PETALING JAYA, Sept 11 — When it comes to kakigōri, I admit I’ve got a full-blown love affair with the dessert. So in love that I have travelled for hours to hidden places in the suburbs of Tokyo just to savour the Japanese shaved ice dessert.

Sharing that love for this icy cold delicacy are the three Beh siblings: Kok Boon, ChewYeng and Kok Aun who have just set up their own dessert bar, Kakigōri in Taman Paramount, Petaling Jaya.

What’s kakigōri, you may wonder? We Malaysians are familiar with shaved ice desserts like cendol and ais kacang but the Japanese kakigōri is a completely different breed.

Unlike your usual ais kacang or Korean bingsu, the shaved ice for the kakigōri resembles fluffy snow flakes (left). Adding the espuma for a creamy touch to the Apam Balik kakigōri (right).

One can trace the origins of kakigōri to 11th century Japan where it was first documented that ice was shaved with a knife and eaten with the sweet sap of plants and a drizzle of golden syrup.

In those days, it was a luxury reserved for the rich as it was made from natural ice. In the 19th century, blocks of ice became easily available with the invention of an ice maker so the first kakigōri shop opened in 1872.

Later in the 1930s, an ice-shaving machine was invented which meant kakigōri became easily available everywhere.

Go for the unusual Shoyu kakigōri drizzled with soy sauce and topped with toasted kinako powder and chewy dango mochi (left). For a light floral taste, try the Watermelon kakigōri crowned with rose espuma, red fruits and chopped pistachios (right).

In Japan, kakigōri has gone through various movement. It has changed from the traditional version drizzled with artificial colouring served at Japanese festivals to modern-day versions topped with Western inspired items like creamy espuma, chocolate and nuts.

Nowadays most of the kakigōri is served in either specialised sweet shops or tiny mom-and-pop eateries. As it requires time to prepare the toppings that may be seasonal due to the produce, the smaller shops only offer limited quantities. Its popularity means many — like me — don’t mind traveling to places far from the city and enduring long queues especially during summer.

For the Behs, when it came to setting up their own dessert bar here, the idea for kakigōri was spurred by their own desire to beat the heat in Malaysia. As ChewYeng explains, "We were all pampered as children who cannot tahan (stand) the hot weather and next to our house, there was a kedai (shop) where we always get our lollies.”

Each kakigōri takes time to make as it’s got three layers of shaved ice with toppings to ensure the taste is evenly distributed (left). Inspired by the local snack, the Apam Balik kakigōri is delicious with in-house made corn puree, coconut espuma and toasted praline (right).

Inspiration to start this dessert here locally also came from social media sites, as who can resist those tempting bowls of shaved ice crowned with creamy espuma or dusted with matcha powder. "It’s the look of it and with this kind of weather, you need it,” she said.

As owners of Thirdwave cafe in Nexus, Bangsar South, they started out their F&B journey with coffee. To their surprise, as they researched more about kakigōri, they realised it’s also gone through different waves similar to coffee. "There’s a revolution to make it contemporary. It’s a dessert and not just shaved ice,” explained ChewYeng.

The journey to set up Kakigōri started almost a year ago. When they first mooted the idea, it was just a lot of research and discussions but what was most important was the taste of the kakigōri.

Look for Kakigōri at Taman Paramount to get your cool shaved ice desserts.

Taking time off from their cafe at the spur of the moment, ChewYeng and Kok Aun made a trip to Tokyo late last year. As ChewYeng recalls, the first place they visited was Kanna in Mishuku where they had the purple sweet potato kakigōri.

It was a memorable first experience as the moment they put their spoon in the dessert, the shaved ice mountain collapsed! Hampered by the lack of information on the Internet, they turned to Kinokuniya bookshop to source for a guidebook in Japanese. Luckily, ChewYeng has a bit of background in Japanese as she took a Japanese language course after her SPM.

Every day, they’d travel afar to small shops just to try at least 10 kakigōri a day! With each taste of the kakigōri, they were convinced that this was what Malaysians needed... premium shaved ice dessert topped with natural ingredients versus those using artificial colouring and commercially-made syrups.

