Twentythree

Starbucks is getting into Godiva territory with the price of its newest chocolate dessert drink, but is the quality there?

Cheap prices have never really been the appeal of Starbucks. They are, after all, the chain that did more than any other to broadly popularize the idea among the mainstream masses that it’s worth paying extra for coffee of a quality that encourages sipping and savoring it in a relaxing, stylish interior space.

And yet, there’s definitely some sticker shock involved with Starbucks’ newest Japanese Frappuccino, which went on sale this week, since they’re charging 900 yen (US$5.80) for the Cacao Espresso Affogato Frappuccino. With the current exchange rate, that might not sound like an exorbitant price when converted into U.S. dollars, but in Japan, where limited-time seasonal Frappuccinos usually cost around 700 yen, and even the more expensive ones top out around 800, 900 yen is a lot to ask for a dessert drink. With 900 yen, for example, you could buy two whole beef bowls at one of the major chains like Yoshinoya, Matsuya, or Sukiya.

Nevertheless, duty called for our resident Frappuccino expert and Japanese-language reporter K. Masami, so as soon as she could, she dashed over to her local Starbucks to try out this new premium-priced Frappuccino.

With its release coming just ahead of Valentine’s Day, which in Japan is as much about chocolate as it is romance, the Cacao Espresso Affogato Frappuccino is being billed by Starbucks as “a superb affogato Frappuccino experience.” In the pursuit of that decadent goal, the drink’s base is one of cacao cream and milk (no milk substitutes available for this one), topped with whipped cream with cacao shavings sprinkled across it.

Things start to get really luxurious right before the drink is handed to you, though, as the barista finishes it off by pouring a shot of espresso over the Cacao Espresso Affogato Frappuccino, mimicking the serving style of the Italian dessert that makes up part of its name.

What’s more, the Cacao Espresso Affogato Frappuccino comes with a Starbucks waffle cookie on the side, which they recommend dipping into the Frappuccino so that you can eat, as well as drink, the beverage.

Though only available with the Cacao Espresso Affogato Frappuccino, the waffle cookie comes in its own little package, making it feel extra-special, and the cookie itself looks suitably fancy too.

Masami started her taste test by taking a sip of the Frappuccino, and learned that this is a case in which what you see is very much what your taste buds get. This is a rich, creamy, and very chocolatey flavor profile, an unabashed indulgence for fans of cocoa, one that, in Masami’s opinion, is more delicious than even luxury chocolatier Godiva’s dessert drinks. The shot of espresso adds some sophisticated complexity, with a stimulating kick of bitter coffee notes that pairs extremely well with the dark chocolate. Giving the drink a stir with her straw to blend the whipped cream more evenly throughout the glass gave just enough of a boost to the creaminess to smooth out any roughness in the transition between the various ingredients.

As for the cookie, it’s so good that Masami almost forgot about dipping it into the drink. Taking her first bite of it as is, she found it sweet but with a clean finish. It’s got so much classy quality that she wishes Starbucks would make them available for purchase on their own too, and could easily imagine customers happy to snap them up for around 200 yen each.

Luckily, Masami did remember to start dipping before she ate the whole thing, and it turned out that the three delicious flavors of the chocolate, the espresso, and the cookie also taste great all hitting your taste receptors simultaneously.

So yes, while 900 yen is a lot to pay for a Frappuccino, the price starts to make more sense if you view the Cacao Espresso Affogato Frappuccino as actually being a combo of a Frappuccino, an espresso, and a really good cookie. If you want to sweeten the deal even more, the Starbucks staff that Masami talked to recommend asking for extra chocolate sauce, which is a no-cost customization option for the drink, but either way, Masami thinks the Cacao Espresso Affogato Frappuccino experience is money well spent.

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Why own a comfy pillow when you can lease one?

How long have you had your current pillow? Some of us might not even be able to answer that question because it’s been so long. That’s the case for our writer Ahiruneko, who, at best guess, would say he’s been using the same one for about 20 years.

▼ Ahiruneko’s current pillow

Feeling it was about time for a change, he looked into getting a new one. That’s when he stumbled upon The Pillow, a subscription service where you pay 1,480 yen (US$10) per month to get a tailor-made place to rest your head each night.

This was an attractive offer for Ahiruneko, because his biggest fear of getting a new pillow was accidentally committing to one that was uncomfortable. He wouldn’t say the pillow he had at the time was especially amazing, but he just didn’t want to end up with something worse.

