箱庭八咫烏
It was a nice sunny day, so I decided to take a walk and indulge in my recent obsession with pudding hunting. I took the Hibiya Line to Naka-Meguro, and from there it was a 15-20 minute walk to the place I was looking for. The distance was about 1 kilometer, but there were many different shops along the way, so the walk was enjoyable and I arrived in no time. When I arrived at Michelangelo, there was quite a line of customers waiting outside. I checked the waiting list and saw that there were 16 groups ahead of me. I debated whether to wait in line or go to a different shop, but decided to wait since I was already there. I wrote down my name on the list, and was told that I didn't have to wait in front of the shop, and that if my name was called, I could let the staff know and they would seat me when the next table was available. A stylish and dandy male staff member told me that the wait would probably be about an hour. I decided to pass the time by visiting nearby stores like Tsutaya Bookstore and a bakery, and before I knew it, 40 minutes had passed. I checked the waiting list, thinking my name had been called, but saw that there were still 4 groups ahead of me. Phew. I waited in front of the shop for about 20 minutes, and finally my name was called. The pudding I had been looking forward to was priced at 850 yen, which was a bit on the expensive side, but it was worth every penny. The pudding was served on a white plate with caramel sauce, whipped cream, fruits, and mint garnish. The appearance alone hinted at its deliciousness. When I scooped it with a spoon, it was the most bouncy pudding I had ever had. I giggled as I jiggled the plate and was surprised by its smooth texture when I tasted it. It had a rich and elegant sweetness, with a perfect balance of caramel's slight bitterness. It was a fantastic pudding with a distinct personality. It took over an hour to finally taste it (perhaps because it was a weekend), but it was a dessert worth waiting for. Even after I left the shop, the line of customers waiting continued to grow. The weekends can get really crowded, so it might be better to visit on a weekday.