Bringing Boston cookies to Japan…with a twist.
Tokyoites get to enjoy a world of flavours on their doorstep, and now there’s a new player on the scene bringing Boston cookies to the metropolis for a limited time.
Called “Pug“, this American cookie specialty store is actually a new Japanese-born chain, and it’s putting its own twist on the classic recipe to suit local tastes. The name comes from the fact that the wrinkly surface of the cookies resembles a pug dog, and the tagline “Chunky, Melty, Guilty” puts them firmly in the decadent indulgence category.
With stores planned for Kichijoji in Tokyo and Sendai in Miyagi Prefecture, and a store opening in Kawasaki’s Musashi Kosugi on 24 April, the chain is kicking off proceedings with a pop-up at Shibuya’s Miyashita Park from 28 March to 26 May.
▼ We stopped by the Shibuya store to check out the new cookies.
The first thing that stands out at the pop-up is all the variations on the menu. Staff are happy to help you out with suggestions, which led us to go all out with the “Boston Cookie Crunch” (680 yen [US$4.78]), a Boston cookie on top of vanilla ice cream, with an espresso shot (250 yen) as a topping and milk (400 yen) as a side drink.
▼ You can’t go wrong with milk and cookies.
We were immediately drawn to the cookie cup, which had a small gap between cookie and rim for us to dip our spoon into so we could pick up some of the ice cream beneath. As we scooped up the ice cream, the cookie began to crumble, revealing just how chunky and melty it was.
▼ Living up to the chain’s “Chunky, Melty, Guilty” tagline.
The cookie was so soft and warm it easily broke into gooey pieces, melding with the cold ice cream to create a tantalising texture filled with sweet, chocolatey, nutty flavours. This wasn’t the end of the taste adventure, though, as we still had the espresso shot to pour all over the mix.
▼ Allpress Espresso, a New Zealand specialty coffee roaster with two locations in Japan, has partnered up with Pug to provide coffee for the chain.
The addition of coffee brought even more flavour to the mix, creating a perfect blend that combined the sweetness of cookies and chocolate, the refreshing taste of vanilla ice cream, the rich aroma of nuts, and the bitterness of freshly brewed espresso for a truly decadent experience.
With the espresso served separately, you can pour it on the mixture, enjoy it as is, or add it to your milk, giving you a variety of customisation options. When we were there, we saw loads of overseas customers lining up for a taste of Pug, adding toppings like caramel sauce and peanut butter to customise the cookie experience to their liking.
It’s a fun new way to enjoy cookies, but the pop-up will only be in Shibuya until 26 May. Judging by the popularity of the store when we were there, we have high hopes that this is just the beginning for Pug, with more locations to come in future.
Store information
PUG Limited-Time Pop-Up Store / 「PUG」期間限定ポップアップ
Address: Miyashita Park South 3F Food Hall
Open: 11:00 a.m.-10:30 p.m. (weekdays); 10:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m. (Sat, Sun, and public holidays)
Until 26 May, 2025
Website (Instagram)
Photos ©SoraNews24
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