Hunting for the Perfect Sundae in Osaka
A Late-Night Journey Through the Back Streets of a Foodie Town
After a fun trip to the Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan, my mother, her fiancé, and I were drained. Our week had been filled with seeing tourist sights and trying our best to discover hidden gems while brushing up on our Japanese. This was the last day of our trip in Osaka, and all we wanted to do was crawl into bed.
Yet the sweet tooth my mother and I shared prevented that from happening just yet. We waltzed down to the concierge at the Moxy Osaka Shin Umeda hotel and asked about ice cream places nearby. The person at the desk didn’t know of any, but one of his coworkers did. He gave us directions and we started off into the night.
As we looked for our destination, we started to appreciate the smaller side streets we didn’t get to explore. These were only a few minutes walk from our hotel, and we didn’t even see what was around us. While this was our first time in Osaka, it was not our first time in Japan nor abroad.
With train tracks rumbling overheard, I soon spotted it. The cafe is called “Coffee and Dessert S Cafe” and did not disappoint. We were recommended the ice cream sundaes, and my mom ordered a Matcha Sundae while I picked the Mochi one. Still, as I write this now, I wish I could go back and re-order the Mochi ice cream. Their eclairs also looked supremely tasty!
They were delicious! Even the sweet, crouton type bread at the bottom was to die for. The atmosphere was very calming and not many people were there around 9 p.m. I even heard one of my favorite Japanese songs, “Grace” by Fujii Kaze, play.
Why write about an ice cream place? There was ice cream back at the store in the hotel. We could have simply bought and eaten it from the comfort of our hotel rooms. Yet we didn’t.
This one made me remember that you should always visit the local spots. In a world filled with how many stars a restaurant has on Google and Yelp (though I still do this), taking the recommendations of locals, if possible, pays off immensely.
Memories are made when you try new things. Supporting a local business anywhere in the world also gives you a good feeling. While I am a creature of habit and enjoy going places where I know I will have a good time, this little cafe under the train tracks really captured my heart.
My take-home message is to explore different places. On a previous night, we went and ate sushi in the same area where the cook had lived in the United States for a few decades! Never would we have gotten to talk to him had we not adventured into the unknown.
So the next time you’re looking for a good place to eat, maybe limit yourself on Yelp. Get in the car, or go outside and walk, and go to a place you’ve been dying to try, despite the reviews. Let me know if it turns out to be good!
