Pastry shop Dominique Ansel Bakery Tokyo is offering its annual summer-only unique soft serve ice cream, inspired by grilled corn and rice balls, until September 30th. Previously, Dominique Ansel Bakery has created unique sweets that evoke memories and remain in people's hearts, such as the "Cronut," a hybrid of the French croissant and the New York doughnut; the "Frozen S'mores," a camping-inspired treat made with vanilla ice cream and chocolate crunch wrapped in marshmallow and grilled on a smoky tree branch; and the "Cookie Shot," inspired by the classic American snack of cookies and milk. This summer's new soft serve ice cream is a unique menu item inspired by grilled corn, a staple of Japanese summers, and rice balls, a soul food of the Japanese people.

The corn-shaped "Creme de la Corn" (1,000 yen including tax) is a soft serve ice cream that captures the delicious flavor of corn, a summer delicacy. It was created when Chef Dominique was captivated by the sweetness and aroma of juicy fresh sweet corn during his visit to Japan. Not only the kernels but also the cobs, where the flavor is concentrated, are crushed and boiled to extract the corn's true flavor. Caramel is added to create a smooth, rich, and fragrant dish. The corn jam topping at the end is just like a real kernel of corn. The cone handle is made from real corn that has been boiled, seasoned with butter and soy sauce, and then baked.

The "Onigiri Soft Serve" (750 yen including tax) is rice-flavored ice cream sandwiched between a fragrant seaweed shell (cone). The ice cream is wrapped in rice puffs for a crunchy texture, and the plum jam, which resembles pickled plums, adds a refreshing acidity, making this a playful flavor perfect for the hot summer.