Grand Front, the new shopping complex near Osaka Station, isn’t all that close to the station itself, but its gourmet concept isn’t bad at all. The basement restaurant floor is especially well stocked, and I went because I’d heard a dessert shop with great parfaits had opened there.
This is the place.
There are chairs out front for waiting. It’s a small place with only 16 seats, and the turnover doesn’t seem to be very fast. I waited about 30 minutes before getting in.
An illustration of the pear parfait
Nicely done.
The chocolate banana illustration
I ordered this one, but they said it was sold out so I never got to try it.
Fruit sandwiches
They look delicious.
The explanation
The zenzai menu
Well… I came here to eat parfait, so I doubt I’ll ever be ordering this…
Strawberry sandwich
It tasted fine, but the parfait was so good that this felt a little underwhelming by comparison.
Strawberry parfait
It feels like they tipped a whole pack of strawberries into it, and it’s genuinely well made.
Pear parfait
Everything else aside, the pear was ripened so perfectly that the aroma spreading through my mouth and the way it melted felt like eating spoonfuls of liqueur. Pears are a fruit that has to ripen off the tree the way melons do, and catching that perfect moment at home is a hard thing to do. A shop where a professional catches the perfect timing and turns it into a parfait — I couldn’t imagine anywhere better. Beyond the fruit, the jelly and the pistachio ice cream were rich too. It was just about perfect.
I liked this place so much that I want to visit again next time, but things sell out if you go late, so I’ll have to plan the trip properly.
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