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Japanese ice cream with history, perfect for vegans and the lactose intolerant
Cream Zenzai (Azuki Bean Ice Cream) at Koharu Cafe
I’m a big fan of creamy ice cream, but I could hardly believe it when I found out that this ice cream is completely milk free. It just tastes so… milky. The secret lies within their 60 year old ice cream machine, the age of which makes Koharu Cafe’s ice cream something of an endangered species. Made with nothing more than azuki beans, sugar and mizuame “liquid candy” this ice cream which they call zenzai has a really interesting taste and is perfect for sweet-toothed vegans and people with milk allergies.
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MENU Cream Zenzai Small ¥300 Large ¥400 Take out ¥250 Koharu Cafe 小春カフェ 11-1 Enoki-cho, Naka-ku, map p.29 [A-1] 082-942-5861 11:30-17:00 Closed Thursdays
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Hiroshima’s Cheapest Kaki-gori
Iwataya’s ¥100 Kaki-gori
Originally made for the kids that play in the park next to the shop, this has got to be the cheapest kaki-gori in the city. This kaki-gori isn’t made with an automatic ice shaving machine, but by one worked by hand, which is something of a rarity and produces very fluffy ice. They only do take out, and in spite of the low price, it’s absolutely delicious! *This place is actually a very popular kaitenyaki shop. These are light muffin-like pancakes with various sweet fillings, the most popular of which is their azuki and soy milk cream mix which sell for ¥130 a piece
MENU Kaki-gori Shaved Ice かき氷, Strawberry いちご, lemon れもん, melon めろん, blue hawaii ハワ イアンブルー・レインボー ¥100, Grape ぶ どう, soda ソーダ, peach もも, pineapple パ イン ¥130, Ujikintoki 宇治金時, Iced azuki beans 氷あずき ¥300 Toppings Condensed milk 練乳 ¥2, Anko red bean paste あ んこ ¥40 Shiratama sweet rice dumplings 白玉 ¥60 Anmistu syrup-covered red bean paste あん みつ ¥100
Iwataya いわた屋 2-2-17 Sakai-machi, Naka-ku, 082-231-0846, 10:30-18:00, Occasional irregular days off, map p.29 [A-1]
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Bonus treat: Onomichi’s Top Batter, Ice Monaka Ice Cream Sandwich
Everyone’s favorite, Karasawa’s Ice Monaka
10 out of 10 cats in Onomichi will send you to Karasawa when asked for an ice cream recommendation. Do an internet search for Onomichi ice cream and nowhere else pops up. I went to see what all the fuss was about for myself. Karawa’s unassuming appearance belies a 60 year history. The menu is even more simple, offering only monaka ice cream sandwiches and cream zenzai. The monaka are filled with delectable vanilla ice cream made with plenty of eggs and the wafer casing has a tasty fragrant flavor. It’s, by far, the best ice monaka I’ve ever tasted, and thus the question of its dominance of Onomichi’s dessert world was answered..
MENU Take out Ice Monaka アイスモナカ ¥150 Cream Zenzai クリームぜんざい ¥280 (eat in ¥340) DATE Karasawa Hand made Iceからさわ 1-15-19 Tsuchidou, Onomichi-shi 0848-23-6804 10:00-19:00 (Nov-Feb until 18:00) Closed Tuesdays (unless National Holiday when closed the next day) Nov-Feb also closed 2nd Wednesday of the month) GetHiroshima / Summer 2015
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