Global Brand, Tokyo only

Louis Vuitton, Starbucks, Chanel, Disney ... global brands are the stuff of our times. No matter how far you travel, some brands will be there to greet you.

The latest in branding and global shopping, however, is the “local limited edition”. These items, produced for global brands but released only locally, feature design or concepts exclusive to locations where the brand boasts a big following. Ginza’s cushy 4-chome area is home to La Maison Ginza, where international icecream brand Häagen-Dazs is serving up creative, creamy dreams. Menus are based on what the butterfat bigwigs call “moods”; so we get “Marvelous”, “Sensual”, “Mystique” and “Glamorous” desserts.

“Marvelous” features strawberry, vanilla, milk and chocolate flavours of Häagen-Dazs’ premium line-up, with unlikely accents of pepper meringue and refreshing Italian parsley sauce. The “sensual” menu treats ice cream in a more textural way with the brand's rich milk flavour floating in an amber amaretto gelée. The quirky side comes out in the “mystique” range, which aims to shock the tastebuds with match-ups of a fruity nature, including avocado and white peach compote over milk ice cream, and vanilla with red wine and tomato. “Glamorous” brings in more accessorised dishes, featuring richer flavours like milk tea, rum raisin and vanilla with sides of crepes or crispy batons of pastry covered in caramel, fennel seeds or edible flowers.

Though decidedly not for those on a budget (most dishes run upwards of ¥1,200), dining on desserts in Ginza is all about indulgence.

Visitors can take to the second-floor terrace for a surprisingly diverse menu that takes in cocktails, wine, savoury gallettes and cheese plates, as well as the fantastical ice-cream confections.

If you don’t have the time to linger, the first floor offers take-out treats. The “alcove”, as it’s called, offers “macarons bijoux” (ice cream macarons), ice cream filled truffle-like “bijoux glaces” and artuflly topped Häagen-Dazs puddings. In addition to the “Tokyo only” experience, from September 19-27 there will be a special orange marmalade flavour of macaron.

Häagen-Dazs at La Maison Ginza

Address：Ginza 5-7-17, Chuo-ku

Telephone: (03)6253-7050

Times：11:00〜22:00 (L.O 21:00)

URL：www.haagen-dazs.co.jp/maison/