Some fancy restaurants are known to get quite adventurous with their stylish presentations, and the same is true in Japan.

Case in point. Here's a dish some people have been comparing to "paint chips" served at Opuses in the posh Ginza shopping district of Tokyo. An image of it went viral when it was posted by Twitter user みつ Mitsu (@mimimimimitsu32) last month:

Image reproduced with permission from みつ Mitsu (@mimimimimitsu32)

"This ice cream was so stylish it went above my head but it was delicious."

If you look carefully, you'll notice some pink ice cream beginning to melt between the cracks in the "chips" arranged with a calculated sense of randomness on the plate.

Image reproduced with permission from みつ Mitsu (@mimimimimitsu32)

The post has garnered over 223,920 likes and 24,900 retweets at the time of writing. In addition to comparisons with "paint chips," or "ripped off pieces of wallpaper," some people said it reminded them of pieces of walls that broke off and shards of plates and dishes that shattered in the aftermath of the recent earthquake.

In spite of the somewhat unappetizing comparisons made by people on Twitter, the dish sounds wonderful, and not just because Mitsu used the word "delicious" in her Tweet.

In a direct message, Mitsu told us that the dessert, served as part of Opuses' 3,800 JPY afternoon tea set "is called 'Gray,' after the restaurant's concept color."

According to the restaurant's Instagram account, it's their signature dessert. The "chips" are made of black sesame meringue, with pistachio mousse and strawberry ice cream underneath.

Mitsu added that the meringue was "crispy, and the dessert was fun to look at and eat. Everything in the afternoon tea was delicious (especially the freshly baked scones!). I had a very good time there!"

So as it turns out, something that looks like chipped paint can actually be a delicious dessert. But unless you're a diner at Opuses or a contestant on Is it Cake? you probably shouldn't test the theory with your walls at home...


By - grape Japan editorial staff.