Harrods Cafe, Tokyo
Another thing we noticed while in Tokyo, was that the Japanese love high tea. We were in Ginza Mitsukoshi, one of Tokyo's oldest and most preeminent department stores, and which houses a slew of cafes, when we popped by Harrods Tea Room for a breather from all that shopping.
We walked in to a near-empty cafe, but within 5 minutes of tea-time, it'd packed a full crowd. And attracted a snaking queue outside. And it was the same for every other cafe in Ginza Mitsukoshi.
I only wanted a nibble, so I got the Cheese Plate (JPY900). To be frank, I wasn't expecting anything exotic like a shropshire blue even if it's an English cheese, because, you know, we're in Japan and the Japanese don't strike me as cheese aficionados. So it was with little surprise that the most crowd-friendly, "non-controversial", and "likeable" cheeses were featured here, like cheddar, brie, and swiss. Nice, but a little trite.
The Hubs wanted something more substantive so he ordered the English Cottage Pie (JPY1800) which was wonderfully comforting. Minced beef redolent of a robust red wine and rich stock, blanketed with soft potato mash and baked till bubbling and golden with cheese. Rustic, hearty, unpretentious, I loved this.
Harrods the Plantation Room
Mitsukoshi Ginza Store
4 Chome-6-16 Ginza
Chuo
Tokyo 104-8212
Japan
Tel: +81 3 3561 5350
Open daily from 10.30am to 8pm
We walked in to a near-empty cafe, but within 5 minutes of tea-time, it'd packed a full crowd. And attracted a snaking queue outside. And it was the same for every other cafe in Ginza Mitsukoshi.
I only wanted a nibble, so I got the Cheese Plate (JPY900). To be frank, I wasn't expecting anything exotic like a shropshire blue even if it's an English cheese, because, you know, we're in Japan and the Japanese don't strike me as cheese aficionados. So it was with little surprise that the most crowd-friendly, "non-controversial", and "likeable" cheeses were featured here, like cheddar, brie, and swiss. Nice, but a little trite.
The Hubs wanted something more substantive so he ordered the English Cottage Pie (JPY1800) which was wonderfully comforting. Minced beef redolent of a robust red wine and rich stock, blanketed with soft potato mash and baked till bubbling and golden with cheese. Rustic, hearty, unpretentious, I loved this.
Harrods the Plantation Room
Mitsukoshi Ginza Store
4 Chome-6-16 Ginza
Chuo
Tokyo 104-8212
Japan
Tel: +81 3 3561 5350
Open daily from 10.30am to 8pm
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