Refreshing Shaved Ice

Although I don't have plans to visit Japan anytime soon, I still crave Japanese food all the time. When the craving hits, I'll just satisfy it in Hong Kong! Recently, I saw some enticing photos on Instagram of shaved ice from Kamakura Sweets. Since I was in Causeway Bay that night, I decided to drag my friend along to try it out. There are quite a few varieties of shaved ice, but call me old-fashioned—I always find Uji Kintoki to be the safest choice. The matcha flavor is rich and not too sweet, with a soft and refreshing texture. The combination of white mochi balls and red beans with matcha is always the best. On a hot day, having one of these is truly refreshing! One shaved ice wasn't enough for us. My friend is a warabi mochi fan, so we decided to try two different kinds to see how they measure up. Both the original and matcha warabi mochi were soft and slightly chewy, almost jelly-like. Normally, I would choose the original flavor, but this time the matcha was so good that it gets my vote. The Asakawa-en matcha drink was fragrant and not overly sweet, with smooth warabi mochi at the bottom, making the whole experience even better. I also tried a sip of my friend's strawberry chocolate milk, which also had warabi mochi at the bottom, and I found it even more delightful. We ate so many sweets that we left holding our stomachs. It's been a while since I've indulged like this! Restaurant Info: Kamakura Sweets Shop B101A, B1/F, Hysan Place, 500 Hennessy Road, Causeway Bay