Starbucks Japan goes retro with Purin A la Mode Pudding Frappuccino, kissaten coffeehouse items

New lineup will make you feel like you’ve stepped back in time to the heyday of Japanese coffeehouses.

Starbucks is a brand that’s constantly striving to be new and innovative, whether it be with their jaw-dropping never-before-seen Frappuccino releases or their shiny new Roastery complexes, which are filled with the most modern appliances and furnishings.

Now though, they’re taking a walk down memory lane in Japan, and it comes at an appropriate moment, as the ascension of a new emperor and the start of a new era has people around the country looking back at the past with a wistful sense of nostalgia.

To really amp up the old-school atmosphere and make customers feel like they’ve stepped back in time, Starbucks will even be adding a new retro logo to their outlets with special signboards outside stores for a limited time.

▼ The brown-and-white logo changes “スターバックス”, which is the usual rendering of Starbucks in Japanese, into “スタアバックス珈琲” (“Starbucks Coffee”).

For people in Japan, this type and logo has an old kissaten coffeehouse look to it, and even though Starbucks wasn’t around in Japan before 1996, this clever limited-edition rebranding gives customers a taste of what the modern coffeehouse chain might’ve been like if it existed here in the ’70s and ’80s.

And for a true taste of yesteryear, Starbucks is offering an exciting lineup of retro menu items, with the star being a new Frappuccino that contains all the flavours of a very retro dessert: Purin a la mode.

In Japan, “purin” is a term used for a type of no-bake pudding that resembles a Creme Caramel. And back in the ’70s and ’80s, purin a la mode became a trendy dessert in Japan, with ice cream and various fruits added alongside the pudding, which was often served up at kissaten coffee houses.

▼ Purin a la mode can be served in a variety of different ways, depending on the coffeehouse, but the core ingredients remain the same.

Image: Flickr/emi moriya

Image: Flickr/ume-y

Starbucks’ new drinkable purin a la mode is said to contain a base of caramel sauce, layered beneath a purin-flavoured mix, and topped with a mixed fruit jelly made from mango, apple and strawberries. Finished with a mound of whipped cream and a cherry garnish, the beverage is said to resemble the original retro dessert in both looks and flavour, taking customers back to a time when purin a la mode was on trend.

Joining the new Frappuccino is a range of equally nostalgic menu items, including a coffee jelly cake (440 yen [US$4]), a hot ham and egg sandwich (380 yen), and a Vienna coffee (Short to Venti sizes from 340-460 yen).

▼ Starbucks will be turning retro in Japan for a limited time from 15 May to 18 June.

The Purin A La Mode Frappuccino will also be available from 15 May to 18 June, sold in a tall size only for 620 yen. And if you prefer to look forward rather than back, Starbucks’ regular menu items will be on the menu during this time, including a brand new Royal Milk Tea Frappuccino, which goes on sale nationwide from 15 May.

Source: Starbucks Japan
Featured image: Starbucks Japan
Insert images: Starbucks Japan ( 1, 2) 
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