| rev:text | 	Let me just say that I wanted to give 3 1/2 starts but I can't do that so I rounded up.
When I first heard about a snow cone/snow cream/shave ice/kakigoori place opening up, I did have mixed feelings about it.  Is there such a demand in this town?  I mean....I sometimes have this craving for ramen, sushi, burger, whatever, but....kakigoori?  Not exactly, so I have been anxiously awaiting what this is all about. 
In Japan, as with most things there, kakigoori or snow cones/cream whatever you want to call it, is very seasonal.  You really don't find it often unless it's in the middle of the summer, so having a permanent place is somewhat of an odd idea from my perspective.  I did see a lot of shave ice places in Hawaii and that's somewhat understandable given the climate there.  I did eat at the famous Matsumoto Shave Ice in Haleiwa, and my impression was....what's the F'ing big deal about this?  
Which is exactly what I felt when I ate at Kuma as well.
Well, the ice is very finely shaved for melt in your mouth texture, very good.  Certainly better than Matsumoto.  I did have the "Bruce Tea", which is the Ujikintoki equivalent with matcha green tea and mochi with condensed milk.  I actually liked the green tea flavor, but mochi was crap.  Chewy, and tasted and textured like it came out of a fridge, but it's somewhat difficult to make a real mochi, besides, 99% of Americans would have no idea what a real mochi tastes like so I guess it may be a moot point.  
I'm a bit turned off by silly names like "bruce tea", "ninja/sumo" sizes, "shinobi nut", etc.  It's kind of like Shoku Ramen naming one of their ramens buta-san.  I guess they are trying to be cute, but from a native speaker standpoint it's silly to say the least, and bordering on annoying.  
Anyway, I think the kakigoori itself was exactly what it was supposed to taste like:  4 stars.  Was I impressed?  No, but I've never been impressed by Kakigoori before.  Do I have a craving?  No.  Would I go back?  hmm.....ehh.....  that might be just my personal taste, so it might be a GREAT place for those people who love shave ice, kakigoori, and such, so I settled on 3.5 stars. |