This cute boba shop on Shaftesbury Avenue is selling soft serve wrapped in 24K gold leaf.
Gold Leaf Soft Serve
Photo: Urban Adventurer
One of central London’s cutest bubble tea shop, BOBA Tea London, launched their new luxury soft serve at the end of 2024.
The trend started in Japan by a luxury beauty and souvenir store, called HAKUICHI.
HAKUICHI is located in Kanazawa City in Ishikawa Prefecture which is famous for producing 99% (!) of Japan’s gold leaf.
Kanazawa is a historical city in Japan where gold leaf production dates back to the Edo period (1603 – 1868). The perfect combination of humidity, temperature and pure water made the city the perfect location for gold leaf production.
HAKUICHI is located in one of the historical districts of Kanazawa. The shop sells luxurious makeup products and delectable treats infused with gold.
They launched their Gold Leaf soft serve last Summer and it instantly went viral. Locals and tourists all flocked to the store to try the super photogenic luxurious sweet treat.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
This trend has arrived in London and now available at BOBA Tea London for a surprisingly affordable price.
The Golf Leaf soft serve costs £4.50 and is served in a black waffle smoothy cone. For an extra 50p you can choose a different cone: chocolate waffle cone, rainbow sprinkle waffle cone or black cookies & cream waffle cone.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
When it comes to flavours, we don’t have too many choices. You can choose form chocolate, vanilla or the mixture of the two.
Once you’ve picked your cone and flavour, they’ll meticulously incorporate a 24K sparkling gold sheet on your swirly ice cream.
About Gold Leaf
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Gold leaf is actually an incredible thin sheet of gold (0.0001mm). It’s very fragile, meaning it can break from the slightest touch or can get torn by a gentle breeze.
Therefore, transferring a gold sheet on an ice cream is not as easy as it may seem. It requires experience and the person doing it needs to be very quick. The whole process has to happen in an instant, so, don’t blink or you might miss it.
It is believed in Japan that gold bestows the best of luck in financial matters when eaten.
Ready for your next adventure? Canary Wharf Winter Lights is now open and free to visit. There are 12 otherworldly light installations on display, plus seven permanent installations to be enjoyed until the 1st February 2025.
Japan is synonymous with exemplary design yet, it doesn’t have its own national design museum.
Seven leading Japanese designers with completely different disciplines were asked, “If there were a permanent Japanese design collection, what would you put in it?”. Their diverse responses are the subject of Japan House London’s newly opened exhibition: Design Discoveries: Towards a DESIGN MUSEUM JAPAN
[BLOG POST IN BIO] I was invited for the press preview of Japan House London’s new exhibition: ???????????????????????? ????????????????????????????????????????????: ???????????????????????????? ???? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? Japan is synonymous with exemplary design yet, it doesn’t have its own national design museum ???????? Seven leading Japanese designers with completely different disciplines were asked, “If there were a permanent Japanese design collection, what would you put in it?” ???? Their diverse responses are the subject of Japan House London’s new exhibition that opened today Make sure you join the conversation by participating two activities at the end of the exhibition and tell something about your favourite design ???? ???? 15 May – 8 Sept 2024 ????️ Mon – Sat: 10am – 8pm | Sun & Bank Holidays: 12pm – 6pm ????️ FREE | Booking a time slot is encouraged. You can book your free time slot on Japan House London official website #japanhouselondon#japaneseart#japanesedesign#designmuseum#japaneseculture#japanese#design#CapCut
“Spanning ten millennia, this exhibition is an experiment in imagining what a design museum of the future might look like. It is about speculation and collaboration.” – says Director General and CEO of Japan House London, Sam Throne.
Seven well-known Japanese creators, from filmmakers to fashion designers, were asked to try to find an answer of a simple yet complex question: “What is design?”
Kuramori Kyōko, Director of Design Museum Foundation
Photo: Urban Adventurer
As Kuramori Kyōko, Director of Design- DESIGN MUSEUM Foundation and Chief Producer of NHK explains, design shouldn’t necessarily be an intricate and super expensive piece of art. Design can be an everyday object we can find connection to in our everyday lives.
This is why ‘Design Discoveries: Towards a DESIGN MUSEUM JAPAN’ exhibition showcases artefacts that have close connection to our lives, such as toys, fashion or even cutlery.
Hand-Picked Artefacts from Well-Known Japanese Creators
Photo: Urban Adventurer
The exhibition showcases Japanese artists’ and creators’ chosen national treasures spanning 10,000 years across Japan, chronologically telling the story of each individual piece.
Originally thousands of different objects have been collected by DESIGN MUSEUM Foundation to be potentially displayed at a future Design Museum Japan.
Out of the thousands of objects, seven individual pieces were selected that, the curators thought, would be the most suitable for the UK audience.
The selected seven objects are set to represent different parts of Japan from North Japan all the way to Kagoshima Prefecture at the Southwestern tip of the island.
It was also important to showcase diverse objects from pottery to fashion to music from both male and female creators.
Design Treasure Hunt
Photo: Urban Adventurer
The exhibition has been created to be like a treasure hunt.
Each creator’s chosen object has its own section to tell the story of the artefact on display and why the artist picked that particular item.
Visitors are encouraged to walk around the display cubes and read quotes from the artist and interesting facts about the object displayed. This gives an experience similar to a treasure hunt.
Highlights of the Exhibition
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Fashion designer Morinaga Kunihiko presents Noro priestess garment. It’s a talismanic patchwork garment made from different clothes from the whole community in order to protect the young priestess from harm.
The triangular shapes represent butterflies that are believed to carry the soul of their ancestors. This garment has never left Japan before, therefore it’s a very unique opportunity for visitors to marvel at this wonderful piece.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
One of Japan’s most influential textile designers, Sudō Reiko showcases sportswear inspired by huge paper lanterns, presented in Toyama’s Yotaka Andon Festival. The festival is also called ‘Fighting Lantern Festival’ because of the violent clashes of enormous lanterns with warrior pictures painted on them.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Filmmaker Tsujikawa Kōichirō has chosen wooden spinning tops from Hyōgo because, according to Kōichirō, a spinning toy is the first designed object a human comes into contact with in their life.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Architect and ex-SEGA video game designer Mizuguchi Tetsuya presents a ‘transacoustic piano’ from Shizuoka. The piano has an embedded speaker that creates a sonic experience that can be felt throughout the entire body.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Architect Tane Tsuyoshi offers earthenware from over 10,000 years ago from the Jōmon Period and explores how these potteries still impact Japanese design today.
Be Part of the Exhibition – Add Your Design Treasure
Photo: Urban Adventurer
The exhibition ends with two activities.
Visitors are invited to share their own ideas about design and what designs mean to them. Simply grab a piece of paper provided and write down what design means to you and place it on the wall. The aim is to cover the entire wall with colourful papers full of ideas and thoughts about design.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Is there a particular design close to your heart? Grab a small piece of paper and a little flag and write down (or draw) what design it is and in which country it can be found. When you’ve finished, pierce the flag in the country in the world map on the wall and connect your flag with your paper.
Need some assistance? A friendly member of staff is always there to help you put your paper and flag on the wall if needed.
FREE | Booking a time slot is encouraged. You can book your free time slot on Japan House London official website
Ready for your next adventure? You still have a chance to visit Bandai Namco Cross Store’s free One Piece pop-up to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the anime series and Luffy’s birthday.
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