - only a couple of blocks away. Lots of shops... lots of yummy food... lots of walking... not enough spending money. We're planning on visiting Japan for the cherry blossums next spring and are thinking about touring Kyoto again. I hate to impose on you, but could you tell me the name of the shop and about where it was? My husband thinks it's on the longer of the two North-South covered arcardes. (Took a while to get him to find out where it was ^___^;)

Thanks very much!

[shayera.livejournal.com]

Bwahaha! I remember these! Japan knows how to make insane parfaits! Where exactly did you manage to find this particular monstrosity?

[gnine.livejournal.com]

It's a new place, only opened about a year ago, by Sanjo Kawaramachi. It's become THE parfait place to us, with the crazy HUGE selection. But this one we kept seeing advertised and just finally couldn't resist! ^_-

[libsechumanist.livejournal.com]

THAT is NOT a parfait...it's a small village.

[gnine.livejournal.com]

LOL. SO TRUE!

Or, as xparrot just put it, that's no parfait, it's a space station! ^_-

[libsechumanist.livejournal.com]

Yes, quite possibly from outer space; I concur!

[byakkodan-slash.livejournal.com]

Woah.

[gnine.livejournal.com]

Yeah. Doncha miss Japan! ^_- *huggles*

Damn my inability to consume Ice cream

[trixxanna.livejournal.com]

O.O***

I just don't have words *munches on pocky*

Re: Damn my inability to consume Ice cream

[gnine.livejournal.com]

...that is truly tragic! *big huggles*

Hee, you'll notice the pocky that was included, actually. Among lots of other things! ^_- But yay for giant pocky, mmmm....pocky! ^__^

[openmydoors.livejournal.com]

Oh wow. I SALUTE YOU IN EATING THAT MOSTROCITY.


...so pretteh, tho. *wistful*

[gnine.livejournal.com]

It was hard...but someone had to do it1 ^_-

[wednesday-10-00.livejournal.com]

Haha, I can't believe you ordered that thing! And I'm impressed that you finished. And slightly jealous.

...So, on your "multiple visits," are you systematically working your way through the menu, or do you just order same old favorites? (Eating every parfait on the menu could be a new goal!)

PS:
that those would kill one of our group if consumed

Rodney was with you??

[gnine.livejournal.com]

Not so systematically...cause we keep forgetting to write down what we ordered...but we are getting something different every time...at least we're fairly sure. God, it always takes SO LONG to decide! ^_-


Rodney was with you??

LOL, if only! No, one of my friends is deathly allergic to orange oil. Other citrus is fine, cause it's the oil, not the citric acid. But it's made me very aware of allergies...and does make me think of Rodney, cause I'm a horrible friend like that! ^_- Though she did help consult when Neechan was writing Rodney going into anaphylactic shock! ^_-

[wednesday-10-00.livejournal.com]

Well, even if you don't keep track, it's admirable to get something different every time. I'd probably always get the same thing. >.>

Though she did help consult when Neechan was writing Rodney going into anaphylactic shock!

Using one's allergy for the power of fanfic! I approve.

[gnine.livejournal.com]

She's been particularly useful, cause she's also totally EMT trained, so she's become our medical consultant in general! Sooo very useful for people who write h/c. A lot! ^_-

And with the parfait place, there are so many choices, I'm not sure if I could be sure I WAS getting the same thing again, even if I wanted to! ^_-

[acchikocchi.livejournal.com]

.....oh my GOD. *__________* That's AMAZING, my mouth is salivating just looking at it jakdl;jsdl;sj;dasd

Also, as the commenter above me notes, "Rodney was with you??" was my first thought too. *g*

Edit: I just showed this to my mother and she said, "So is the bottom layer mayonnaise?" jads;dsd her mayonnaise encounters in Japan clearly left a deep impression on her.

[gnine.livejournal.com]

*snicker* Not mayo, just a combo of ice cream, yogurt and whipped cream!

And, as I said above, nope, just a friend who's rather deathly allergic to orange oil....but the allergy does remind me of Rodney on occasion cause I'm a bad friend like that ^_-

[ezazahaz.livejournal.com]

...Wow. O.O Impressive.

Seriously, I am in awe of your dessert-eating skillz. I'm pretty sure I would've given up around the hour mark, myself... Looks like it was a lot of fun, though! :)

Also, down payment on dessert=hilarious.

[gnine.livejournal.com]

Around the hour mark, there was a LOT of belly-rubbing. But we were determined! ^_-

Yeah, we were amused by the down payment and three day reservation as well ^_^

[doctorskuld.livejournal.com]

D: AWESOME!

[gnine.livejournal.com]

^__^ Miss Japan? ^_-

[doctorskuld.livejournal.com]

HOLY SHIT, yes I totally do. ;_____;

[beadattitude.livejournal.com]

Sweet mother of pearl! That thing comes in an URN.

[gnine.livejournal.com]

LOL...um...yes, yes it did! ^_-

Oh the sugar rush, oh, the crash

[crashtestskater.livejournal.com]

Ha ha. Loved seeing your pictures. A couple of things...

What no credit for helping organize the joy, the pain, and the triumph?

Am I now Rodney???

No, not the mayo. I'm not sure my stomach could have handled that. The yogourt was rich enough.

So, when are we going again?

Re: Oh the sugar rush, oh, the crash

[gnine.livejournal.com]

I thought I did credit you...hmmm, that must have been in one of the first rewrites :-p

...no no no, you're not Rodney, he has a citrus allergy, so much different! ^_-

Um...soon I hope? ^_____^