Whether we like it or not summer is over, and if the current typhoon downpour isn’t enough to convince you, then perhaps the halloween and christmas decorations that have just gone up in shopping malls will.
Another signifier to a change in the season is the new arrivals that appear on the menus of cafes and restaurants across the nation – and this particular selection from Shiseido Parlor Ginza Main Store Salon de Cafe is the most recent one to catch our eye.

Featuring red jewels from Nagano, inspirations from Meiji era Tokyo and of course the very blessings of autumn itself; Kyushu chestnuts, this selection is full of the elegance, beauty and charm that you would expect no less of from this fancy cafe hidden in the stylish and sophisticated area of Ginza.

Chestnut Mont Blanc and Jersey Milk Parfait

Price: 2,500 yen (tax included)

Vanilla, milk and chestnut flavoured ice creams, manufactured using milk from Nagano’s Yatsugatake Nobeyama Plateau Jersey Cows, make up the bulk of this parfait from Shiseido Parlor’s traditional recipe. Combined with plenty of chestnut puree and a dollop of fresh cream, this parfait is bursting with the sweet, yet mellow flavours of autumn.

Balanced atop of the parfait, a thin stick of chocolate and a sweet honey almond florentine only add to the elegance of the dessert. And of course, no chestnut parfait would be complete without a helping of roasted chestnuts, which have come straight from Kyushu – one of Japan’s biggest production areas of chestnuts.

‘Koihime’ Strawberry Parfait from Nagano Prefecture

2,100 yen (tax included)

A Shiseido parlor house favourite, this parfait uses expert cultivated ‘Koihime’ strawberries from Nagano Prefecture. In season throughout both summer and autumn, this strawberry has been likened to a ‘red jewel’, and is known for its combination of sweet and sour flavour. The secret behind the great taste of these fruits is attributed to their cultivation in Nagano Prefecture, where there is an abundance of sunshine, clean water and fresh air.

Shimbashi-coloured ice cream soda

1,150 yen (tax included)

This ice cream soda made by mixing green apple-flavoured syrup, lemon and ginger ale is so called for its resemblance to a historical and cultural aspect of Tokyo’s Shimbashi area.
During the latter half of the Meiji era, geisha from this district were known to wear greenish-blue kimonos. Talk about these ladies of entertainment clad in bright swathes of cyan was well-travelled throughout the capital, and this colour became known as ‘Shimbashi colour’.

In addition to the special one-of-a-kind treats listed above, Shiseido will also be updating their ‘Shiseido Parlor Story’ mini-dessert selection and fruit sandwich.
The dessert selection will consist of a Mini Strawberry Parfait, a Mini Chocolate Parfait, a Mini Custard Pudding, a helping of Seasonal Fruit, a Pumpkin Mont Blanc, an Apple Brulee and a Shine Muscat Tart, whilst the fruit sandwich will be filled to the brim with seasonal shine muscat grapes, slices of strawberries and plenty of heavenly whipped cream.

Shiseido Parlor Story Mini dessert selection, including drink: 2,600 yen (tax included)
Shiseido Fruit Sandwich featuring grapes from Nagano Prefecture’s Iizuka Orchard: 1,700 yen (tax included)

These sweets and treats are available to try at Shiseido Parlor Ginza Main Store Salon de Cafe until the 31st of October.