This April, the Shangri-La Hotel, the world-famous hotel chain, opened in a building near Tokyo Station. I always crash at a friend’s place in Tokyo, so I’ve never had reason to pay attention to Tokyo hotels, but hotel restaurants are nice to use once in a while, since the service and atmosphere are good even if the prices run a bit high. This time I went with a foodie friend I met in Japan.
The table
Very classic. It’s on a different level from places like the Bulgari café. For starters, I really liked the interior and the view. The service wasn’t bad either, but it’s so popular that bookings were backed up and we could only get a two-hour slot, which was a real shame. Afternoon tea is something you should enjoy slowly over about three hours, from the end of the afternoon until evening begins.
The view from the lobby window
The view’s pretty good. The night view looks nice too, but at night it probably turns into a bar, so it’d be even pricier. The building right in front houses the Mandarin Oriental, and whether it’s because their afternoon tea set is cheaper than the Shangri-La’s or because the sofas are nicer, apparently you have to book two months ahead to get in. So I didn’t even consider it from the start.
Hourglass
When they bring the tea, they set a little hourglass like this on the table. The idea is to wait until all the sand has run through, so the tea has properly steeped before you drink it. A small prop, but it makes quite an effect. You pay for it, of course.
Teapot
I ordered rooibos tea. When you ask for a refill, they bring it out in a different pot. That one was nice too, but there’s no photo of it..
You pour it like this.
I don’t drink much tea, so I kept forgetting the strainer. Still in an uncivilized state, I guess. It crossed my mind that I should go to a tea gathering now and then to learn, but I also have to show up at drinking gatherings, so I’m not sure I’ll ever find the time.
Spreads for the bread
None of the spreads were especially good, which was a bit disappointing.
Bread, sandwiches and desserts from the afternoon tea set
Hmm.. overall the flavors were underwhelming.
Desserts
They look pretty, but they don’t taste as good as they look. They lacked balance, I’d say.. or maybe they’d been made too far in advance.. Of course, this is probably just because I’m a very picky eater.
Sandwiches
These were just so-so too.. the vegetables weren’t fresh..
Bread
You spread the jam or honey from earlier on these, but they didn’t taste like anything special either.. Hmm.. However good the view and the atmosphere, this tea set left me dissatisfied. Next time, even if it’s a bit hard to book, I’ll drop by the Mandarin or the Peninsula, which is strong on desserts.
Sweets
Nothing remarkable about these either.. Even though the food fell short of my expectations, I was very happy with the tea, and I had a good time with my foodie friend anyway, but there was too much lacking for me to confidently recommend it to others. Next time I’ll try somewhere else..