Each dish will use the same exclusive green tea blend that the company uses for its delicious matcha ice cream.

Häagen-Dazs always has something special planned for the Japanese market, with some of the highlights from recent years being flavors such as sesame walnut mochi and roasted soybean black sugar syrup. But the very first time the company whipped up a special treat just for Japan was in 1996, when Häagen-Dazs’ green tea ice cream was released.

Since then, green tea has become a constant part of the Häagen-Dazs lineup in Japan, with the delicious flavor a product of a special of blended tea leaves selected for the ice cream’s exclusive use. So with the company set to celebrate 35 years in Japan this year, it’s opening a Matcha Salon in Tokyo’s fashionable Ropppongi Hills entertainment complex.

However, the Matcha Salon will be more than just a fancy place to eat ice cream. Instead, it’ll be offering a six-course matcha meal, with the further numerical attraction that the experience is designed to appeal to all five senses. Each item uses the same blended matcha green tea as in Häagen-Dazs’ green tea ice cream, and while it’s easy to understand how vibrant and fragrant matcha powder can stimulate the senses of sight, smell, and taste, it’s going to be interesting to see how the chefs manage to incorporate sound and touch into the fare.

The specifics of the menu are being kept under wraps for now, but each seating will be roughly an hour, with the first meal served at 11 a.m. and the last finishing at 10:30 p.m., so it seems safe to assume that the meal works equally well as a lunch or dinner. The Matcha Salon open on April 24, and runs until May 5.

Restaurant information
Häagen-Dazs Matcha Salon
Address: Tokyo-to, Minato-ku, Roppongi 6-10-1, Roppongi, Hills Hillside 2nd floor (Hills Cafe/Space)
東京都港区六本木6－10－1 六本木ヒルズ ヒルサイド2階 「ヒルズ カフェ/スペース」
Open 11 a.m.-10:30 p.m.

Source, images: Häagen-Dazs