It’s one of the biggest chains in the world, yet many people have never even heard of it.

Recently, we came across a news report stating that, despite having over 40,000 locations worldwide, McDonald’s wasn’t actually the fast-food chain with the most stores. Even the seemingly ubiquitous Starbucks couldn’t claim that honor. Instead, the title of the world’s largest chain went to a company we had never even heard of: Mixue (pronounced “mee-shoo”), which boasts over 45,000 locations globally.

We were completely shocked. How could a chain with so many locations be unknown to us? Determined to fix this gap in our knowledge, we did some research and discovered, to our luck, a location in Ikebukuro. So, we set out to find more about this mysterious giant.

Battling the wind and rain en route from Ikebukuro Station, we approached the location on the map, only to discover a huge line of people! Was everyone here for Mixue? Had we really been the only ones in the dark?

As we got closer, we realized we were mistaken. The line was, in fact, for the store next door.

Peering through the window of Mixue, we could spot only a couple of guests, in stark contrast to the many people waiting outside. Walking in, we were greeted by the adorable snowman mascot, Snow King.

We could also hear the employees speaking Chinese; clearly this was a chain from China, with most of its stores located there. Curious to see what made Mixue so popular, we took a look at the menu. The top-selling item was the Signature King Cone (260 yen [US$1.73]), though at first glance, it looked like any ordinary ice cream cone.

The second most popular item on the menu was Pearl Milk Tea (400 yen), which appeared to be a classic bubble tea. The third item, however, was a different story and really piqued our interest: Cheese Oolong Tea. Being complete novices to Chinese tea culture, we were perplexed. Cheese tea? Could it really be tasty? Intrigued, we ordered ourselves a serving of the ice cream and a Cheese Black Tea (500 yen).

The ice cream had a slightly sherbet-like texture and was unlike soft serves commonly sold in Japan, as it was a little firmer.

Having said that, the flavor was definitely milky, and the portion size was generous, which made it seem to be a really good deal for the price you pay.

On to the cheese tea, we were served it in a plastic cup, complete with a film lid. With its white cheese layer on top, the tea almost looked like a frothy beer.

Since the lid was tightly sealed, we grabbed the provided straw, pierced through it, and took a sip. It was pretty good! The tea had faint hints from the sweetness of the cream cheese, but even though both tea and cheese were slightly sweet, the drink itself didn’t feel overly sugary. Rather, it was quite refreshing. We were pleasantly surprised to discover such a drink exists. It even made us want to try the more popular Cheese Oolong Tea next time.

Satisfied with our experience, we left feeling relieved that we’d finally filled this 45,000-store gap in our knowledge. Mixue is a shop geared towards light sweets and drinks, with a simpler menu compared to the likes of McDonald’s and Starbucks. If, like us, you have never experienced cheese tea, consider calling in and picking one up the next time you walk past one of their many stores.

Store location
Mixue / ミーシュー
Address: Tokyo-to, Toshima-ku, Nishi Ikebukuro 5-2-3
東京都豊島区西池袋5-2-3
Open 11:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m.

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