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Everything at new cafe Sebastian Kakigori is calm and organised – except me. I’m buzzing, possibly gasping, as venerable chef Hiroshi Kawamata blow-torches a bowl of ice.

Applying heat to ice may not seem like the most sensible way to create a dessert but Hiroshi knows what he’s doing. He’s a master of kakigori – Japanese shaved ice desserts – and this is his signature creme brulee.

It’s quite a process. A shaving machine is set to work on a bespoke ice block. Coarse flakes are showered into a large ramekin: this is the weight-bearing portion. That’s followed by fine flakes: the fluffy clouds atop. Vanilla custard and strawberry jam are added as well. Hiroshi then coats the layered ice with meringue, spinning the ramekin on a disc so he can trim the edges and flatten the surface.

I experienced the same mesmerised joy I feel when watching a trapeze artist spinning from a high rope. And then the blowtorch comes out: the dangerous part when the trapezist lets go and leaps, held by hope and 10,000 hours of training. Hiroshi keeps the dessert spinning while he sprinkles the meringue with sugar, then colours it with swift sweeps of heat.

If I was agog watching this, imagine me eating it, tapping through the crisp burnt sugar to the sweet meringue and into textures of ice with surprise creamy bursts and strawberry swirls. How can frozen water be so amazing?

Sebastian’s ice is shipped from Kanazawa, made using water from Mount Hakusan, a sacred peak. It’s frozen over two days and agitated to remove bubbles so it is completely clear.

I’ve long worried about food miles, now I’m shuddering at the thought of ice miles, but apparently the manufacturing process is four times more energy efficient than the way we make ice in Australia. Given the ubiquity of ice cafes – not to mention artisan cocktail ice – surely, someone can open a factory here?

I experienced the same mesmerised joy I feel when watching a trapeze artist spinning from a high rope.

Meantime, I’ll froth over Sebastian Kakigori. Other flavours include rare cheese, a rich cheesecake-inspired kakigori with pineapple compote; a fragrant strawberry and rose concoction with elderflower jelly; and the cafe au lait that made me feel like I was eating panforte, tiramisu and affogato all at once.

Hiroshi Kawamata opened the first Sebastian in Tokyo’s trendy Shibuya neighbourhood in 2011. It was a Spanish restaurant initially, and when he started doing shaved ice, it was a slow burn until he came up with treats such as the icy creme brulee. By 2015, Sebastian was serving 500 portions a day and was a key player in transitioning shaved ice from summer treat into a year-round delicacy.

Melbourne has dynamic serial restaurant entrepreneur Kantaro Okada (279, Leonie Upstairs, Chiaki) to thank for luring Hiroshi here. Sebastian is superb and makes me excited about eating icy food all through winter.