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» Sweet soft serve corn ice cream on grilled corn? We try Dominique Ansel’s new Crème de la Corn

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Sweet soft serve corn ice cream on grilled corn? We try Dominique Ansel’s new Crème de la Corn

Kay Jul 18, 2016
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Oh, golden corn, how sweet you are — but you’re even sweeter as this new soft serve ice cream on grilled corn from Dominque Ansel Bakery Japan!

Being as fond of sweets as we are, we’ve featured items from the Dominique Ansel Bakery Japan on our site before, and even sat down for an interview with the star chef himself when he visited Japan last month for his Tokyo bakery’s first anniversary.

While the bakery is best known for their Cronut® pastries, they’ve just come up with another sweet creation that we absolutely had to try — the Crème de la Corn ice cream — and what an ice cream it is! It truly is worthy of being called a “creation”, as it involves sweet corn flavored soft serve ice cream being served on top of a piece of grilled corn.

We already knew how tasty the Caramel Sweet Corn soft serve ice cream on the top is (since we’d previously tried it in a regular ice cream cone), but we were still excited to see it presented on an actual corn cob!

▼ See how beautifully the corn is grilled!

Chef Dominique Ansel’s idea for the Crème de la Corn was inspired by the sweet corn he saw at the Tsukiji Market during his visit to Japan in June. According to what we learned from the team at the Tokyo bakery, Chef Dominique immediately knew he wanted to do something with the juicy looking corn, and he bought some to take back with him and proceeded to make some prototype desserts that very day. And even the bakery staff were surprised when Chef Dominique used not only the kernels of the corn but the hard center as well after grinding it with a robot coupe machine. Adding the central portion apparently helps to create an authentic corn flavor and is an idea derived from a French cuisine technique where the center of the corn is cooked for stock. (See how the ice cream is made here, in a Flipagram posted on Dominique Ansel’s Instagram page.)

Further, the addition of caramel to the ice cream sets off the flavor of the corn, making for an even richer tasting experience. The yellow “kernels” of sweet corn jam placed on top completes the picture, at least for the soft serve ice cream.

▼We have to admit, we couldn’t stop staring at it for a while!

▼ Unfortunately, the ice cream was starting to melt, so we quickly had a go at it!

The caramel and corn in the ice cream were certainly a winning and sweet combination! And along with the corn jam, the ice cream was like a cold, frozen form of pure corn and sweetness — certainly a great treat for the hot summer.

But what’s brilliant about this Crème de la Corn is that it’s not over when you’ve finished eating the ice cream. You have the grilled corn cob on the bottom which is essentially an edible ice cream cone! The corn is braised with soy sauce and butter and then grilled for each order. We bit into the corn, and the salty flavor of the butter and soy sauce provided an excellent contrast to the sweetness of the corn itself, especially after the creamy and sweet ice cream on top.

▼ Yes, you still have the grilled corn cob to look forward to,
even after you’re done with the ice cream.

▼ Grilled corn and soy sauce is a classic snack combination in Japan…
it doesn’t disappoint!

▼ And here’s all that was left of the Crème de la Corn when we were done:

So, while you may need to be prepared to get your hands a little messy, you can probably tell that we were quite happy with this unique and beautifully presented ice cream. And for a snack, it’s quite filling too, since you end up eating most of an ear of corn.

Oh, and if corn isn’t quite your thing, they also have soft serve ice cream in an amazake (a sweet, light Japanese sake) flavor, topped with freshly grated young ginger, Maldon sea salt and sansho (Japanese pepper) leaves.

The soft serve ice cream is available at Tokyo’s Dominique Ansel Bakery everyday during store hours until sometime in September, so if you’re in the Omotesando area this summer, it may be the perfect way to cool down and restore your energy!

Shop Information
Dominique Ansel Bakery Tokyo/ドミニクアンセルベーカリートウキョウ
Address: Tokyo-to, Shibuya-ku, Jingumae 5-7-14
東京都渋谷区神宮前 5−7−14
Phone number: 81-3-3486-1329
Hours: Open 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. (9 a.m. – 7 p.m. on select peak days; details available on website)
English website