The Pillow’s monthly rate gave him an easy out if he wasn’t satisfied. Plus, the pillow they sent was customized to his body and habits. When ordering a pillow, he had to answer 25 questions, such as how tall he was, how much he weighed, if he usually sleeps well, and what his general pillow preferences were.

▼ Question: Please tell us your pillow comfort preferences. Answers: Surrounded by soft and fluffy, Softness with a little push-back, A sinking hardness like memory foam, Springy firmness, Strong firmness, I don’t know.

An AI would then analyze his answers and create the best pillow for him from among 700,000 options.

▼ Personalized concept: Easily stabilize the back of the head
The amount of material around the neck area has been adjusted to ensure a comfortable fit. The shape has been designed to make it easy to sleep on your back, with your neck height at rest elevated to 6.3 centimeters (2.5 inches).

His new pillow arrived surprisingly fast, only two days after ordering.

Inside was a “slightly tall” pillow filled with little plastic tubes, often called “pipes” in Japan. These kinds of pillows are rather common here, but for those who visit the country, they tend to be very divisive, with people either loving or hating them.

However, unlike the regular pipes, these are called Mochi Koroll Blue, where “mochi” is often a word used to describe food that is extra soft and pliable.

Ahiruneko was taken aback by the retail price of this pillow at 27,500 yen ($180). Considering he’d only be paying about five percent of that for one month, it was a steal.

It was surprisingly large too, and about twice the size of his previous pillow.

It felt soft to the touch, but there was also an underlying firmness to it.

As his head hit the new cushion, Ahiruneko let out a satisfied “Ahhhh…” It had a fluffy feeling that cradled his head, but at the same time, it wasn’t too soft and offered just the right amount of support.

However, after spending his first night with it. He felt it was just a little too high for his liking.

That was OK, though, because after consulting the manual, he unzipped the pillow from underneath and removed the sizing sheet.

Each sheet removed lowers the pillow by one centimeter.

The next night, the height felt optimal, and his neck felt straighter. It was perfect.

But even if it wasn’t, there were seven pockets inside filled with whichever material the AI deemed best for you. By opening one up and adding or removing material, you can fine-tune the pillow even further. Those who subscribe can get more filling free of charge or exchange them too, just in case you’re an anti-tuber who got stuck with tubes.

It was a very good pillow, but Ahiruneko considered the subscription plan. Given the cost of buying the pillow outright, he’d have 20 months of rental use before it becomes a liability. Those really finicky sleepers who want to constantly adjust their pillows could get some more mileage from the monthly payments, but our writer felt he should bail as soon as possible to save money.

Honestly, he was sad to see such a pillow go. If he ever gets to a point where he can justify paying that much for a pillow, The Pillow is the one he’d choose. But at least for now, he got a good sense of what a pillow can and should do for him, and would use that knowledge moving forward.

One catch is that upon cancelling your subscription, you have to pay the shipping to return your pillow. So, even if you get it for only the first month and bail, as Ahiruneko did, you’ll have to pay around twice the amount depending on where you are. 

Considering a lot of pillows sell for less than that, The Pillow might not be worth it for some people. But it is a great way to get a feel for the different options out there and discover your own personal preferences.

Related: The Pillow
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Bear with Seiji as he cooks up some high-quality, high-rarity meat.

When talking about food in Japanese, it’s not uncommon for people, in conversational settings, to simply say “meat” instead of referring to any one particular kind. Maybe it has something to do with syllable counts and word lengths, as it’s quicker to just say the Japanese word for “meat,” niku, instead of the ones for “beef,” “chicken,” or “pork” (gyuniku, toriniku, and butaniku, respectively).

In any case, it’s not startling or unnatural for someone to say “I bought some good meat” without being any more specific, and that’s exactly what our Japanese-reporter Seiji Nakazawa said to fellow SoraNews24 writer Ahiruneko the other day while they were both in the office. As a matter of fact, Seiji had procured enough “good meat” to share, and so he invited Ahiruneko over to his place for some home-cooked hot pot, an invitation Ahiruneko was glad to accept.

Seiji lives within walking distance of Shibuya Station, one of the busiest, liveliest neighborhoods not just in all of Tokyo, but in all of Japan. To help Ahiruneko navigate the crowds, Seiji, thoughtful guy that he is, came all the way out to the station to meet him, so that they could walk to Seiji’s place together.

