Here’s a cool new addition to an already cool and trendy part of London: Brick Lane. Right in the hustle and bustle of it all sits this cute Japanese cafe / tea house serving some classic Japanese teas and cakes. As you’d expect, a lot of it matcha based, so if you’re a fan, this is for you!
Our order:
Montblanc tart
Black sesame soufflé cheese cake
Croffle
Matcha chai latte (this is the only matcha thing I like and I know I know it’s kinda cheating)
Ginger tea
Montblanc tart
Seen montblanc desserts all over the internet. From what I understand, originally French dessert, but something that has been taken on and potentially enhanced by the Japanese. Extremely popular right now. This place serves it as a tart. The taste was good – subtle and not too sweet. Something you can easily enjoy with a nice cup of tea and even as a post meal dessert.
Black sesame soufflé cheese cake
I think we liked this the most. For those unaware, black sesame is a popular dessert / sweet flavour out in countries like Japan and China. Most matcha places usually have this as an alternative for those that aren’t too keen on matcha (like us). And I absolutely love the flavour. Ever since having a black sesame porridge in Beijing, I’ve been searching for that exact flavour. This did not have that exact strong black sesame flavour, but it was actually spot on for this cake. It had like a creamy, cakey and soft texture all in one – very unique. We would go back for this! Like the tart, it was subtle in taste and just the right amount of sweetness. Both cakes so far were alike in the sense that they were subtle in taste and sweetness.
Croffle
Just look at it – a thing of beauty! This came with matcha ice cream. Oh no. As mentioned, we aren’t too fond of matcha. The matcha flavour was strong in the ice cream – yup that earthy taste came through loud and clear. For us, it overpowered the whole dessert and it wasn’t too pleasant. Edible, but probably won’t be ordering it again. This is nothing against this place nor the dessert, but it is merely our personal preference – we really do not like matcha. A note on the croffle itself though – it was okay, but we’ve had better – the one from Milk Train was far superior. A croffle is a cross between a croissant and a waffle. At Milk Train, the crunchy texture of the croissant was there as well as the waffle flavour. Here, that crunchy texture was lacking. So, it felt like a waffle that looked like a croissant as opposed to it being a cross of the two. It also didn’t have that buttery croissant taste.
Overall experience (negative)
They have some wonderful items on the menu. Unfortunately, when we went the above was all that was available. The staff also seem very much in their own world. As we entered, we just stood at the door and we had waitresses walk past us, look at us, but not say anything – not welcome nor tell us to sit or order. Then, when we walked to the till area to order, again the staff behind the till just seemed to be doing their own thing even though we literally stood there in front of them and they did see us. How about a “hi guys, what would you guys like?”. Nope – we literally got nothing – not even a look. We had to literally ask them how do we order… Then we were asked what we wanted. We had some questions and they weren’t really answered clearly either. Then our table needed cleaning as a group had just left. We were instructed to sit there, but they didn’t bother cleaning it. It took me to literally go behind the till and call someone over to eventually do it. They didn’t come across rude or anything, but it seemed like a cultural thing – maybe shyness? However, this is the service industry and they need to treat their customers like their guests – welcome them, make them feel at home and at the very least help them order and eat.
FYI: Not everything is Halal
Strawberry short cake
Matcha brownie
Yuzu brownie
All the above contain rum (via vanilla extract). All the other cakes are alcohol free and suitable for vegetarians. Do consult with them prior to your own visit.
Getting there
Nearest station: Aldgate East
Nearest mosque: East London Mosque
Parking: Most if not all the roads behind the East London Mosque are free evenings and weekends, but there is literally a competition for parking spaces. So, be prepared to drive around in circles and wait till you find something to pounce on.
