The latest ice cream range from Haagen-Dazs requires a little bit of work to appreciate. The "Decorations" mini-cup line features a decadent mix of flavors — banana caramel cake, cheese berry cake — that are ideally mixed together before eating.

I opted for Banana Caramel Cake (¥294), which internet commenters claim looks a little like mapo doufu (spicy tofu with ground beef). But once thawed out and stirred up a bit, it offers a rich mix of sweet caramel and crunchy chocolate cookie bits, with a subtle banana aftertaste. It's worth the work.