We assemble an array of accessible frozen treats for a man with very vanilla tastes.

When it comes to food, our Japanese-language reporter Go Hatori contains multitudes. On the one hand, his desire to broaden his palate and culinary skills is so strong that he’s succeeded in getting fried rice recipes from two different online scam artists while they were in the process of trying to steal Go’s money or identity. But on the other hand, he’s got next to no first-hand experience with anpan, one of Japan’s most popular baked-good sweets.

So every now and again, we put together a selection of some of the tastiest treats to be found in Japan, with each member of our panel making a recommendation from a certain category for Go to taste, and today’s theme is ice cream.

We should start by explaining that Go (pictured above) doesn’t dislike ice cream. It’s just that he pretty much always eats the same kind, Lady Borden-brand vanilla ice cream, which he keeps stocked in his freezer at home. We’ve got a whole slew of other kinds for him to try, though, so let’s take a look at the lineup and see if they can get Go to consider shaking up his ice cream-eating habits.

● Mr. Sato’s recommendation: Kubota Ice Candy Strawberry Milk (216 yen [US$1.50])

“You can only find this at stores that carry high-quality stuff, like the supermarkets attached to Isetan department stores or the Natural Lawson convenience store chain. It’s made by the company Kubota in Kochi Prefecture, and the combination of rich milk and tart strawberries is hard to resist. For 216 yen, you won’t find many other ice creams that are this genuinely tasty.”

● Ahiruneko’s recommendation: Mow Vanilla (183 yen)

“I think I remember Go saying once that he likes Mow Vanilla, and I thought it’d be nice to suggest something that our readers can easily find at just about any supermarket or convenience store in the country.”

● Seiji Nakazawa’s recommendation: Baskin-Robbins Happy Friends Panda Rum Raisin (450 yen)

“I think Go will like the strong contrasts in not just the flavors, but also the textures in rum raisin ice cream, even if they don’t feel like the most obviously complementary combinations. Plus when I went to Baskin-Robbins to pick some up, I found out about the ‘Happy Friends’ option, which adds a topping of chocolate and whipped cream.”

● Masanuki Sunakoma’s recommendation: Giant Cone Chocolate and Milk (214 yen)

“This is the one to pick for people who want a big contrast in textures. The chocolate is crisp as you bite into it, and the combination of chocolate with milky vanilla is a time-tested classic. Factor in the secret weapon of the crunchy almonds, and this can go toe-to-toe with even premium ice creams, and it’s my personal favorite brand of ice cream to boot.”

● Yuichiro Wasai’s recommendation: Taberu Bokujo Milk (248 yen)

“For someone like Go, who likes a straightforward creamy vanilla flavor, I thin he’ll love Taberu Bokujo Milk [which translates loosely to “Farm-fresh Milk that You can Eat”]. Really, if that’s what you’re into, it doesn’t get any better than this.”

● Mariko Ohanabatake’s recommendation: Black Mont Blanc (200 yen)

“I don’t know how well known it is in Tokyo, but Black Mont Blanc is the ice cream pride of Kyushu. The chocolate coating is covered in crumbled cookie bits for a crunch, and the deliciousness of the vanilla ice cream is something that anyone who’s eaten it can sing the praises of. If Go doesn’t pick this as the best of the bunch, he’ll be making an enemy of everyone in Kyushu, and will never be able to set foot on the island again.”

● Takamichi Furusawa recommendation: Häagen-Dazs Vanilla (278 yen)

“I’ve heard that Go like Lady Borden vanilla, so I figured another premium-brand vanilla ice cream should be right up his alley.”

● P.K. Sanjun’s recommendation: Chateraise Choco-baki Kajigon (108 yen)

“It’s always hard to get a read on Go’s tastes, since he likes both basic traditional stuff and bold surprises. He’s kind of all over the place like that. For this time around, I’m guessing he wants something unique, so I’m going in with these vanilla ice cream bars with a super-hard chocolate coating, and putting my faith in the crunchy texture to win him over.”

● Yoshio’s recommendation: Ohayo Brulee (397 yen)

“This is the brand of cream brulee ice cream from 7-Eleven. The caramelized sugar topping is nice and crunchy, and when you mix it together with the ice cream they taste great, and even smell great. It’s also my kids’ number-one ice cream recommendation.”

Now, with the entrants assembled, it was time for Go to carry out his professional duty and eat a whole bunch of ice cream.

▼ Go: “OK, I’m gonna start with the Giant Cone!”

▼ Go: “Oh, yeah! This is really good! No two ways about it.”

▼ P.K. Sanjun: “He’s really going to town, isn’t he? Not pacing himself at all.”

▼ Go: “All right, time for the Kubota Ice Candy Strawberry Milk. Hmm…this feels more like the kind of thing to eat outside on a hot summer day.”

▼ Go: “Ah, Taberu Bokujo Milk? This is the one that made a really big stir when they tarted selling it at Family Mart convenience stores, right?”

▼ Go: “Häagen-Dazs? Don’t mind if I do!”

▼ Mr. Sato: “He’s scooping up as much as he can with every bite…”

▼ Go: “Oh, hey, I know this one too! Black Mont Blanc. Once you try it, you’ll always remember the texture.”

▼ Masanuki: “I mean, I know it’s a taste test and all, but I didn’t expect him to keep eating and eating them all after taking a taste.”
Mariko: “Shouldn’t he be full by now? Where’s he putting it all?”

▼ Go: “I think I may have tried the Ohayo Brulee before. It’s even better once it gets a little melty.”

▼ Go: “Oh, wow, this Baskin-Robbins is awesome! And it’s rum raisin? I never would have thought to order that flavor on my own.”

So when Go had finished tasting (and eating quite a bit of) all nine entries which were his top three? He gives the third-place prize to 7-Eleven’s Ohayo Brulee…

…the second-place trophy to Baskin-Robbins Happy Friends Panda Rum Raisin…

…and his pick for the overall winner is…

…Häagen-Dazs Vanilla.

In retrospect, perhaps we should have seen this coming. With Go always having Lady Borden vanilla ice cream in his freezer, it’s clear that plain vanilla ice cream is exactly where his personal ice cream sweet spot is, so it makes sense that even when presented with more complex frozen treats, he still gravitated towards the one closest to his ideal of a straightforward rich creamy flavor.

On the other hand, the fact that Go ate so much of the other entries, far beyond what he needed to establish a flavor profile for them, shows that they all have their own individual charms, and when the rest of the panel helped themselves to Go’s leftovers, no one had any complaints, so you may need to follow Go’s example and eat nine different desserts in one sitting to find the one that most speaks to you.

Photos © SoraNews24
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