Gelato Pique’s spinoff cafes pique our interest with adorable ice cream and mochi treats.

From its name, you might assume that Gelato Pique is an ice cream brand, but it’s actually a Japanese apparel company that specializes in cute and cozy roomwear (including Pokémon designs). The company describes its aesthetic as being “inspired by sweet indulgences,” hence the “Gelato” part of its name.

However, there’s a lot of crossover between fans of comfy pajamas and relaxing cafes, so while it wasn’t Gelato Pique’s original plan, the brand has also been spun off into a Gelato Pique Cafe chain. This is where the brand’s linguistic atmosphere starts wrapping back on itself. Gelato Pique’s clothing has to be extra-cute in order to match the sweetness of its name, but that then means Gelato Pique Cafe’s customers are going to expect food and drinks on a higher level of photogenic cuteness than at other restaurants.

That’s a bar Gelato Pique Cafe is easily clearing, though with its Sea Animals sweets series.

Leading the way in this fresh wave of adorable eats is Gelato Pique’s original marine mammal crepe, the Mochimochi (“Chewy”) Seal Crepe, returning following its initial stint on the menu last summer. Wrapped inside the crepe are whipped cream, tiramisu cream, sliced mango, sliced almonds, and caramel sauce, and sitting atop it is a scoop of black sesame ice cream wrapped in mochi, with chocolate pieces to make the adorable seal’s facial features.

Joining the seal is the new Pukapuka (“Floating”) Otter Gelato, looking like a sea otter happily drifting about in the waves. Here too you get black sesame ice cream with chocolate pieces, and the critter’s hands are formed from black sesame-infused whipped cream.

There’s also the new Hinyari (“Chilly”) Walrus Crepe. Instead of black sesame, the ice cream topping here is a chocolate banana flavor, with chocolate for the eyes, nose and whiskers, and marshmallows serving as the tusks. Inside the crepe are tiramisu cream, sliced bananas, and caramel sauce.

And last, if you’re thirsty but still want something sweet, there’s the Purupuru (“Jiggly”) Penguin Soda Float. The base here is Ramune (an apple/citrus cider that’s a perennial summertime favorite in Japan) with fish-shaped pineapple gelatin pieces added. Floating atop the drink is a scoop of milk gelato, and standing on top of that is a penguin-shaped monaka wafer.

The Pukapuka Otter gelato cone is priced at 840 yen (US$5.40), the Purupuru Penguin soda at 890, and the crepes 1,290 yen each. They’ll all be available at Gelato Pique Cafe branches between now and July 1.

Related: Gelato Pique Cafe location list
Source, images: PR Times
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