Why eat kakigori in the middle of winter? At Yelo, the smash-hit shaved ice café in Roppongi, it’s merely because one can. During warmer months an outrageous line snakes out the somewhat hidden doorway along the outside of the restaurant, winding down a street housing an artisanal-beer darts bar and a club featuring a Beatles cover band. In the line, office ladies sporting brand-name handbags shift from foot to foot, young men try to amuse their dates, various Lolita cosplay girls laugh and text, a band of kids from an outer prefecture try to fit in, while two older gentlemen in hiking clothes seem stranded and two GIs from the army base in Yokuska consider leaving for the Hard Rock Café around the corner. It’s Roppongi, after all, where foreigners roam and Japanese people flock.
The café opens at 11 in the morning and in warmer weather the wait can feel infinite as the line instantly swells. Yelo stays open most of the night, in keeping with its neighbors. Go in February or March and you can waltz right in and take a seat.
Kakigori is shaved ice with syrup or toppings, Japanese-style. Without the myriad toppings it would seem to float away. It’s almost like eating a cloud or quite possibly what dessert tastes like when you dream of it. That’s where the toppings come in. The fluffy consistency of the ice comes from natural local spring water frozen into old-fashioned blocks of ice. No tap water here, just pure mountain-sourced water kept at the optimal temperature for perfect shaving. Yelo proudly displays the ice in its own case in the middle of the café.
A kakigori maker slings a small block of ice into the shredding machine, holds a small plate near the bottom chute and begins his magic. First, a layer of gossamer ice, a small mound from which to build an empire. Then come the goodies, depending on the final taste ordered. The base in place, more silken threads of ice are layered on. More flavoring. More ice. More flavoring. The kakigori maker stands back to look at the creation in his hand. Yes!
At Yelo the house-made flavorings can seem like something out of the latest manga–inspired craze, yet are mixed with tradition. Beyond that, no matter what is ordered, customers can customize their treats to suit their wildest fantasies. Rare Cream Cheese Cake has a “special milk sauce,” plus another cheese sauce, with crushed Oreo cookies hidden inside and proudly dancing on top. Green Tea kakigori, made from Kyoto tea, looks iridescent and simultaneously indecently refreshing. Strawberry Milk tastes like eating one’s memories of strawberries and cream. Adzuki Bean arrives adorned with adzuki bean paste woven inside and lace-like over the top, hoping for a mascarpone chaser splashed on before eating.
Yelo offers flamboyant combinations and taste sensations, yet nothing tastes unusually sweet. They proudly state on their menu that they are dedicated to exploring sweet taste and present a perfect harmony of syrup, milk and ice. Creations include Organic Carrot Mascarpone, Apple Pie, Crème Brûlée, Caramel, Mango Lassi, Avocado Mascarpone and Tiramisu. There are seasonal favorites and special flavors that pop up from time to time. Come evening Yelo breaks out the “Night Kakigori,” with specialty guilty pleasures spiked with alcohol: Godiva Chocolate, Kahlua, Grasshopper and other indulgences.
If the combinations and tastes are not enough, Yelo offers add-ons: granola, Oreo cookies, tapioca, almonds, adzuki jelly and the house favorite, hot corn. People often leave raving about the hot nuggets over the cold ice. Not enough? Pick an additional sauce: milk, yogurt, mascarpone, cream cheese.
Each dish of kakigori is hand-built and served with great care. Swipe off the top layer and find the next layer of goodies in a web of ice that somehow doesn’t melt, except in one’s mouth. The treat is surprisingly low in fat, usually gluten-free and quite healthy.
There is a small counter where one can sit and watch the kakigori maker spin his magic. An additional six tables along a window allow a series of treats to be shared between two or more people. The café serves coffee, soft drinks and many kinds of alcoholic beverages, including a specially made ale. Fries and samosas are on offer as well.
Japan loves fads and crazes. It’s best to visit Yelo before the hot weather. In summer, bring sunscreen to slather on while waiting in the sun. Then cool off over mounds of kakigori. Either way, it’s a wild adventure in sweets.
Published on February 27, 2015
Related stories
April 18, 2014
BarcelonaThe perpetually packed Bar Mundial is one of Barcelona’s elder statesmen. It opened for business in Santa Caterina-El Born in 1914 under the name Bodega La Chispa, and was rechristened with its current name in 1925, when the Tort family took over. The place is now run by third-generation owner Paco Tort. The old bar has…
November 2, 2022
MarseilleHigh above the hills of Nice, past the crowded villages frequented by tourists, is the small commune of Saint-Jeannet. Nestled among the grand limestone baous (Provençal word meaning steep rock), Saint-Jeannet sits perched like a jewel with stunning views to the sea. Built sometime in the 11th century during the High Middle Ages, the village…
March 7, 2016
IstanbulWave after wave of migration from Anatolia has bestowed upon Istanbul a population of 15 million at bare minimum, with countless pockets of the city representing villages and districts from every last corner of the country. In the neighborhood of Feriköy, those originally hailing from the eastern province of Erzincan have managed to consolidate their…
