We took the kids to experience Japanese shaved ice, located in a small alley in the city. The dessert shop (Fuwa Kakigōri) is small with a Japanese style, featuring a little Japanese landscape in one corner. The kids can stand at the counter and watch the ladies make it, which is quite interesting.
There’s really a lot of shaved ice, piled layer upon layer. The strawberry cheesecake variety is covered with a thick layer of meringue icing, topped with fresh strawberries, and then caramelised with a blowtorch to finish.
What we think
Located in a small alley in the CBD, this new spot exceeds expectations in deliciousness. While waiting at your seat, you can watch the staff prepare your order, making the whole experience quite interesting. The portions are generous; the strawberry flavour seems to be enough for 3 people to share.
It might just be the best Japanese shaved ice in Melbourne right now. Despite hearing others say that Japanese shaved ice isn’t tasty, and having almost no expectations, we were pleasantly surprised.
The simple shaved ice base is refreshing with every bite. They torch the outside, giving the cream a toasted marshmallow texture. Inside, there’s a universe with strawberry sauce. The soybean version has a milk ice base and is more traditional, but the mochi on the side is exceptionally soft and chewy, which we absolutely love!
Their strawberry matcha drink was quite rich. If there’s no queue, it’s a great dessert after a meal. At a little over $20 per portion that three can share, it’s reasonably priced.
What we tried
Special Cheesecake Kakigori – This is their signature item and it’s very eye-catching. The toasted meringue has a melting marshmallow texture. Digging deeper, you find strawberry sauce and crushed biscuits, which add more richness to the texture.
Daifuku – We really love mochi, so we always have to try it wherever it’s available. This was the first time we encountered a place where you can wrap your own daifuku. They offer plain and matcha-flavoured skins, and how much filling you add is entirely up to you.
Chocolate Banana – We also ordered this one. The chocolate flavour is rich yet refreshing. You can also sprinkle some Oreo powder on it, which is not too sweet or greasy.
The drink options are limited; we ordered a Strawberry Matcha Latte and a Matcha Latte, both of which were not sweet at all and had a strong matcha flavour!
Fuwa Kakigōri
Address: 28 Guildford Ln, Melbourne VIC 3000