Johnnie's Brasserie; Proof That the Japanese Know How to do Dessert

I just had a conversation with a Japanese friend of mine about how good desserts in Japan are. She has had some nice dessert experiences in all different parts of the world, but is convinced that Japan’s are the best. Her view may be biased but as I thought about it, her statement might be true. I’ll use my most recent, non-convenience store dessert experience as an example. 

Johnnie’s Brasserie cafe time dessert: strawberry millfeuille

On another occasion with a different friend, I visited a restaurant called Johnnie’s Brasserie (see shop information below) at Nagoya Station. It was mid-afternoon and we felt like chatting over coffee. The restaurant level in the JR Gate Tower has a wide variety of restaurants and cafes so we decided to look there. This restaurant had a nice high-rise view of the city and I thought it might be nice for my friend visiting Japan from overseas. We hadn’t planned on ordering any sweets but when they brought the cafe time menu to us, the sound of the desserts made our mouths water and we ended up ordering the “cafe set”. This type of set is common after lunch hours in many shops in Japan. Usually the price includes a drink (tea, coffee or juice) with a choice of dessert. This particular restaurant’s set ¥1000 which is pretty good considering the upscale feel of the shop. The restaurant is not a dessert shop, nor does it even mention their desserts on their homepage website. They are, as the name reveals, a brasserie after all, specializing in French food (and other Western style dishes).

When our desserts came to the table we were impressed first by the presentation. Not only were they pretty, the fruits looked fresh and the whole plate looked as if whoever made it took a lot of time in the placement of each components, like artwork. Most importantly, it tasted like heaven. My dessert, the one in the photo above, was just the right amount of sweetness (the Japanese tend to stay on the milder side of sweetness), the millefeuille pastry had a wonderful buttery flavour and stayed crisp and flakey even with all those fresh toppings. The pistachio ice cream went really nicely with the dish with its nutty punch.                             

Fruit pavlova with raspberry sorbet

I only had a bite, but my friend’s dish was also delicious and she was just as satisfied with her choice. This is JUST one example of a dessert in Japan, but I can say that it is not uncommon to find a delicious, well-plated, mouth-watering, and not overly sweet dessert anywhere in japan; they do desserts well.                          

Restaurant: Johnnie’s Brasserie

Area: JR Gate Tower at Nagoya Station, 13th floor

Website: www.johnnies-brasserie.jp

Hours: lunch 11:00-14:30, cafe 14:30-17:00/18:00 on weekends (LO 16:00, 17:00 on weekends and holidays), dinner 18:00-23:00 (LO 22:00)