Minatoya

What stands out about the kakigori at Minatoya is its fine, fluffy texture, quite unlike the coarse, crunchy ice often found at festival stalls. Choose Uji azuki or matcha and you can enjoy the sweet bean paste made by this Japanese sweets shop, too. Uji azuki milk with shiratama is a good choice for those who want a rich matcha flavour and a generous amount of azuki. One diner commented that azuki was tucked inside the ice as well, so the matcha flavour lasted to the last spoonful. Shiratama is listed as an extra topping, giving you the option to add it to suit your taste.

For a fruit flavour, consider blueberry milk. One visitor reported finding plenty of blueberries both on top and inside the ice, making it more substantial than it looked. Mango milk and apricot milk are also among the menu options, offering more fruit flavours to choose from. The range runs from simple shaved ice with syrup to bowls topped with fruit or shiratama.

Other menu options include mizu manju, chestnut steamed yokan and dorayaki. If the summer kakigori draws you in, take a look at the traditional Japanese sweets on offer, too.