The high proportion of Japanese customers at the Paris branch of the Tokyo supplier of cakes to the Imperial Palace is a good reflection of the quality and authenticity of the teas and cakes on offer. Its recent bold redecoration by French architect Sylvain Dubuisson won’t be to everyone’s taste (pale wood panelling on walls and ceiling, with designer leather chairs in beige and orange), but the teas cancel any doubts about the setting. Don’t miss the sublime, soul-warming ‘gyokuro’, which, like the other teas on offer, you can also buy in packets to take away. A menu of sweet delicacies includes red bean cakes and jellies, and ‘abekawa-mochi ‘ – deliciously chewy rice cakes dusted with soya flour – all served, like the tea, on exquisitely elegant Japanese tableware.
If this post has you in the mood for cake then try these cupcake recipes that I just found.
