It’s hard to ignore the breathtaking, 6,000 colorful silk ornaments hanging at the Keio Plaza Hotel for its Hinamatsuri (Doll Festival). Thousands of ornaments handsewn from old kimono cloth hang magnificently in the 3rd floor lobby. Each ornament is a symbol of hope for the health and happiness of girls. In the same spirit, my friend and I decided to spend one blissful and luxurious afternoon tasting 30 different decadent chocolate and strawberry delights at Keio’s exclusive restaurant, Jurin, for an all-you-can-eat “Strawberry Dessert Buffet – Berry Lovely Pink” experience.
This fabulous event started on January 7th, 2020 and is ongoing. We were very lucky to receive the hotel’s special permission to take some early video footage and photos (of everything we later devoured) half an hour before the regular guests were seated and camera happy.
The feminine interior design reflected a strawberry and chocolate lover’s ideal picnic with pink suitcases and even a pink bicycle to carry the wide variety of divine desserts. In Japan, we eat with our eyes and this sweets paradise certainly did not disappoint. The pink strawberry milk looked silky smooth in the dispenser and it certainly was. It tasted like melted strawberry ice cream. I was on cloud nine and I had just started.
Keio’s collaboration with a French chocolatier, Valrhona, took pink to a whole new level, and my friend and I enjoyed everything on our numerous plates. Nothing was too sweet or bitter. Every bite left us with smiles as we made multiple trips to the various counters. Keio’s signature strawberry shortcake was a real treat, and the slightly sour pink grapefruit juice tasted so refreshing after trying all the sweets. The variety of ice cream and sorbet flavors made me go for seconds and the many plates of pies, tarts, cookies, chocolate desserts and cream puffs disappeared quickly.
The only advice I have is to savor the two and half hours you have at this elegant restaurant. You may feel anxious and overwhelmed by the assortment of desserts, but you will have time to try and finish everything. My only regret was that I ate so quickly that I spent the remaining hour drinking assorted juices to quench my thirst after eating mouthfuls of deliciousness. Pacing is everything so you can enjoy the variety of textures and flavors. The chocolate fondue melts in your mouth and the chocolate drink you pour and sprinkle with your preferred toppings takes you to another level of elation. The bitter chocolate, strawberry and passion fruit chocolate pieces are not to be missed. Strawberry lovers will not be let down. There are as many strawberry desserts as there are chocolate ones and the hotel curry just hits the spot after ingesting all the cacao and sugar.
You won’t be able to eat much else of anything else after this late afternoon buffet, but the photos and videos of the event are definitely worth posting and sharing on Facebook and Instagram.
March 14th is fast approaching. How about a sweet date or late dessert fest with your loved ones?
This delightful event is a must for all strawberry and chocolate lovers. It’s simply not enough to read about it. It must be experienced!
Photos and videos by Veronica Wong.
