I visited the popular shaved ice specialty store "Hyobake" located just a 1-minute walk from Seibu Shinjuku Station. The store pays attention to its appearance and is known for its visually appealing shaved ice desserts. They operate as a sublease during the daytime of a fish skewer shop, so they close early. During the summer, there tends to be a line, so I arrived 30 minutes before opening at 10:30 to get a ticket through their app. When the time came, they called out the ticket numbers. On a rainy day, I thought it would be less crowded, but there were already 9 people lined up for tickets. The shop has seating for 14 people in total, with 4 counter seats in the back, 2 tables for 4 people in the front, and 1 table for 2 people. I tried their Hydrangea shaved ice for 2,000 yen, a limited edition collaboration with the popular Neo Japanese confection "flower-shaped sweet bean paste". It is limited to 30 servings per day, available from June 8th to June 19th. The shaved ice includes the following components: - Flower-shaped sweet bean paste (hydrangea) - White bean paste espuma - Soy milk blueberry sauce - Matcha syrup - Three-color agar (blue, purple, pink) - Kinako cream - Blueberry fruit - Mochi - Azuki beans - Meringue ghost. The flower-shaped sweet bean paste is made with natural coloring and shaped to resemble real flowers using advanced techniques. Each piece is handmade, showcasing the skill of creating beautiful flower-shaped sweets. It has gained popularity on social media for being a healthy Neo Japanese confection without any additives or synthetic coloring.

My friend wanted to eat figs, so we visited the restaurant two days in a row. The pumpkin espuma was fluffy and just right for me, as I wanted to eat pumpkin. It was delicious with pumpkin paste inside, just like the figs. The sauce made with Nishikyo miso and honey was also delicious, and I enjoyed eating until the end without getting tired of it. It was the best.

Second visit. It was a Saturday but it was cool, so I went around 3 pm and got a ticket with a 35-minute wait. In the end, I didn't even have to wait 15 minutes. Figs and persimmons. The figs were delicious! It was the best shaved ice with figs I've ever had. It had cheese on top and various things inside, so I didn't get tired of eating it. Next time, I want to try the pumpkin that everyone was eating.

I arrived at around 2 pm on a regular day and waited for about an hour before being able to enter. After receiving a numbered ticket, there is a Starbucks across the street where you can pass the time, making it efficient to be called when your turn comes. The menu includes basic items as well as limited-time offerings, and on this day, the fig shaved ice was a limited-time item. The shaved ice was surprisingly large and cute, and the taste was very delicious, making me want to try various other items as well.

Located right near Seibu Shinjuku Station, there is a shaved ice shop called "Koori Obake". I went there right when they opened, so I was able to go in without waiting in line. I wanted to try a fruit flavor, so I was planning on ordering the Fig shaved ice, but unfortunately they didn't have fruit available in the morning... What a shame. So, I ended up ordering the following: - Hand-picked Matcha Shaved Ice ¥1600 It came with a generous amount of matcha foam on top, with mochi, red bean cream, and sweet red beans in the middle, giving me the sensation of eating a matcha cake. The cute ghost on top made it look like it would be perfect for Instagram. I thought I could finish it easily since it's shaved ice, but it was quite sweet, so I ended up feeling full after eating about half of it. It's a pretty BIG size, so next time I want to try a refreshing fruit flavor!

I visited the ice monster shop for the first time in a while during lunchtime. There was sometimes a long wait at this place, but on this day, I arrived around 2 pm on a weekday and was able to enter without waiting. By the way, you can now register the number of people on an electronic board in front of the shop and make a reservation without waiting. It took about 20 minutes until the order was served. However, it's worth the wait because they serve elaborate shaved ice! Drinks are served in paper cups and it's self-service. This place really packs a lot of ingredients into their shaved ice, making it a fun treat to eat. The atmosphere of the shop is casual. You can eat quickly and leave. Customers who stay for a long time are politely approached by the staff. It's nice that they do this to maintain a good turnover rate. There were solo customers as well as groups of men. It's one of my favorite places because you can encounter shaved ice that you can't find anywhere else.

I was checking the wait time on Instagram, so I thought I should go soon before it gets crowded. I arrived around 12:00 and there were only about 5 groups waiting, so I was seated after just 30 minutes. I really wanted to try the Quattro Formaggi shaved ice, but they didn't have it, so I ended up getting a matcha and hojicha combo. The foam on top was fluffy but rich, and there were red beans and something like mochi inside, which was delicious!

