Where to Eat Tokyo's Best Mint Chocolate Desserts This Summer
- Marion P.
- Jul 17
- 5 min read
Updated: Sep 24
Refreshing mint chocolate desserts are your best allies for surviving Tokyo's sweltering summer heat. Read on to find out where to eat the best mint chocolate desserts in Tokyo this summer.
Why Does Japan Love Mint Chocolate?
Japan loves seasonal flavors, which is why you will no doubt encounter mint chocolate items all over the shelves of konbinis (convenience stores) and menus of your local cafés starting in late May when the temperatures in Japan begin to rise.
Even a few fashion and accessory brands like Sanrio and Q-Pot have released mint-chocolate themed collections! While a lot of Japanese food trends are simply related to the seasonality of ingredients, mint-chocolate comes back every summer thanks to its cooling powers.
And, this refreshing flavor goes way beyond basic ice cream.
Where to Find the Best Mint Chocolate Desserts in Tokyo
Family Mart: Budget-Friendly Mint Chocolate Desserts
Most convenience store chains are selling a few mint-chocolate items right now, but if you're a true fan of this flavor, Family Mart is the place to go. They released no less than 14 limited edition mint-chocolate foods and drinks this summer!
On top of that, they are all under 400 yen. On Instagram, they even posted a graph to show the mint-chocolate ratio in each item, from weak mint (ミント弱) to strong mint (ミント強), and weak chocolate (チョコ弱) to strong chocolate (チョコ強). I tried eight of them. Here’s my ranking from least to most delicious:
Mint Chocolate Cookies
They're not crunchy but not exactly soft either. In spite of the chocolate chips, the mint taste is overpowering.
Mint Chocolate Tart
I thought the filling would be a cream or mousse but it's firmer. The mint to chocolate ratio is nicely balanced.
Mint Chocolate Roll Cake
Since it appears to be a chocolate cake with very little mint-flavored cream, I was expecting a more subdued mint chocolate flavor. It's actually the opposite! The mint cream is very strong.
Chocolate Mint Crunch
Very minty and crunchy, it almost feels like eating mint candy! I wish the chocolate flavor was a little stronger. These can get sticky with the heat, so I kept them in the fridge.
Choco-Mint Waffle Cone
It's a typical mint chocolate ice cream cone. However, I liked the chocolate sauce swirl and lightly salted chocolate waffle cone. The plastic cone is convenient when the ice cream is melting.
Mint Chocolate Cream Puff
I really liked the taste and texture. The chocolate glaze on top is quite literally the icing on the cake here, it elevates that konbini cream puff to a true, satisfying dessert.
Mint Chocolate Melon Pan
If you're new to mint chocolate, this is the snack I would recommend. While the melon pan (Japanese melon shaped bread) itself has a nice mint color, it's actually a plain melon pan with a bit of mint chocolate cream inside. The flavor of the plain melon pan complements the cream really well.
Chocolate Mint Frappé
There's a reason why mint chocolate is mostly used as ice cream - that's when it's the most refreshing!
For this frappé, you grab the cup in the frozen section and then go to the café/smoothie/frappé station next to the cashier to get milk added to it. Don’t forget to take a special frappé straw.
Mix it thoroughly or, like me, you'll end up with clumps of chocolate chips at the bottom of the cup.
I loved it this drink and think that it's the perfect thing to drink outside when you can't bear the heat anymore and, unlike ice cream, you don't have to worry about it melting.
Also, some famous snack brands like Pocky and Kit Kat have joined in on the mint chocolate craze.
While Pocky can be found in most konbini. I picked up the mint chocolate flavored Kit Kat at Tokyo’s LIFE supermarket. Pro-tip: stick your Kit Kats in the freezer for a cool, mint chocolate treat.
Marion Crepes: Classic Tokyo Spot for Mint Chocolate Treats
For a slightly higher budget, I went to Marion Crepes. Established in 1976, this chain is famous for its Japanese-style rolled crepes. They released five mint chocolate items this summer: two crepes, a parfait, a kakigori (Japanese shaved ice), and a milky drink.
The limited mint chocolate menu is not found in every location, so I recommend going to the Lumine EST shop next to Shinjuku Station to make sure you find the whole menu.
I tried the crepe served on a plate ("Chocolate Mint Plate" on their menu). It has both mint and chocolate whipped cream, mint chocolate ice cream, brownie pieces, chocolate cookies, and a drizzle of chocolate sauce.
It's very sweet and more on the chocolate than mint side. I liked that they added different textures with the brownies and cookies, they work well with the ice cream and whipped creams.
If you prefer getting a rolled crepe, there is a simpler Mint Cookie Crepe available on their to-go menu. It has mint whipped cream, mint chocolate ice cream, chocolate cookies, and chocolate sauce.
You can even get mint chocolate-themed souvenirs! They are selling limited edition keychains and memos shaped like their rolled Mint Cookie Crepe.
512 Café&Grill: Tokyo’s Luxurious Mint Chocolate Desserts
Want to splurge on a truly fancy mint-chocolate dessert for summer? Then try out Roppongi's 512 Café&Grill!
They have three desserts available for dining in – Choco-Mint Crash10, Choco-Mint Float, and Choco-Mint Affogato – and two that are takeout only, a Choco-Mint Cannele and a Choco-Mint Butter Sand.
The first dessert I tried was the Choco-Mint Crash10. Why Crash10? Because this dessert was also created to celebrate that café's 10th anniversary.
This dessert is beautiful and decadent to say the least: two striking mint-colored pancakes separated by a layer of whipped cream and crunchy chocolate cornflake clusters, topped with a hard chocolate shell and two scoops of mint chocolate ice cream. If that's not minty enough for you, it is even served with a small glass of mint syrup to pour over the dessert.
It was delicious and totally worth the price. I think crunchy elements should be added to all pancakes from now on because the contrast they create is fantastic.
I also decided to try the affogato because I had never seen a mint-chocolate affogato before.
Mint chocolate is divisive enough, I thought adding an espresso shot was especially bold!
Once again, this dessert is beautiful and totally instagrammable with its lovely mint gelato, waffle cone, and chocolate covered pretzel. The espresso shot is served separately so you can pour it yourself.
The usual ratio for an affogato is one scoop of ice cream, two at most, for one espresso shot. Here, there were more than three scoops of ice cream so I found it to be a little unbalanced and I couldn't taste the coffee.
Also, I had a hard time finding the chocolate as it was only at the bottom of the cup. Adding some more chocolate on top or in the ice cream would’ve helped bring out the flavor more evenly.
That being said, it was still delicious and original. Adding espresso really gives mint chocolate ice cream a sophisticated vibe. This is a must-try if you love mint chocolate ice cream and coffee.
Final Thoughts
Confession: I wasn’t a mint chocolate fan until writing this.
In fact, the last time I had tried mint-chocolate flavored desserts was years ago. However, the mint-chocolate desserts I tried in Tokyo changed my mind.
Among everything I tried, I definitely recommend the Frappé, Melon Pan and Cream Puff from Family Mart as well as the Choco-Mint Crash10 from 512 Café&Grill.
Remember, these mint-chocolate desserts are only in Tokyo for the summer, so enjoy them while they last!