Three To Try: Japanese Shaved-Ice Dessert Kakigori Takes Melbourne by (Snow) Storm

Korea has bingsu, Italy has granita and in the Philippines it’s halo-halo. Japan’s answer to shaved-ice desserts is kakigori.

Kakigori’s shaved ice resembles fluffy, freshly fallen snow, which is then sweetened with syrups of various flavours. The dessert comes in different flavours and is typically topped with things like red bean paste, fresh fruit, ice-cream or drizzles of condensed milk.

Recently, kakigori has begun to appear on menus in Melbourne, with eager diners lining up for it. And while it may seem counter-intuitive, chef Hiroshi Kawamata of newly opened Sebastian Kakigori in the CBD tells Broadsheet that the upcoming wintery months are the best time to enjoy the dessert. “Cold weather is actually better, as the ice will melt slower and you can take your time to enjoy the kakigori,” he says.

Here are three places to try the Japanese dessert, and what to order: Sebastian’s crème brûlée kakigori; Kumo’s peach and strawberry brûlée numbers; and Fuwa’s cheesecake take on the dessert.

Sebastian Kakigori

Originally hailing from the bustling streets of Shibuya, chef Kawamata closed his Tokyo shop and re-opened Sebastian in Melbourne after a successful pop-up at Leonie Upstairs.

Sebastian prides itself on importing slow-melting and tasteless Japanese ice from Kuramoto that prolongs the ephemeral dessert’s structure and provides the perfect pillowy base for the various syrups and toppings.

The crème brûlée kakigori is Sebastian’s specialty. Caramelised meringue covers a bed of fluffy shaved ice, layered with home-made strawberry jam and French custard. There are also plans for new monthly flavours – Kawamata is currently developing flavours that make use of ingredients including native citrus, elderflower and stone fruits.

Kumo Desserts

Known for its soufflé pancakes, Kumo is now also serving up kakigori. The addition made perfect sense to co-owner Jason Tan, as both the shop’s signature pancakes and the shaved-ice dessert are, he tells Broadsheet, “light and airy”.

At Kumo, the team uses johakuto, a Japanese refined sugar that Tan says “leaves no aftertaste while bringing out the natural flavours of the fruits”.

Currently, Kumo offers two flavours: Peach Please, with peach compote and an indulgent cream-cheese foam, and Strawberry Brulée, with caramelised crème chiboust (crème patissiere cut with meringue) placed atop layers of strawberry coulis and compote, before being torched.

Fuwa Kakigori

Guildford Lane in the CBD is home to newly opened Fuwa Kakigori, where the standout item is the special cheesecake kakigori. It comes adorned with fresh strawberries and lashings of torched-to-perfection meringue.

If you’re after an option that uses more typical toppings, the azuki matcha creation with fragrant matcha (from the Japanese city of Uji), red bean and chewy mochi balls, is a great shout.

Additional reporting by Harvard Wang