Tenmonkan Mujaki — Restaurant in Kagoshima

The food and shaved-ice were delicious, but the customer service left much to be desired!!!

This popular Kagoshima dessert shop had a long queue of eager customers. When I arrived around 2 PM, a first-floor staff member informed me that I could go to the second floor if I wanted to order the rice set with shaved ice, while those not ordering the rice set had to wait in the long first-floor queue. I agreed to go to the second floor, where I waited only a few lines.

Once seated, I promptly chose my menu items and pressed the order button. However, despite several presses and attempts to get the attention of the staff, no one came to take my order. Many staff members were serving nearby tables, and although they seemed to notice my calls, they ignored them. I pressed the button a total of five times, and still, no one responded. Oddly, the staff treated student groups at other tables with great courtesy, even though those students didn't need to order the rice set. This left me wondering why I was treated differently.

I waited for 15 minutes just to place an order that I could have easily done by approaching a staff member myself. While the food tasted good, the staff's service was extremely disappointing. I couldn't help but question if it was worth the visit, especially considering the inconsistent guidance from the first-floor staff regarding going directly to the second floor for rice orders. And by the way, I also got the wrong order initially, but thankfully, they fixed it...

Being a huge fan of the Shiro-kuma ice cream, this place was a must! Perhaps I expected too much of this place but I found the decor a little dated and musty. We ordered the original 'shiro-kuma' shaved ice and a chocolate flavored one. If you're traveling as two you'll need to either order a large one or two smaller ones. I expected fresher fruits and more sweetened condensed milk on mine but was a bit underwhelmed, I've definitely tried better shaved-ice dishes elsewhere. If you're interested in the brand and to try the "original" shiro-kuma ice cream it's worthwhile, otherwise just take a photo in front of the bear in front and buy the ice-cream at the 7/11 in front of the restaurant. *Note there are other dishes served...

I visited Mujyaki in Kagoshima City—the must-visit spot for shaved ice lovers! If you’re in Kagoshima, you have to try their signature dessert: Shirokuma (“white bear”) ❄️🍧

At the entrance, there’s a stuffed polar bear on display… honestly, it caught me off guard a bit! Besides shaved ice, they also offer full meals like curry rice 🍛

The Shirokuma is their most popular item. There’s a 1 order per person rule: If you get the regular size, it’s okay to share between two people. But if you want the mini size, each person has to order one. We shared one regular Shirokuma between the two of us—delicious as the rumors say! It was a slightly cool day, so we didn’t have to wait. But on hot days, expect...