[Tokyo] Harbs

2016/07/07

On our trip to Japan this year, we've decided to make a visit to Harbs.

"Cake that can fill your heart with happiness".

Harbs is a renowned Japanese dessert cafe with stores throughout all of Japan and overseas in New York as well.

What kind of cake can fill your heart with happiness when you eat it whole? Their motto is to send out happiness through their cakes. Maybe this is the secret ingredient to why their desserts are so delicious!

Similar to Lady M, they serve mille crêpes, other types of cakes, and sandwiches for lunch.

It was a weekday when we visited, but the store was still very busy, we had to wait a little because we didn't want to sit outside under the heat.

decor

This particular location at Roppongi Hills holds 44 seats inside and 12 outside. So that imo, is quite a big store, considering most cafes in Japan are pretty small.

I really like the bright and open concept of the cafe. The brown wood tones and the green plants brings a natural atmosphere to the shop.

Doesn't it look warm and welcoming? :D

Photo credits to ヒトサラ

Photo credits to コネり

The only downside is it's probably not the best option for groups of more than 5, unless you are visiting during a time when it is not that busy. The seats are mostly designed for parties of 2 and 4. It is possible to put the tables together but because they do not accept reservations, the wait time would be rather long.

Food

One thing I really loved were the illustration of the desserts on the menu.

The drawings are creative and colourful, it really draws our stomachs in to order them all lol.

they all look delicious!

From time to time, they offer different special menus in respect to the season.

During our visit the two were melon melon cake and apple mango cake.

In total, we were a party of 5, and we each ordered one cake... so you can probably imagine, there was A LOT of cake.

I love to have variety on my table so we got five different flavours!

drinks

ハニーレモンティソーダ　Honey Lemon Tea Soda

I ordered the honey lemon tea soda. Yea I know sounds like a hand full, but it was a great combination. 880 yen, is pretty expensive for tea, but because they give you a bottle of Perrier, along with the tea in the tall glass, it was more than enough.

フレッシュアップルティ　Fresh Apple Tea

Cold brewed apple tea was a refreshing choice, although the hint of apple wasn't as strong as I wanted it to be. Very light, a perfect pair with a rich, creamy slice of cake.

Food

They have a wide selection of cakes, and every month or so, they change the flavours up with new ones and seasonal favourites.

These were the 14 available during the time we payed our visit.

Photo credits to the official Harbs site

ミルクレープ　Mille Crêpes

- Seasonal fruits generously packed between six layers of crepe.

The most popular item on their menu, the fresh fruits mille crêpes. I have never tried Lady M's version, so I couldn't compare but, this was really delicious. Thin layers of crêpe, filled with plenty of whipped cream and fruits. It is rich yet refreshing to the taste!

フレッシュフルーツケーキ　Fresh Fruits Cake

- An extravaganza of fresh fruit and cream puff pastry, set between layers of sponge cake.

For anyone who wants to have a lighter selection of the cakes featured here, the fresh fruits is a great option. Each layer is stuffed with a different type of fruit, making the colours of a rainbow! Beautiful appearance and tasty too.

メロンメロンケーキ　Melon Melon Cake

- Sponge cake smothered with slices of ripe honeydew, melon, and fresh whipped cream, covered with a layer of cream and melon.

The melon melon cake is a limited flavour to selected stores. Melon is one of my favourite summer fruits so this one caught my eye immediately. And knowing me, as a limited time flavour, I have to order it. All the fruits used in their cakes are sweet and fresh, really a big treat.

アップルマンゴーのケーキ　Apple Mango Cake

- An abundance of apple and mango used in the mousse, topped with fresh whipped cream and plenty of fresh fruits.

Another limited flavour, this is the seasonal apple and mango mousse cake. Once again because it's limited, I ordered it, and it did not disappoint. The mousse was smooth with chunks of mango, hints of apple and topped with even more mango!

Great for those who love mangos lol.

マロンタルト　Marron Tart

- Chocolate chips in fresh whipped cream fill the base of the tart, topped with generous servings of chestnut cream.

Probably my FAVOURITE of them all, because I'm a total sucker when it comes to chestnuts. Lined with thin pie crust, topped with a very very generous amount of chestnut cream and drizzled with chestnut paste.

The ultimate heaven, this is like a giant Mont Blanc. I can never get enough of that chestnut paste ♥ YUM

Verdict

If you love cakes, this is the place to go when visiting Japan!

Easy access because they have stores all over the country, if they could maintain decent sales at all the locations, this must mean something right. And isn't delicious cake enough reason for paying a visit?

Cake = happy☺