Starbucks used to be my haven in Japan. When I lived there,
I would go to Starbucks as often as I could. This was partially due to the fact
that there were not many other cafes in my prefecture, and that the culture of
Japanese cafes is quite different from western-style cafes, and Starbucks was
among the few places where I could pull out my laptop and write without being
bothered.
However, times have changed since I lived in Japan
2013-2014, and now cafes are everywhere. So when I retuned to Tokyo last
summer, I was determined not to go to
Starbucks, but instead to hit up as many local cafes as possible. I was
determined until I heard about Starbucks summer specials, and then I relented
because I just had to, had to, try their new drinks. Here is what I had:
Watermelon Iced tea
I heard about this seasonal drink while I was still in the
states and was looking forward to experiencing something like my beloved
Watermelon Drink in Taiwan. Watermelon tea did live up to its hype with real
puréed watermelon – not a power or food coloring. It was only semi-sweet, with
just a subtle hint of sugar and the natural sweetness of watermelon. I didn’t
taste any tea, so it was more like watermelon juice, but that was just what I
wanted.
Yuzu Citrus Iced Tea
This was another iced tea flavor I noticed on the menu in
Japan which I have never seen offered in another country. Yuzu is a kind of
citrus in Japan, often cooked with sugar used to make sweet in the summer/ I
was even more impressed with this drink than the Watermelon tea due to the yuzu
pulp and nostalgic taste.
Matcha Chocolate Cake Espresso Shot Frappuccino
Every year Statbucks Japan tried to outdo itself with a new version of a Matcha Frapuccino. The year I moved to Japan, it was a Chocolate
Brownie Matcha Frappuccino, and in years since they have done similar version
of this drink. The Chocolate Cake version featered a small cake of top of the
frapuccino, every time you poke your straw through you get a bit of cake in
your mouth, and the longer the cake sits in the blended Frappuccino, the softer
it becomes. I enjoyed this drink but still prefer the cake to be blended with
the Frappuccino, for consistent flavor throughout.
Coffee Cakes
The flavored coffee cakes of Japan are among the best
desserts Stabucks has to offer. The flavors change every season depending on
the drink specials, but they are always semi-sweet, soft, and loaded with
delicious and original flavor. This season I had Matcha cake, which featured a delicate
dream on top. The other cake I enjoyed was Yuzu Citrus flavored, which has
a citrus glaze on top.
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