I don’t think I’ve ever wished that I liked matcha quite as much as I did while I was eating the matcha Bavarian cream at Kinozen.
It’s a dessert that consists of a neat cube of matcha pudding, a dollop of whipped cream, and a scoop of sweet red beans.
I don’t exactly hate matcha, but there’s something about its bitter, grassy flavour that I find a bit off-putting. And the matcha pudding here has an unmistakable flavour; it’s a face-punch of bitter matcha intensity.
Under normal circumstances, that would have been that. You’d think I would have hated (or at least disliked) this dessert. But I really, really enjoyed it.
Every other element of this thing is just so good. The texture of the pudding is silky, rich, and custardy, like the best creme caramel you’ve ever had.
The whipped cream has the perfect consistency and level of sweetness, and does an amazing job of cutting the strong matcha flavour. And the beans are great, as sweet red beans tend to be.
A spoonful with a decent amount of all three is rich, creamy, and surprisingly delicious.
I can’t even imagine how much I would have loved this dessert if I liked matcha. It would have blown my mind. It’s that good.
Location: 〒162-0825 Tōkyō-to, Shinjuku-ku, Kagurazaka, 1 Chome−１２ 紀の善ビル
How to find it: There’s no English on the sign, but look for the display of wax desserts in the window.
Featured in: Kantaro: The Sweet Tooth Salaryman, Season 1, Episode 6