I ordered★Strawberry and Chocolate Pistachio Shaved Ice for 1600 yenPeach Shaved Ice with Earl Grey Custard Pie Flavor for 1700 yenFinally, the shaved ice ghost I've been wanting to try. I got a numbered ticket and visited on a weekday afternoon in August. The first thing that surprised me was the variety of drinks available. It's self-service, but you can choose from Blendy coffee, plum kelp tea powder, black tea, and more. While many places offer hot water or tea, being able to pour your favorite drink was a delight. Personally, I found the salty taste of the plum kelp tea enhanced the deliciousness of the shaved ice. I wish every shaved ice shop would introduce it... hahaThe ice was fluffy with a generous amount of milk poured over it, without any plain ice. You can enjoy even the melted ice. The ghost perched on top of the shaved ice was made of meringue, I think? It was so cute that it almost felt like a waste to eat it... It was sweet, crispy, and melted in your mouth. The Strawberry and Chocolate shaved ice with pistachio foam that I've always wanted to try. The pistachio flavor was rich and truly delicious. The luxurious pistachios on top were also delicious. The combination of chocolate and strawberry was excellent. The cheese cream was rich but not too heavy. Personally, what impressed me the most about this shaved ice was the salted biscuits in the middle! They taste like RITZ crackers. They are finely crushed. These salty biscuits appear in the middle to the end, boosting your appetite. I like the contrast of the salty sauce in the sweet shaved ice. I want to try more shaved ice flavors like miso, soy sauce, and mitarashi. Peach shaved ice with Earl Grey custard pie flavor. This was pleasantly refreshing and delicious. The peach was firmer and less sweet than I expected, but the sauce was sweet, the shaved ice was fluffy, so it balanced out the sweetness and added texture. The whipped cream on top was not too heavy, just right. There was also plenty of Earl Grey jelly. The placement of the Earl Grey jelly was good. I thought the balance was excellent as you first enjoy the peach and Earl Grey jelly, then when the black tea flavor fades, you finish with the plum sauce. It's a wonderful balance. It's worth waiting in line for a little bit, and I now understand why. I would like to revisit when they have flavors I like. Thank you for the meal.

Purple Sweet Potato Tiramisu Shaved Ice ¥1800 An shaved ice dish that was originally sold at the Satsumaimo Expo has been adapted and is now being sold at the store. On top, there is tiramisu whip cream, roasted sweet potato, and purple sweet potato sauce. In the middle, there are sweet potato chips and roasted sweet potato. At the bottom, there is hojicha sauce. Each layer offers a different taste experience! The whipped cream is sweet and fluffy, with cocoa powder sprinkled on top, resembling a real tiramisu. The roasted sweet potato on top is both visually appealing and deliciously sweet. There were three pieces on top and more inside, allowing for multiple ways to enjoy them. The purple sweet potato sauce had a milky texture with a strong sweet potato flavor, which I, as a sweet potato lover, absolutely enjoyed. The sweet potato chips inside the ice remained crispy and added a nice texture. At the bottom, there was hojicha sauce (or rather, it had melted into almost regular hojicha), which provided a nice balance to the sweetness on top. Personally, I preferred the sweet potato flavors only, but the combination was still enjoyable. The cute ghost-shaped meringue on top caught my attention, so I would love to visit again if they introduce new flavors. PayPay is accepted!

Matcha and roasted green tea parfait! I love both flavors so I'm happy that I can enjoy both at the same time. The menu provides detailed descriptions, which is great for knowing what to expect if you have any preferences or dislikes. The parfait comes with sweet red beans, which I'm actually not a fan of, but I still ordered it. It had been years since I last had sweet red beans, but I found that I could eat them when they were served with shaved ice or espuma. It's nice to have a variety of warm drink options available. I'm interested in trying the Quattro and pumpkin flavors next time. Thank you for the meal.

Quattro Formaggi. During the summer, there was a 120-minute wait listed. It was convenient to receive a numbered ticket and be able to shop in Shinjuku while waiting. True to their word, I was called in exactly 120 minutes. I have always enjoyed Quattro Formaggi. It's delicious as always. The accompanying sauce was on the sweeter side. This time, the dish was served on a lovely plate!

At "Ice Obake" on Sunday around 2 PM, I got a ticket and waited for 3 hours. The "Quattro Formaggi" ice with meringue was adorable and perfect for cheese lovers ❤️ The sauce on the side had a strong Gorgonzola flavor, not honey as I expected, which made me happy‼️ Every bite was full of cheese, and I was satisfied. The plenty of sun-dried tomatoes at the bottom added a nice sweet and sour touch. #IceObake #QuattroFormaggi #QuattroFormaggiIce #TokyoShavedIce

They distribute numbered tickets at 10:30 in the morning. This system is great. I wish all restaurants in the world were like this. Even with an 80-minute wait, you can pass the time elsewhere while checking the time on your smartphone and return when it's your turn. So convenient! I ordered melon and peach. The presentation was cute. The milk foam was delicious too. The peach came with plum sauce halfway through, so it didn't get boring. The melon itself was a bit bland in flavor, so I wished there was something with a stronger taste. But overall, it was delicious!

