"If awards were given out for sheer chutzpah in desserts, Momoya Soho’s parfait sundae would be on the shortlist. A nod by pastry chef Norie Uematsu to her love of Japan’s trademark sweet, the seasonally rotating parfait is one of the few desserts in the city that comes with an explanatory pamphlet, replete with diagram. Classic elements for Japanese-style parfaits usually include mochi, a crunchy element, ice cream or soft serve, and azuki (red bean). Uematsu takes her cue from these basic components and turns them up to 11. At nearly a foot in height, assembled from seventeen individual elements (not ingredients, elements), Uematsu’s whimsical parfait, currently in its “hana kanmuri” spring incarnation, starts with red shiso jelly at the base, meant to symbolize Mount Fuji at dusk, then layers pistachio ice cream, a scoop of light acai amazake strawberry sorbet, and goes on from there. Uematsu’s favorite highlights include the carefully stained butterfly wing mochi filled with bean paste, a delicate matcha cookie with a tiny ladybug, and a spun candy wreath decorated with edible petals. Due to the time-consuming, complex construction, Momoya Soho only offers a limited number of parfaits per service." - Eater Staff, John Tsung
