Dessert for Japanese meal?

[multitask]

Each month we do a gourmet night (just a bit of a joke name, think Fawlty Towers gourment night lol) from around the world. This month is Japanese and I'm stuck for dessert as it doesn't seem to feature much in a Japanese cooking. What I wanted to know is if anyone eats in a true Japanese restaurant what is usually offered as a dessert choice?

I don't fancy making Mochi so any suggestions will be greatly received :)

I am afraid that traditional Japanese desserts are not to my taste (and I used to live in Japan, and have a very sweet tooth, so believe me, I tried!) basically anything flavoured with green tea or red bean paste (anko) would be in the right ball park. Green tea ice cream would be quite easy to make. Or green tea creme brûlée? My favourite thing though is little pancakes (like scotch pancakes) sandwiched with custard. I think in Japan they're more if a snack than a pudding, but in yo sushi they serve them with berry compote and they're tasty like that.

pancake recipe

usually something very light, so yes, a season fruit sorbet, or macha (green tea) ice cream with a red adzuki bean topping

or a fruit or coffee jelly?

coffee jelly

green tea and white chocolate ice cream is delicious and what I usually serve. Proper Japanese desserts are a bit nasty. Though (we also lived there) you sometimes got a sort of creme caramel thing that was ok, or a tapioca/coconut milk thing that I adored but I think is strictly Thai.

of course, if you are having a really formal "kaiseki" meal, with loads of courses, you have a sorbet-type thing part way through the meal, and then finish with a bowl of rice, miso soup and pickles

so you could try that!

No idea about desserts but what are you doing for the rest of your meal?
I love Japanese food and have cooked a bit myself.

Thanks everyone, we have picked all our cuisines for the year and this one I wasn't really looking forward to as I know nothing about Japanese food and have never eaten in a Japanese restaurant! Don't ask me why we picked it. Menu is really simple as my lot would complain if it was too unusual. Starter Japanese rice balls (we don't like sushi so this is safer), Miso soup, main Salmon Teriyaki, Tofu Teriyake, vegetable tempura, seasame noodles and a light Japanese salad. Nothing planned yet for dessert and serving Sake with meal.

Only six of us eating but one vegan, one vegetarian, one granny (the hardest to please), a meat eater and two teenagers!! As I said nothing very adventurous Going to have a look at the ice cream and jelly :)

It sounds great.
I have this book which isn't too weirdy.
I think your teens would love this Tatsutage fried chicken or this Chicken katsu curry
And this Agedashi tofu is really good.

my dd likes the mochi with red beans inside. I have never eaten them and am not sure ifthey are considered more of a sweet snack than a pudding to round off a meal. They are not difficult to make.

I think that some kind of fresh mango desert will be great. Something like this:
thaifood.about.com/od/thaidesserts/r/mangopudding.htm

I'd stick to very good quality fruit + a scoop of sorbet to complement it.
Can you make sorbet?

Maybe a green tea panna cotta or creme brulee if you want something more substantial.
Remember not to make it too sweet.

If you do go for fruit I would have melon. It is so expensive in Japan that it is considered an absolute treat and a gift wrapped whole melon is considered a very generous gift... Because they cost £50 each!

I stumbled across this blog earlier and loving the idea of Lychee & Coconut sorbet justonecookbook.com/blog/recipes/lychee-coconut-sorbet/ I can do sorbets great and they're usually vegan so that is one box ticked! Maybe melon to go with it. I usually do a couple of desserts (just to keep everyone happy) so will think of another one now!

at £50 for a melon!!!

I know! I told a Japanese friend once that my favourite foods were tangerines and melons. She was because tangerines are really cheap, so it probably sounded like "my favourite foods are caviar and baked beans"

Those musk mellon are just divine though.
They also have those amazing blush purple grapes that are plump like damsons and taste like A very delicate sauternes wine.
Glorious and very expensive.

..and amazing tiny tight-packed grapes :)

And the mamatoro tomatoes, just peeled, thickly sliced and a sprinkling of coarse sea salt. Unreal

I once had in a Japanese restaurant a very simple green tea jelly, served in a small espresso type cup. I asked and it was made with vegetarian jelly base with green tea, and had a small scoop of lemon sorbet on top. Lovely... and I think it'd be very easy to make.

The Hummingbird Bakery cookbook does a really yummy green tea cupcake with green tea icing.

I've got a sushi book that has suggestions for kids sushi (I just give mine ordinary sushi but still..). Some of the options include putting sweet stuff (sweets, fruit, etc ) on blocks of rice.

Probably not traditional,

Thanks everyone for the great replies & I loved the stories of food in Japan. The menu is finalised I think, so I'm going to go with this

starter
Yaki Onigiri
Miso Soup
Main
Salmon or Tofu Teriyaki
Vegetable Tempura
Sweet Onion Takikomi Gohan
Seasame Noodles
Japanese Salad
Dessert
Lychee & Coconut Sorbet
Mushi-pan
Wagashi (buying these)
Sake

It's probaly not a very traditional meal but to suit all tastes and to experience even a little of Japanese cuisine then this seems ok to me. Just a few odd ingredients to buy, I will try Sainsbury's on Thursday and if they don't have them I'll be at my Oriental supermarket on Monday. Thanks again, very much appreciated. :) :) :)

It sounds lovely to me OP can I come round