I went to get a numbered ticket before 11:30 on the weekend, and was able to enter around 15:30. I had to wait for about 4 hours. All the menu items looked really delicious! I had a melon float shaved ice. The foam on top was really tasty! The ice was fluffy. There were various things inside, so it was enjoyable to eat without getting bored. It was fun to see what would come out next! It may have been just my luck, but the melon wasn't as juicy as I had hoped, which was a bit disappointing. Towards the end, it got a bit cold to eat, but it was nice that you could serve yourself hot tea. It's a good service. If you get a numbered ticket, you can check how much longer you have to wait from your phone, which is convenient. I went to the front of the store when there were only a few groups left, but we weren't called in for a while... So it's essential to be prepared for the heat just in case. I want to try other popular menu items too! Thank you for the meal.

The price was reasonable and the taste and presentation matched my expectations. The interior of the restaurant was a bit small and the reception process was a little confusing. There were no complaints about the service. The menu with illustrations made it easy to understand what was included, and the ghost-shaped meringue was very cute.

I want to eat delicious shaved ice! So, I came to this shop again at 10:30. I got a ticket and waited with excitement. Today, I challenged the melon flavor that I didn't try last time. It's real melon! And the nostalgic popping candy! Today was also amazing, but personally, I think the matcha flavor is the best. Thank you for the delicious food. It was great. They said it can be eaten all year round, so I will come again!

I visited the restaurant on a weekday during summer vacation. I arrived at 11:15 and got a ticket by entering my information on a tablet outside. The ticket number allowed me to check my turn online. They also send email notifications, but if you go too far away, you might miss the call to enter the store, so it's important to check frequently on your phone. I had to wait for about 2 hours as there were 16 groups ahead of me, and I was called in at 12:55. The menu for shaved ice is announced on Instagram on the day itself. I wanted to try the tiramisu flavor, but it was not available, so I ordered melon and peach flavors instead. Both were priced at 1700 yen, and the melon flavor was definitely delicious. The ghost-shaped meringue was crispy and tasty. I didn't notice the American cherry in the melon ice, and the jelly inside lacked flavor once it got cold. However, the double syrup on the melon ice was extremely delicious. The peach ice felt more like a dessert, with chunks of peaches and a crispy pie. If it's for takeout, they serve it immediately without waiting, so it might be better to opt for that when the weather cools down a bit. They also offered free-flowing cafe au lait and milk tea to drink.

I wanted to eat delicious shaved ice, so I locked onto this shop! I arrived at around 10:10, and there were already about 20 people lined up. I was able to get a ticket for a 150-minute wait, so I went back to the shop around that time. I was torn, but I ordered the assorted tea shaved ice. It was so delicious. I love sweet red beans, so there were various sweet red beans hidden in the ice, and every time I scooped with a spoon, different sweet red beans came out and it was so delicious. It was amazing. It cost 1,500 yen, but I'll endure not having beer to come to this shop again! I will definitely go back soon. Thank you for the meal! It was delicious. Thank you very much.

The current shaved ice prices may still be considered reasonable in the midst of inflation. While the flavors may not be outstanding, they are enjoyable for everyone. The ticket system also makes it easy to visit even during this busy season.

It's gotten hot, so for this delicious lunch we decided on shaved ice. After researching various shops, we found this one to be relatively easy to get into. Many other places were fully booked days in advance or had long lines on the day. With no time to spare, we chose this place. We made a reservation using the QR code at the storefront, as that was the only way to enter. We were able to get in pretty quickly. I had seen various options on Instagram, but only the menu announced on the day was available. I wanted pistachio, but today they had green tea, matcha, and hojicha, along with cheese, melon, and sweet bean. I chose the green tea trio. The ice itself was smooth and fluffy. The foam was firm. With red beans and sweet bean paste inside, it was satisfying until the last bite. The quality of the dessert was excellent. However, the restaurant had a bad smell. It smelled like the restroom? I'm not sure, but both the first floor and basement level had a persistent odor that was unpleasant.

There is a tablet at the storefront where you can make reservations. I went there after 1 pm and there was a 3-hour wait. I couldn't wait for 3 hours, so I decided to get takeout instead. Unfortunately, there were no fruit options, maybe because of the season. This place really focuses on matcha flavors. I'm not a fan of matcha, so I chose Quattro Formaggi and hojicha instead. The way it was shaved was a bit rough, not the usual crunchy texture. Overall, I think it's better to dine in if you have the time. Thank you for the meal.