After a few minutes, they were in a neighborhood so quiet that Ahiruneko could hardly believe how close it was to Shibuya Station.

That said, Seiji is still a bachelor living in one of the pricier parts of town, so his apartment’s furnishings are pretty spartan.

For example, he’s got multiple guitar stands, but no actual kitchen table. Instead, Seiji eats most of his meals on an overturned packing crate.

Today, though, he had company, which called for a larger, and more luxurious dining arrangement…

…a suitcase on its side with some kind of towel or floor mat draped over it.

But hey, Seiji said he had good meat, not good furniture, right? As Ahiruneko pondered which side of the suitcase was appropriate for him to sit on, Seiji headed to the kitchenette to put the finishing touches on the hot pot he had simmering there.

Seeing that it was ready to eat, Seiji picked up the pot and carried it over to the “table.” As he set it down, Ahiruneko peered through the steamed-up glass lid, wondering what kind of meat was waiting inside. Was it beef, chicken, or pork?

Wait…what…

…IS THAT?!?!?

None of the animals that Ahiruneko had expected to be on the ingredient list have fingers…or claws, for that matter.

He and Seiji sat there dumbstruck for a few moments…

…which was especially strange, considering that Seiji, at least, knew the identity of this mysterious meat.

▼ Ahiruneko: “Dude, like, you’re the one who made this?”

It was only now that Seiji told Ahiruneko what kind of “good meat” he’d acquired: bear, specifically a bear’s paw.

Now, if you’re wondering how Seiji, despite living in the middle of downtown Tokyo, got his hands on a bear’s hand, he did his hot pot shopping at Hunter Works Drive-In, a store and restaurant in Chiba Prefecture that specializes in wild game sourced from culling harmful wildlife. While there, Seiji picked up a bear paw for 8,600 yen (US$55).

Hunter Works Drive-In partially pre-cooks the paw in a pressure cooker, and they remove all of the fur too, since that’s not something the average home chef is used to doing. After talking with the Hunter Works Drive-In staff about ways to cook this unusual piece of unusual meat, Seiji decided to stew it in a pot with soy sauce, mirin (sweet cooking sake), katsuobushi (bonito stock), and ginger. On the day before Ahiruneko came over, Seiji stewed the paw for three hours, and on this day, he cooked it for another four and half, until the meat had become tender enough that one of the bear’s fingers broke off from the rest of the paw.

And now, finally, it was time to taste it.

Ahiruneko felt a twinge of awkwardness at the contrast of having the opportunity to eat something so unique and it being placed on top of a suitcase. Following a time-tested solution, the awkwardness was dispelled by adding beer to the situation.

So how do you eat a bear’s paw, especially if you’re sharing it with someone else? Having looked into serving suggestions, Seiji had read that you can simply slice it with a knife, cutting between the fingers and continuing down to the base of the palm.

And lo and behold, this worked!

There’s still the matter of the bone inside, but once you’ve cut off a piece in this manner, you can eat it like you would a sparerib or piece of fried chicken.

As for the taste, bear paw is incredibly gamey. Even after all the time it had spent in the cooking pot, it was unmistakably different from the beef/chicken/pork triumvirate of mainstream meats.

The texture, also, is very gooey, almost like you’re eating a chunk of collagen.

If you were going to equate it to a type of meat more people are familiar with, it’s much, much closer to pork than it is to chicken or beef. To put a slightly finer point on it, stewed bear paw, to Ahiruneko, is reminiscent of the flavor of pork motsu nabe, a traditional Japanese hot pot dish made with pork organs.

Overall, it wasn’t unpleasant, and as the meal went on, Ahiruneko became accustomed to the unique scent of the bear meat, and it ceased to be an issue. However, even after he stopped being conscious of the aroma, at no time during the meal did Ahiruneko forget, even for a second, that he was eating a bear paw. Again, while there are many kinds of orthodox meat dishes in which there might be bones to eat around, none of them have claws at the end of them.

Visually, bear paw isn’t for the faint of heart, but the flavor isn’t intimidating to quite the same degree. Between the cost and difficulty in finding it in stores, though, we understand if anyone wants to wait for an invitation from Seiji before buying a whole paw for their own personal use, and if you’d like an easier way to dip your toes/sink your teeth into the world of bear meat cuisine, there’s this noodle shop in downtown Tokyo to try.

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