Do the pizza pros know what they’re doing with dessert drinks?

It was with great sadness that we weren’t able to carve out space in our schedule to visit Domino’s Pizza Japan’s Shake Stand, a dedicated milkshake store, in Tokyo before it closed. Then it was with great joy hat we remembered “Hey, Shake Stand may have only been a temporary popup place, but Domino’s Japan has milkshakes on its menu all the time!”

And so then it was with great anticipation that our Japanese-language reporter Marie Morimoto headed out to her local Domino’s branch to taste-test one.

In keeping with Japanese sweets standards, Domino’s has a number of limited-time seasonal flavors on offer, and while the apple and black currant shakes were tempting, Marie decided on the mango milkshake, since it’s the most summery sounding of them all.

At 790 yen (US$5.25), Domino’s shakes aren’t particularly cheap, but when the staff handed over Marie’s she could see that part of how they justify this price is by giving you a generous portion of actual sliced mango in the drink.

It’s also impressively weighty, she found as she lifted up the cup for some triumphant snapshots.

OK, so it looks good and feels good, but does it taste good?

Yes, oh yes indeed! Milky, rich, and fruity, this was everything Marie had hoped it would be in the flavor department. She also has to award it full points for texture. Some milk shakes have a distracting icy crunchiness to them, and others go too far in the other direction, with a watery, runny consistency. Domino’s shake had neither of those problems, and was perfectly creamy, probably as a result of being made with milk, ice cream, and fruit only, with no other superfluous ingredients.

Marie was also incredibly happy at how well the Domino’s shake maintained its texture. With record-breaking heat hitting Japan, she thought she might have to gulp her drink down as fast as she could to prevent it from melting into a runny, unappetizing mess. But even 10 minutes after getting her drink, it remained decadently thick, allowing her to leisurely savor it down to the very last sip.

Speaking of taking your time, for maximum freshness Domino’s shakes are made to order, so you’ll have a wait of about five minutes or so if you just pop into a branch and order one at the counter. But if you’re the type who likes to plan ahead, you can also get Domino’s shakes delivered to your home or office just like you would their pizzas, and we have a hunch that the delivery staff might be becoming more and more acquainted with the route to Marie’s place now that we know how good these dessert drinks are.

Photos ©SoraNews24
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