Cafe MUSE

Lightly shaved ice is topped with Earl Grey sauce, a sweet-tart mandarin sauce and plenty of juicy citrus in the Citrus Earl Grey kakigori. On the second floor of a building along Komazawa-dori in Ebisu, Cafe MUSE stands out for elaborate kakigori that bring to mind plated Western-style desserts. The Hazelnut Banana Caramel kakigori layers toasted hazelnuts, rich caramel sauce and banana, with hazelnut chocolate cream tucked inside the ice; its flavors unfold as you eat. There is also a Japanese-inspired Roasted Green Tea, Kinako and Mochi kakigori, pairing fragrant hojicha with roasted soybean flour, sweet red bean paste and vanilla ice cream inside, plus house-made mochi on the side.

Hand-prepared weekday lunches and café snacks

Beyond sweets, the menu includes filling meals for weekday lunch. Familiar Western-style dishes include a homemade hamburg steak with a choice of house-special demi-glace or soy-sauce cheese sauce, chicken curry slowly cooked in a waterless pot to draw out the ingredients’ flavors, and nostalgic Napolitan spaghetti with a ketchup flavor. At café time, hot dogs and pizza toast made with bread from Mineya and finished with house-special pizza sauce and homemade seasoning are served in sets with soup and salad.

Time in a space with the calm of a bar

The space also operates as a bar in the evening, with subdued lighting and a calm, retro feel—a place to take a breather away from the bustle near the station. The drinks include tapioca with brown sugar pearls and house-made espuma, coffee and alcoholic options; the venue also offers free Wi-Fi, private rooms and various cashless payment methods. Whether stopping in for a thoroughly chilled sweet in the afternoon or choosing a quiet everyday lunch, the café offers a comfortable setting for each kind of visit.