Can we demolish a four-kilo purin made with 32 eggs?
Be careful what you wish for. That’s something we’ve often heard wise people say, but we’re not always wise, nor are we always good listeners. That’s what led us to a cafe in Tokyo’s upscale Omotesando district the other day, where we pulled up a chair and ordered the stuff of dreams: a four-kilo purin.
That’s 8.8 pounds if you’re going by the Imperial system, and if you’re wondering what purin is it’s Japanese pudding, made with custard and similar to a flan or creme caramel. It’s also our reporter Natsuki Gojo’s favourite dessert, so when she heard about the massive, big-eats version, she immediately raced out to try it.
It was only when she arrived at the cafe, called Sweet Check, when the reality of what she was about to do hit her, and although she’d invited a friend to join her, she was unsure about whether or not they would be able to finish the huge dessert.
Still, eating massive amounts of endless pudding had always been a dream of hers, so she was determined to give it her all. However, when staff brought over a tray that took up almost the entire table, with a huge mould on top of it, she began to feel her pulse quicken.
When the mould was gradually removed, her eyes widened as the dessert slowly revealed itself.
Then, when the mould was completely released, the caramel sauce came flooding out like a waterfall.
▼ She was now face-to-face with her dream giant pudding!!!
Staff told her that this sweet beast weighs around 4 kilos and is made using 32 eggs and two litres (68 ounces) of milk. Natsuki had never thought about what actually goes into her favourite dessert so she decided to block the mental image of eating two dozen eggs in one sitting, and dipped her spoon into the silky smooth pudding for a taste.
It was a beautifully firm pudding, and the first bite revealed the rich flavour of custard, just how she likes it.
The caramel sauce had quite a strong bitterness, which helped to balance out the sweetness, and it felt decadent to eat it directly from the tray with spoons.
▼ If you prefer a fancier presentation, it can also be cut into pieces for serving, but we recommend carving out chunks with your spoon.
Natsuki was thankful that it wasn’t overly sweet, so she could easily eat mouthful after delicious mouthful. As she continued eating, she noticed that things were particularly creamy and delicious near the base of the dessert, where there appeared to be a thin layer of something different.
After asking staff about it, they told her this layer formed naturally under the weight of the pudding, and although it happens with all purin, it was more noticeable here due to its massive size.
▼ You can see the layer here, in white.
Natsuki felt it was a privilege to taste this exquisite creaminess, seeing as it’s something you can’t really detect in a regular pudding, and it gave her extra encouragement to keep going. At this point, she began to feel confident that she and her friend might actually be able to eat nearly all of the pudding, but as they continued eating, they both gradually began to feel full.
In the end, they put down their spoons and admitted defeat, because after eating about a third of it, they were unable to go on. Realising that the bounds of her stomach couldn’t match the vast bounds of her love for purin, Natsuki began to feel slightly defeated at her efforts. However, staff told her not to worry, as they’d never even seen a group of four finish one – they said you’d probably need around six people to eat the whole thing.
Thankfully, the leftover pudding can be taken home, which came as a welcome relief to our purin-loving duo. They probably left more than three kilos behind, so the bags they left with were incredibly heavy.
▼ The purin can also be freezed, so Natsuki’s visit wasn’t in vain as she now gets to enjoy pudding at home for weeks to come.
If you’d like to test your own purin powers, you’ll need to make a reservation at least two days in advance, as the giant pudding takes six hours to bake and one day to chill and set. There’s also a limit on how many can be made each day, so you’ll want to make your reservation as soon as you’ve decided on the date you’d like to visit.
At 5,000 yen (US$32.55) it’s a very affordable deal, especially if you’re going with a group, and it’ll definitely be a dining experience to remember. Just be sure to come on an empty stomach, and be careful what you wish for!
Cafe Information
Sweet Check
Address: Tokyo-to, Minato-ku, Minami-Aoyama 3-18-5, Sakura Apartment 1F
東京都港区南青山3-18-5 さくらアパートメント 1F
Open: 11:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m. (Irregular holidays)
Photos ©SoraNews24
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[ Read in Japanese ]