You won’t be able to stop eating the delicious Avocado kakigōri drizzled with milk and topped with chopped pistachios (left). The Hojicha kakigōri resembles an icy cold roasted green tea latte studded with candied chestnuts (right).

Fuelled by their dream to create these icy cold delicacies here, they returned home and bought an electric ice shaver. With that, they started researching the best techniques to achieve the light fluffy ice that is like fallen snow.

As Kok Aun explained, it took a lot of R&D to work out what was the best kind of ice to use to make their kakigōri. Next it was the various toppings that they played around with; the premise was it’s got to be not too sweet and made with natural ingredients or premium products.

At Kakigōri, you will find that the prices for their kakigōri range from RM14 to RM18, which is incredibly reasonable compared to the ones served in Japan for around 900 Yen (RM35).

In some cases, premium kakigōri can go up as high as 3,500 Yen (RM139), as seen with the tomato kakigōri served at the posh Kuriya Kurogi that is dusted with gold flakes and topped with pure tomato puree!

Drizzle kinako milk over your Uji Matcha kakigōri that is topped with warabi kochi (left). The Tiramisu kakigōri is topped with coffee espuma, chocolate pearls and cocoa powder (right).

"It’s quite expensive in Japan as it’s the same price as a set meal. We didn’t want it to be a premium dessert so we kept the prices low and affordable,” explained ChewYeng.

For some of the kakigōri, they experimented with local flavours since they’re the easiest ingredients to get. One of this includes their interpretation of the popular snack, apam balik.

Rather than utilise the canned cream corn favoured by hawkers, they make their own corn puree to keep the sugar levels down. The shaved ice is topped with a creamy coconut espuma and the final flourish is a sprinkle of their toasted peanut praline. It’s the perfect choice for those who love the snack.

The interior of Kakigōri is designed like an ice factory with an adjoining garden with bird-like tables and chairs, origami tables and a sunroof.

There’s a menu of 10 types of kakigōri, all different to suit your palate. It’s just the tip of the iceberg though, as Kakigōri has more variants up their sleeves due to the extensive R&D they conducted. In the near future, there are plans to unveil monthly special flavours, once operations at the newly-minted place is up to speed.

Like all things Japanese, at Kakigōri, they take their time to perfect a bowl of kakigōri for you, slowly shaving the ice and packing it to ensure each spoonful is a pleasure.

One thing you must note is it’s also a completely different creature from an ais kacang even though it shares a topping of shaved ice. With an ais kacang, the ingredients are just spooned into the bowl and topped with shaved ice that is drizzled all over with gula Melaka syrup, rose syrup and evaporated milk.

Kakigōri is the home of Yuki, the snow lady who came from Japan to Malaysia and must eat shaved ice desserts all the time to keep herself from melting.

At Kakigōri, the kakigōri has a whopping three layers where each layer of shaved ice is laced with toppings to make it extra tasty. Time is needed to delicately create the layers.

You will also discover that the shaved ice is different from the ones we get at the normal stalls, as the shavings are long and fluffy and melt on your tongue straight away. For those comparing it to the Korean bingsu, you will notice it’s also less rich-tasting since the shaved ice is not made from milk. There are some versions of bingsu that use shaved ice but those tend to be quite rough like chips.

There’s a different kakigōri to suit your mood. Some are lighter, like the Uji Matcha that is drizzled with kinako (toasted soy powder) milk and topped with the jelly-like warabi mochi.

Kakigōri also make their own jelly-like warabi mochi every day (left). The Behs have recreated one of their favourite kakigōri they tried in Japan with this Pumpkin version drizzled with burnt caramel sauce (right).

For a deeper flavour, there’s the Hojicha with its roasted green tea taste served with candied chestnuts and kinako milk. When it came to choosing the matcha powder they use for the kakigōri they went through the whole range of green tea products from the centuries-old tea purveyors Marukyu-Koyamaen to ensure the taste is not too bitter but still redolent of the green tea taste.

