After teasing customers in Singapore for almost 2 years, the viral shaved ice sensation Sakanoue – one of Tokyo’s top 10 Japanese kakigori spots – is finally coming to Singapore once more, this time for good! The Japanese kakigori specialist will be making a permanent home at Drips Bakery Café’s expansive Tiong Poh Road outlet, where customers can now enjoy the best of both worlds: one of Japan’s finest kakigori desserts from Sakanoue – the first kakigori brand in Singapore to use premium imported Japanese ice from Kuramoto Ice – alongside Drips’ own delightful cakes, tarts and viennoiseries. Look forward to Sakanoue’s best selling creations, and also a Singapore exclusive: Signature Blackforest Kakigori.
Previously, Sakanoue had two pop-ups in Singapore in 2023 and 2024, where it drew long lines of over an hour.
The Secret to Kakigori Perfection
In the heat of summer in Japan, kakigori lovers would trek up a hill in Tokyo and queue for up to 4 hours just to get a taste of the impossibly fluffy shaved-ice desserts at Sakanoue (which literally means “on top of a hill”).
But this is not just “ice kacang”. The secret lies in a special type of ice that, when shaved, produces light-as-air flakes that ensure a sublime kakigori experience. These top-grade ice blocks are handcrafted by the renowned ice-maker Kuramoto Ice, which was founded in 1923 in Kanazawa, Japan, and boasts over a century of history. The ice artisan uses a slow freezing process that takes over 72 hours, for purer, denser ice that melts slower than standard ice. This is called “Junpyo”, or “pure” ice.
As the water is slowly frozen at 14 degrees fahrenheit (-10 degrees celsius), Kuramoto craftsmen constantly agitate the block as it freezes. The water’s pure components freeze first, and impurities such as minerals are not captured in the finished ice. The process of extended agitating eliminates micro air bubbles in the ice, resulting in crystal-clear blocks of pure ice. In addition, Sakanoue’s mastery in skillfully, quickly and gently shaving and shaping the ice, also add to the deliciousness of these desserts. Each kakigori has a parfait-like structure, where four layers of sauce and toppings are seamlessly embedded within the fine ice shavings – for a flavour and texture explosion in every mouthful. In fact, many of Sakanoue’s customers can eat two bowls of kakigori in one sitting! The final step is the decoration, with some creations looking like kawaii pandas, or even seasonal flavours that resemble chibi Christmas trees.
Each element is meticulously chosen to create a symphony of flavours in every bowl of kakigori. The raw honey was sourced from Kofu, Yamanashi, where clean natural environment, pristine air, and blooming seasonal flowers create the perfect setting for beekeeping and high-quality nectar harvest. Produced using a non-heated, additive-free process, this honey retains its natural nutrients and enzymes, and boasts a deep, delicate flavour.
A Special Kakigori Menu at Drips Bakery Café Tiong Poh road
Sakanoue will be launching at Drips Bakery Café’s flagship 1,600sqft Tiong Poh Road outlet with a Singapore exclusive and five other bestselling kakigori flavours from 4 April 2025, available daily from 1pm to 9pm, or until sold out. These all use premium imported pure Japanese ice from Kuramoto Ice, and comprise four layers of sauce and toppings.
SINGAPORE EXCLUSIVE
Signature Blackforest Kakigori (contains alcohol) $19.80 Specially created for its Singapore fans inspired by Drips Bakery Café’s signature Blackforest Cake, this multi-layered kakigori is a sensory delight with sweet and sour flavours, creamy and crunchy texture, and it even glitters! This masterpiece showcases brandied cherries, luscious chocolate sauce, cream cheese, tea caramel sauce and hidden cinnamon crumble cookies, served with cherry brandy liqueur on the side for your pour over experience. Taste the heavenly notes of cheese sauce, and admire the shiny gold flakes before digging in.
Classic Strawberry Shortcake Kakigori $17.50 Definitely one of the kids’ favourites! A classic, this vibrant red-and-white kakigori is dressed with sweet and tangy strawberries, milk sauce, strawberry sauce, and a generous cloud of espuma cream.
Sakanoue Berry Cute Panda Kakigori $18.00 Another Sakanoue signature loved by adults and kids alike, layered with savoury-sweet camembert cheese sauce, with a core of crumble cookies, raw honey from Kofu, Yamanashi prized for its deep and delicate flavour, yogurt and mixed berries. The shaved ice is topped with espuma camembert cream, where an imploringly cute Panda-chan watches as you take your first bite.
Pistachio Chocolate Kakigori (contains alcohol) $18.80 With pistachio all the rage now, jump onto this icy-cool bandwagon with Sakanoue’s green masterpiece that sports a surprise rum & raisin sauce in addition to pistachio foam, a filling of crushed pistachios, chocolate sauce and milk sauce.
Lemon Mascarpone Kakigori $17.50 This refreshing lemony delight is kicked up a notch with the addition of mascarpone cheese sauce, espuma mascarpone, lemon sauce, raisin sauce, and meringue cookies waiting to be discovered in the middle of it all.
Blazing Fire Cheese Kakigori $19.80 Get your cameras ready – this kakigori creation is literally FIRE! At its core lies rich, delicate raw honey from Kofu, Yamanashi. Encased in luscious camembert and layered with mixed nuts, espuma, and camembert cheese sauce, this indulgent treat is torched tableside for a mesmerising fusion of fire and ice!
Drips Bakery Café’s cakes, tarts & viennoiseries
To go with your kakigori and coffee, have one of Drips’ fabulous cakes, tarts and pastries, with two new flaky offerings.
Black Sesame Mochi Danish $5.50 A flaky, buttery Danish pastry made from scratch, filled with soft, chewy homemade mochi for that indulgent mochi pull, and rich, nutty black sesame laced within the layers.
Okonomiyaki Danish $5.00 Inspired by Japan’s iconic street food, our Okonomiyaki Danish is a bold twist on tradition! Flaky, buttery pastry meets chicken yakitori, all drizzled with a rich blend of Japanese mayo, and sweet teriyaki sauce topped with bonito flakes. A savoury delight that takes your snack game to the next level!
Signature Blackforest Cake ($12.80 per slice | 6 inch $68.00) Voted one of Singapore’s best! Drip’s signature creation features indulgent French chocolate sponge soaked in brandy, layered with luscious vanilla cream, and studded with brandy-soaked French cherries. A rich, boozy delight that’s as decadent as it is irresistible!
Speciality Berries Tart (4 inch) $13.80 Home-made custard infused with Madagascar vanilla beans, topped with the freshest fruits and berries of the day.
