
Shibuya Toast is a dessert commonly found in Japanese or Korean cafe franchises. It is, in essence, what it is: toast slathered with sweet toppings. However, the toast in question is definitely not the same toast you scarf down for breakfast. Au contraire, what these establishments do is grab a hunk of bread – say a quarter of an unsliced loaf – chuck it into the oven to crisp up, then load it up with syrups and conserves and goodness knows what else.
For this reason, I’ve never been inclined to order it. For all that I’m for decadent desserts, turning your toast into a groaning behemoth of massive, sugary proportions is just overkill.
For the same reason, I prefer a little more constraint to my dessert toast. I don’t want a hunk of bread; a somewhat thicker-cut sandwich slice works enough for me. I don’t need all the bells and whistles of Nutella, matcha syrup, chocolate ganache, and gobs of sweetened adzuki bean.
Truth be told, all I need is a generous schmear of good peanut butter thickly slathered over the bread and a drizzle of wild honey. Five minutes in the toaster gives the peanut butter a richer flavor and renders the honey crisp like thin, wispy shards of properly made caramel. I finish it off with a scoop of plain, honest-to-goodness vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of more honey. Easier to eat, no need to share; a divinely decadent dessert for one given elegant restraint.
I’m crazy for really good Shibuya toast!! Although I think they’re mostly sweet-I think I’d love a savoury version 😀