For some of Kakigōri’s initial taste testers, a favourite was the Guava as it has a crisp refreshing taste with the plum salt. You also have a Ginger Tofu version with tofu pudding and ginger syrup. If you prefer a floral taste, try the refreshing Watermelon crowned with rose espuma, an assortment of red fruits and chopped pistachios.

The ones topped with the puree tend to be a bit heavier on the palate. Don’t worry as they’re not too sweet as ChewYeng has dialled back the sweetness. The Japanese Pumpkin is topped with a creamy puree of kabocha pumpkin that is balanced out with the burnt caramel you pour over it. You get a small container of the smoky flavoured caramel so you can adjust how sweet you prefer it to be.

The best things like kakigōri should be shared.

Similarly, the Avocado is drizzled with the light green avocado puree and sprinkled with chopped pistachios. Coffee drinkers can also enjoy the Tiramisu with its coffee flavoured espuma and Valrhona chocolate pearls. There’s no alcohol though in this version.

Adventurous eaters will enjoy the refreshing Shoyu that is sprinkled with kinako powder and served with a chewy dango mochi. According to ChewYeng, she’s seen some places in Japan that pair the savoury dessert with toro sashimi.

You will find that everyone has got their own personal favourite kakigōri. Even the choices for the Beh siblings are varied. ChewYeng prefers the unusual Shoyu, while Kok Aun’s choice is the Japanese Pumpkin and Kok Boon’s pick is the Apam Balik.

If you prefer a hot item, try the Matcha Zenzai with toasted mochi, red beans served with warm matcha.

If cold desserts are not your thing, there’s also comforting Matcha Zenzai. It’s topped with a puffy toasted mochi and soft cooked red beans that have been slowly cooked over a low fire. As the Japanese versions tend to be a bit too sweet for ChewYeng, she has reduced the sugar used so it’s more palatable for those who prefer a healthier touch.

Kakigōri also makes their own mochi as it’s used as toppings for their kakigōri or just served on its own. Try the smooth warabi mochi that is made fresh every day. It’s dusted with matcha or kinako powder. You can also have hot and cold matcha and hojicha latte here.

Not only will you get cool relief for your tongue at Kakigōri but it’s the perfect place to hide out from the hot weather. The air conditioning is set colder than other places and envisioned as an ice factory with its galvanised steel counters. The place also exudes a Zen atmosphere with its clean white interiors.

You can climb up the gazebo-like structure to read a book.

If you’re feeling the chill, just sit under the sunroof that has the sun’s warming rays pouring from it. There’s a charm about the place with its centrepiece which is a gazebo-like structure filled with plants to invoke a garden atmosphere. If you look carefully, there are even steps you can climb and sit up in the chairs to enjoy the sun just like a modern tree house.

Watching over you in Kakigōri is their mascot, Yuki. She’s the snow girl who came from Japan to Malaysia. As she’ll melt in the hot weather, she’s constantly eating shaved ice desserts to keep cool. In the future, they hope to also merchandise products featuring Yuki to extend the Kakigōri brand.

Once your kakigōri is ready, your queue number will flash and you pick it up from the shelves.

You’re encouraged to practise self service at Kakigōri. Just pay for your kakigōri at the counter and wait for your number to be called out on the electric board, just like in a passport queue. There are various slots in the wooden shelves where you can pick up your bowl of kakigōri. Just check that your number matches and take it to your table. Once you’re finished, just return your tray and empty bowl to the return counter.

On the wall of Kakigōri are the words from Haruki Murakami book Sputnik Sweeheart, "No mistake about it. Ice is cold; Roses are red; I’m in love.” Hopefully you will fall in love with kakigōri too, just like me and the Behs.

Kakigōri 25, Jalan 20/13 Taman Paramount, Petaling Jaya Opening hours: 1pm to 10pm (Tuesday to Thursday, Sunday), 12pm to 12am (Friday and Saturday). Closed on Mondays.

For September 11 and 12, they are open from 1pm to 10pm.

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