{"id":155,"date":"2025-05-04T22:00:57","date_gmt":"2025-05-05T05:00:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/?p=155"},"modified":"2025-05-04T22:00:57","modified_gmt":"2025-05-05T05:00:57","slug":"the-soranews24-ice-cream-showdown-a-frozen-nine-way-battle%e3%80%90taste-test%e3%80%91","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/?p=155","title":{"rendered":"The SoraNews24 ice cream showdown: A frozen nine-way battle\u3010Taste test\u3011"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

We assemble an array of accessible frozen treats for a man with very vanilla tastes<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

When it comes to food, our Japanese-language reporter Go Hatori<\/strong> contains multitudes. On the one hand, his desire to broaden his palate and culinary skills is so strong that he\u2019s succeeded in getting fried rice recipes from two different online scam artists<\/a> while they were in the process of trying to steal Go\u2019s money or identity<\/a>. But on the other hand, he\u2019s got next to no first-hand experience with anpan<\/a>, one of Japan\u2019s most popular baked-good sweets.<\/p>\n

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\u2019s theme is ice cream<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

We should start by explaining that Go (pictured above) doesn\u2019t dislike<\/em> ice cream. It\u2019s 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\u2019ve got a whole slew of other kinds for him to try, though, so let\u2019s take a look at the lineup and see if they can get Go to consider shaking up his ice cream-eating habits.<\/p>\n

\u25cf Mr. Sato\u2019s recommendation: Kubota Ice Candy Strawberry Milk<\/strong> (216 yen [US$1.50])<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cYou 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\u2019s 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\u2019t find many other ice creams that are this genuinely tasty.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u25cf Ahiruneko\u2019s recommendation: Mow Vanilla<\/strong> (183 yen)<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cI think I remember Go saying once that he likes Mow Vanilla, and I thought it\u2019d be nice to suggest something that our readers can easily find at just about any supermarket or convenience store in the country.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u25cf Seiji Nakazawa\u2019s recommendation: Baskin-Robbins Happy Friends Panda Rum Raisin<\/strong> (450 yen)<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cI 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\u2019t feel like the most obviously complementary combinations. Plus when I went to Baskin-Robbins to pick some up, I found out about the \u2018Happy Friends\u2019 option, which adds a topping of chocolate and whipped cream.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u25cf Masanuki Sunakoma\u2019s recommendation: Giant Cone Chocolate and Milk<\/strong> (214 yen)<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cThis 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\u2019s my personal favorite brand of ice cream to boot.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u25cf Yuichiro Wasai\u2019s recommendation: Taberu Bokujo Milk<\/strong> (248 yen)<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cFor someone like Go, who likes a straightforward creamy vanilla flavor, I thin he\u2019ll love Taberu Bokujo Milk [which translates loosely to \u201cFarm-fresh Milk that You can Eat\u201d]. Really, if that\u2019s what you\u2019re into, it doesn\u2019t get any better than this.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u25cf Mariko Ohanabatake\u2019s recommendation: Black Mont Blanc<\/strong> (200 yen)<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know how well known it is in Tokyo, but Black Mont Blanc is the ice cream pride of Kyushu<\/a>. 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\u2019s eaten it can sing the praises of. If Go doesn\u2019t pick this as the best of the bunch, he\u2019ll be making an enemy of everyone in Kyushu, and will never be able to set foot on the island again.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u25cf Takamichi Furusawa recommendation: H\u00e4agen-Dazs Vanilla<\/strong> (278 yen)<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cI\u2019ve heard that Go like Lady Borden vanilla, so I figured another premium-brand vanilla ice cream should be right up his alley.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u25cf P.K. Sanjun\u2019s recommendation: Chateraise Choco-baki Kajigon<\/strong> (108 yen)<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cIt\u2019s always hard to get a read on Go\u2019s tastes, since he likes both basic traditional stuff and bold surprises. He\u2019s kind of all over the place like that. For this time around, I\u2019m guessing he wants something unique, so I\u2019m 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.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u25cf Yoshio\u2019s recommendation: Ohayo Brulee<\/strong> (397 yen)<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cThis 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\u2019s also my kids\u2019 number-one ice cream recommendation.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Now, with the entrants assembled, it was time for Go to carry out his professional duty and eat a whole bunch of ice cream<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\u25bc Go: \u201cOK, I\u2019m gonna start with the Giant Cone!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u25bc Go: \u201cOh, yeah! This is really good! No two ways about it.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u25bc P.K. Sanjun: \u201cHe\u2019s really going to town, isn\u2019t he? Not pacing himself at all.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u25bc Go: \u201cAll right, time for the Kubota Ice Candy Strawberry Milk. Hmm\u2026this feels more like the kind of thing to eat outside on a hot summer day.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u25bc Go: \u201cAh, Taberu Bokujo Milk? This is the one that made a really big stir when they tarted selling it at Family Mart convenience stores, right?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u25bc Go: \u201cH\u00e4agen-Dazs? Don\u2019t mind if I do!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u25bc Mr. Sato: \u201cHe\u2019s scooping up as much as he can with every bite\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u25bc Go: \u201cOh, hey, I know this one too! Black Mont Blanc. Once you try it, you\u2019ll always remember the texture.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u25bc Masanuki: \u201cI mean, I know it\u2019s a taste test and all, but I didn\u2019t expect him to keep eating and eating them all after taking a taste.\u201d<\/em>
\nMariko: \u201cShouldn\u2019t he be full by now? Where\u2019s he putting it all?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u25bc Go: \u201cI think I may have tried the Ohayo Brulee before. It\u2019s even better once it gets a little melty.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u25bc Go: \u201cOh, wow, this Baskin-Robbins is awesome! And it\u2019s rum raisin? I never would have thought to order that flavor on my own.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

So when Go had finished tasting (and eating quite a bit of) all nine entries which were his top three?<\/strong> He gives the third-place prize to 7-Eleven\u2019s Ohayo Brulee<\/strong>\u2026<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u2026the second-place trophy to Baskin-Robbins Happy Friends Panda Rum Raisin<\/strong>\u2026<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u2026and his pick for the overall winner is\u2026<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u2026H\u00e4agen-Dazs Vanilla<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

In retrospect, perhaps we should have seen this coming. With Go always having Lady Borden vanilla ice cream in his freezer, it\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

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\u2019s leftovers, no one had any complaints, so you may need to follow Go\u2019s example and eat nine different desserts in one sitting to find the one that most speaks to you.<\/p>\n

Photos \u00a9 SoraNews24<\/em>
\n\u25cf Want to hear about SoraNews24\u2019s latest articles as soon as they\u2019re published? Follow us on Facebook<\/a> and Twitter<\/a>!<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-155","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-rss"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/155","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=155"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/155\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=155"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=155"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=155"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}