For February, our group of friends gathered at the Origami Lounge on the 3rd floor of the Capitol Hotel Tokyu Tokyo for a strawberry-themed afternoon tea session.
The lounge was quite lovely. The only complaint we had was that our party was sizable, 8 people, and they put us right smack in the middle of room which in itself wasn't the problem. The problem was the sunny afternoon, and being in the middle of the room means no shade and we had the sun in our eyes the whole time. It was so bright and so hot at one point that we all started putting on hats and sunglasses, kind of ridiculous. So if you go in a big party, be sure to ask for a table in the shade.
But I'll be fair and give them credit for being accommodating. One of our friends don't eat seafood of any kind, and another was vegetarian. The chef came out and made sure they both were happy with their altered tea sets.
As you can see, the tea set is Japanese fusion and came in a 2-tiered bento box wrapped in colorful satin furoshiki. Everyone got a different color. Mine was blue.
Here's the savories tray.
And the sweets tray. Overall, save for the blasting sun we had a great time chatting and snacking away the afternoon. It was great!
The hotel is gorgeous. And being right next door to Hie Jinja definitely helps.
The shrine even has a small torii path down the hill, like a mini version of the famous one at Fushimi Inari-taisha of Kyoto.
8 comments:
This looks so cute! How much was it for one set?
Hi,
If I remember correctly it was 4,500yen/person, and if you want champagne it's an extra 2,000yen. Not bad for unlimited tea refills!
Cheers,
D.
Do you have to make a reservation or can you just walk in? The scenery around it is gorgeous!
Hi Shirayuki,
I think all the places we've been to welcome walk-ins, some actually won't take reservations for weekends. They definitely accept reservations during the weekdays though!
Cheers,
D.
Ah I see, did your group have a reservation or did you guys just walk in? Which would you say makes better desserts, Origami Lounge or Oriental Tea Lounge? I'm trying to decide on which one to go to lol, but the Origami Lounge is 5000 yen cheaper!
Hi Shirayuki,
Well, we usually go in big groups of 6-8 people, so a reservation was necessary for us.
The over all afternoon tea experience is definitely better at the Oriental Lounge at the Mandarin Oriental Tokyo, savories, sweets, and tea selections. The dessert is more unique and well-presented. After all these tea sessions and we still haven't found a place that could best the Mandarin Oriental yet! It's a bit more expensive, but I think it's worth it. My friends and I have probably been there 4-5 times now and we love it every time!
Enjoy!
D.
Thank you for all of your help! Can't wait to try it out :)
Hi Shirayuki,
You're so welcome :D Let me know if you enjoy your tea time as well!
Cheers,
D.
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