Kanazawa’s Coolest Treats: A Summer Dessert Walk

Japanese food is internationally famous. Sushi and sashimi, onigiri rice balls, teppanyaki beef, yakitori chicken skewers, okonomiyaki cabbage “pancakes”… Yes, yes, those are all wonderful but what about desserts? If you’re traveling to Japan in summer, then you are going to want something cold and sweet to help beat the heat. Luckily, Japan has that covered, too.

Behold! The ultimate summertime sweet for many, many, many Japanese: kakigori, or shaved ice. This is no Sno-Kone, believe you me. With real whipped cream on top, condensed milk on the bottom, and a pile of finely shaved ice drizzled with your choice of flavoring, there is literally no better way of cooling down in summer this side of a walk-in freezer.

Once Japan gets its first 85-degree day of the year, kakigori can be found in just about every cafe that has ice cream and other chilled desserts on the regular menu. As strawberries are probably the closest thing to a national fruit in Japan, it’s a pretty safe bet that, wherever you go for kakigori, shaved ice with strawberries will be available. It’s an excellent “starter” kakigori for anyone who’s not ready to dive head-first into the more traditional flavors, like matcha green tea.

Just off the main drag of Kanazawa’s downtown area is Yeti, a small cafe with big kakigori. Place your order and people watch from the picture windows as cars coast by. Unwind with every sweet bite that melts in your mouth. It’s the best way to cool down after hours spent wandering Kanazawa Castle Park and Kenroken Garden.

Japan has a habit of taking food and drinks that we take for granted as staples of everyday life and completely overhauling them. (Curry pizza with corn and mayonnaise, anyone?) So it’s no surprise that coffee has drawn the attention of inventive dessert-makers.

May I present… coffee jelly!

Yes, it’s coffee in gelatin form. Black and bitter and thus, by necessity, paired with the creamy sweetness of either vanilla soft-serve ice cream or whipped cream.

Sometimes it’s served in its own mug like an actual cup of coffee, but it’s also served in glass bowls, either as solid molded gelatin or in jiggly bite-sized nibbles. If you’ve already maxed yourself out on cups of coffee for the day but you really need just the tiniest kick to get you to the next item on your trip itinerary, let Japanese coffee jelly come to the rescue.

Here’s one for overheated vegans and the lactose-intolerant: soy milk soft serve ice cream. The Japanese have a truly depthless affection for soft-serve ice cream. For decades, it has been the go-to treat when you are (a) aimlessly sightseeing, (b) pulled into a rest stop on the highway, (c) d-o-n-e with your sushi and r-e-a-d-y for dessert, or (d) have just finished taking a hot bath. Some of the best ice cream I have ever had in my life was served in Japan and made with Hokkaido milk. (If you see a poster advertising soft-serve ice cream made with Hokkaido milk, get it get it get it!)

But! The soy-milk-based ice cream at Craft Soy Soft Cream 5 (the “five” is pronounced “go!” in Japanese) can compete with the creamiest of creamy dairy desserts. Flavors include strawberry and matcha green tea, but my favorite (and the owners’, too!) is the “kinaco.” (It’s actually spelled “kinako,” but who doesn’t love a little creative license on menus?)

What’s kinako? Well, it tastes a little like peanut butter, but it’s lighter and far more refreshing on a hot day. It’s hard to believe that it comes from roasted soy beans that have been ground into powder. I mean, how can a dried bean taste this good? I don’t know how, but it does.

Walk off the calories (or make room for more!) at the neighboring park: Daijoji Kyuryo Koen. The view of Kanazawa City and the Sea of Japan from the top of the hill is amazing.

Next up is a local frozen sweets company that is renowned in Ishikawa Prefecture. Malga Gelato is based in the Noto Peninsula and has been serving enthusiastic customers for decades. Their pistachio gelato has actual chucks of nuts in it, but their award-winning sea salt gelato is an absolute must. Pair it with the chocolate if the pistachio is too green for your liking. I promise you will have zero regrets.

One thing I always look forward to is getting a spoonful of one additional flavor of your choosing for free. (To encourage you to come back soon for more!) I usually go with the wildest flavor they happen to have and, on this particular day, I ended up with a taste of scrumptious black sesame. Yum.

Luckily, you don’t have to make the trek all the way out to the countryside to give Malga Gelato a try. Eight of their flavors are served in downtown Kanazawa’s Tokyu Hands Department Store. On the second floor, there’s a store called My Things that has an ice cream freezer and a lovely in-store veranda where you can sit and chill. (Literally.) 

In true dessert fashion, I’ve saved the best for last. Feast your eyes upon the best ice cream – of any variety – that you are likely to have ever in your life. Care to guess what it’s flavored with?

No, not vanilla or white chocolate. This ice cream is made with soy sauce.

Now you’re thinking: Ew! What!? Soy sauce?

Yes, soy sauce. When just a splash of soy sauce is added to the ice cream, you get a flavor very similar to salted caramel. As this is a local specialty made by competing soy sauce makers, the strength of the flavor (and creaminess of the ice cream) will vary depending on where you go. Yamato Koji Park is the most well-known and their facilities are a charming blend of vintage and modern, but I can make out the faint taste of soy sauce in the ice cream they sell. Which is why my absolute favorite and number one recommendation goes to a little-known cafe called Moromigura.

Moromigura is a repurposed soy sauce warehouse that still has its brick walls and floors. The building’s high ceiling and windows were once necessary for allowing a dozen enormous vats of soy sauce to ferment here in peace. The lids of those soy sauce vats are now used as table tops. Traditional soy sauce barrels support their weight. So pull up a cushioned stool (if you look closely, you’ll see that you’re sitting on yet another soy sauce barrel!) and enjoy the best ice cream Japan has to offer.

About Keri Yazawa

Keri Yazawa, a resident of Kanazawa City since 2005, guides bicycle tours specializing in good food, quirky history, local craft making, and gorgeous landscapes.

Article photos and written content © 2025 Keri Yazawa. All rights reserved.