Desserts as candy because the couple who makes them.
Everytime you’re travelling in a giant metropolis in Japan and wish to uncover an area gem that hasn’t been featured in a journey information, it could pay to speak with the locals. That’s what our reporter Haruka Takagi did on a latest journey to Sakaisuji Honmachi in Osaka, which led her to find an underground parfait parlour hidden on the second basement ground of an workplace constructing.
▼ Sakaisuji Honmachi is a enterprise district in Osaka Metropolis.
Surrounded by workplace buildings and folks in fits, Haruka felt misplaced in her relaxed informal gear as she walked the streets within the enterprise district. Nevertheless, she needn’t have anxious as a result of she was heading in direction of an underground haven with a really relaxed vibe, and it was known as Fruit Parlor Columbia.
▼ This signal on the road welcomed her, with an arrow that pointed to…
▼ …an workplace constructing known as Osaka Yamajin.
This was not the doorway she was anticipating, however regardless of being skeptical, she stepped inside and checked the steel plate exhibiting the tenants within the constructing. Positive sufficient — there it was, listed on B2 as “フルーツパーラ コロンビア” (“Fruit Parlor Colombia”).
Feeling a flutter of pleasure at discovering such a hidden native gem, Haruka took the steps right down to the second basement stage.
Just like the signboard out on the road, the stairwell was lined with related handmade signage, together with arrows guiding her to the entrance door, and pictures of previous prospects with their parfaits.
In accordance with the locals she spoke to, Fruit Parlor Columbia has a historical past of over 40 years and is known for its jumbo parfaits, a few of which will be shared by as much as 60 folks. The old-timey, homely really feel of the signage made her really feel like she was heading in direction of a homey, mum-and-pop fashion espresso store, and when she handed by means of the basement door…
▼ …she felt as if she was stepping again in time to the ’70s!
Haruka had arrived simply after 2:00 p.m., after the lunch rush, so when she was guided to a seat by the kind-looking proprietress, she just about had the place to herself. As she sat down, she instantly felt the stress and pressure from the enterprise district above-ground float away on this quiet oasis.
Although the place sells drinks, muffins and ice cream, the specialty right here is large parfaits, in order that’s what Haruka ordered, choosing the “Omoitsuki” for one individual with a scorching espresso on the aspect, which was priced at 1,800 yen (US$12.03) for the set.
▼ When it arrived, it was waaaay larger than Haruka might’ve imagined.
It was about thrice larger than she thought it will be, and served in one thing that appeared extra like a vase than a parfait glass.
It wasn’t simply crammed with cream both, because the parfait was heavy to carry. By the appears of issues, there was quite a bit to find inside this parfait, and serving to her to do this was the longest-looking spoon she’d ever seen.
▼ Extra like a shovel than a spoon.
The dimensions of the parfait made Haruka a bit of nervous as she anxious about whether or not she would have the ability to end all of it. She’d thought it will be like a light-weight hike within the hillside for her style buds, however now she felt like she and her style buds about to climb a mountain.
▼ Luckily, she hadn’t had lunch but, so she was consuming on an empty abdomen, which gave her extra of a preventing probability at ending all of it.
Like taking one step at a time to overcome a mountain, Haruka took issues one spoonful at a time, having fun with bites of fruit and cream, adopted by mouthfuls of ice cream.
There was all kinds of ice cream flavours within the parfait, together with blackcurrant, pineapple, ramune soda, and chocolate chip, which saved her palette from feeling bored, enabling her to make her manner by means of the dessert with a shocking stage of ease.
She got here a cross a slight bump within the street when a big banana appeared in the midst of all the pieces, however this didn’t cease her from staying the course as she rapidly demolished it with vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate ice cream.
As she continued to eat the parfait, she realised it was one thing she would by no means tire of consuming, because of the massive number of components. Different parfaits can generally bulk up with simply whipped cream and cornflakes, however this one served up a load of various treats, together with a sq. of baked cheesecake.
Ultimately, the serving dimension was so large it was a little bit of a battle to complete, however Haruka is blissful to say she conquered the parfait mountain, and it was probably the most scrumptious issues she’s ever eaten.
▼ It was greater than only a parfait — it was like an amusement park for the style buds!
Haruka was so impressed by the dessert and the cafe’s longstanding historical past that she determined to ask the house owners extra about it when she went to pay the invoice. Her first query was why they’d chosen to arrange their retailer in the midst of a enterprise district, to which they replied:
“We initially ran a espresso store in Umeda. It’s been about 20 years since we moved to what’s now Sakaisuji Honmachi, and we had been working in Umeda for about 20 years. Once we discovered this place, it was a spot that was well-known for not having the ability to maintain a retailer as a result of it was on the second basement ground. We thought, ‘Effectively, let’s tackle the problem!’ So we moved, and we’ve continued to function right here ever since.”
Haruka: “Your long-time prospects will need to have been shocked by the transfer. Had been you making parfaits at your cafe in Umeda?”
House owners: “Sure. It was really the primary store in Osaka that began making jumbo parfaits. We tried to make the world’s largest parfait, and so they simply saved getting larger and greater till they may serve 60 folks. At the moment, there weren’t any overview websites like there at the moment are, however we had loads of TV protection and issues like that.”
Haruka: “Judging by the pictures and autographs on show right here from previous prospects, it looks like there are loads of skilled, big-time eaters who come to the shop. Do you might have any ideas for making large parfaits?”
House owners: “It’s all right down to apply. The extra you make them, the extra you’ll get to know the appropriate stability.”
▼ The parfait Haruka had loved was an ideal instance of apply makes good, with rice crackers and Pocky sticks used to offer stability and create top.
As for find out how to order a parfait even larger than Haruka’s, the house owners say:
“In the event you order a parfait for a number of dozen folks, it could’t be carried to the desk by one individual, so each of us carry it, with one individual on both sides. We will modify the parfait to fit your funds and variety of folks, so please tell us upfront.”
Haruka: “The shop is situated in an workplace space, so are a lot of the prospects workplace staff?”
House owners: “We’ve got loads of prospects who’re workplace staff. We solely serve lunch on weekdays, so the busiest time is midday on weekdays. On weekends, the variety of parfait prospects will increase, particularly now that we’ve been utilizing social media and folks have been recommending us by means of word-of-mouth, so lots of people come to see us.”
▼ The lunch menu additionally appears hearty and scrumptious.
After talking with the house owners, Haruka acquired some cute unique items with a caricature of the husband’s face on them, which she thought had been very cute.
▼ They had been an effective way to recollect her time with the jumbo parfait and the couple who made them.
The parfait was insanely scrumptious from the very first chew to the final, so for those who’re ever within the temper for a giant eat, Fruit Parlor Columbia has you coated. Subsequent time, Haruka plans to go even larger together with her parfait order, to create a mountain of sweets even larger than Osaka’s two-foot tall parfait!
Retailer data
Fruit Parlor Columbia / フルーツパーラー コロンビア
Tackle: Osaka-ken, Osaka-shi, Chuo-ku, Honmachi 1-5-6, Osaka Yamajin Constructing B2F
大阪府大阪市中央区本町1丁目5−6 大阪山甚ビル B2F
Hours: Weekdays 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. (lunch time 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.), Saturdays 12:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m.
Closed Sundays, public holidays, New 12 months ‘s holidays, Obon holidays
Pictures ©SoraNews24
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