Ginza St James - My First Discovery of Japanese Afternoon Tea

Many restaurants boast of serving the perfect afternoon tea, ideal for those seeking a light selection of sandwiches, pastries, and a pot of tea to accompany it. Whether it's 12 o’clock on the dot or late afternoon, there is always time for a traditional British afternoon tea.

While it is best regarded as a British tradition, however, I have come to realise that afternoon tea is gaining influence across the globe, particularly in Japan. My experience of uncovering a Japanese afternoon tea opened my eyes to how a British afternoon tea can be modified to enhance and promote the food items of that country. This is owed to my time at the London-based Japanese restaurant Ginza St James.

The entrance to Ginza St James - Photo credit: Gonza St James

Having booked an afternoon tea with a glass of champagne for myself and my friend, we arrive at Ginza St James and are guided to our table. The menu is then presented in front of us, and I feast my eyes on the savouries and pastries which are set to come. The option to choose the trio of sake is also available; however, for this afternoon tea, I am keeping things as light on my palate as possible.

Additionally, a selection of teas from Japan is showcased, with brief descriptions that detail the essences detectable in each tea. The Hojicha tea, for example, promises hints of seaweed with each sip. The Kyoto Oolong Nibancha tea emits fruity notes, and the Miyazaki Cherry Black tea offers a cherry blossom aroma with hints of hinoki wood. A range of digestifs and bubbles also appears on the menu, offering a touch of alcohol as an extra treat.

My friend and I before reading through the afternoon tea menu

Having mulled over the tea options, I decide to request the Miyazaki Cherry Black tea while continuing to sip on my glass of champagne. I then continue to be absorbed in the charming company of my friend until the afternoon tea savouries begin to arrive.

The first spot from me is the plate of mini folded Japanese pancakes, going by the name of ‘Mini Okonomiyaki’. These folded pancakes, made with wheat flour and cooked on a teppan, come bursting with a meat and seafood mixture, served with okonomiyaki sauce and Japanese mayonnaise. An attractive display of savouries is then placed in front of me and my friend, along with the tea varieties which we ordered. Our waiter goes through the savouries themselves in the order they appear.

Three battered savouries sit boldly on the display, consisting of the Wagyu Menchi Katsu, Black Cod Croquette, and Chicken Kara-Age. The other two savouries on display consist of a steak tartare dish, named USDA Sirloin Tataki. This is also accompanied by a sushi element of the afternoon tea, known as the Salmon and Avocado Maki. The bottom of the display showcases two mini portions of the Coconut Silken Tofu along with two small Matcha Castella cakes.

The display of savouries and pastries for the afternoon tea

Having snapped my chopsticks, I proceed to tuck into my half of the Mini Okonomiyaki, and immediately after the first bite, the intense flavour that the filling provides overcomes me. I am immediately absorbed in my own mind and taken to a street in Japan itself, where hundreds, if not thousands, of okonomiyaki are being handcrafted to perfection. It is accompanied richly by the okonomiyaki sauce to increase the flavour’s depth, and then decreased again thanks to the Japanese mayonnaise.

Moving on to the prominent display of savouries, I proceed to consume the Wagyu Menchi Katsu and sample Ginza’s version of wagyu meat. This meat mixed in with the shiitake mushroom filling comes together to form the richest part of the afternoon tea thus far. The soy sauce served with the Wagyu Menchi Katsu somewhat diminishes the richness, yet adds sweet notes that soothe me and allow me to continue sampling the savouries.

The Salmon and Avocado Maki proves to be the lightest of the savouries and has been chilled to ensure that the flavours remain fresh and long-lasting. This, of course, remains until I indulge myself in the Maki, and I find that even in Japanese culture, the smoked salmon and avocado combination is very well celebrated. The USDA Sirloin Tataki is very well flash-seared, ready for consumption, and is made even better with the accompanying ponzu sauce.

The Miyazaki Cherry Black tea I continuously sip during the afternoon tea

The final two savouries are coated in breadcrumbs, which appear to confirm that a positive crunch will be felt from consuming them. The Black Cod Croquette filling itself gives a softer feel on the palate when bitten into, and leaves a strong cod flavour with every bite. This is a very similar case to the Chicken Kara Age, only for apparent reasons, it gives a strong chicken flavour. At specific points during savoury consumption, I dip these into the available sauces and other condiments to create further Japanese-inspired infusions, which enlighten my palate.

Now that I have sampled the savouries of my Japanese afternoon tea experience, I turn my attention to the sweet products. To begin with, I focus on what appears to be a badly set posset with a running compote and a blueberry plopped on top. It is aptly named a Coconut Silken Tofu, given that it has an intense coconut flavour running throughout, made sharper thanks to the included compote flavoured with strawberries and blood oranges.

The Strawberry Sando consists of sliced strawberries surrounding a pile of whipped cream, encased in mini sweet buns. This sweetness is apparent, but then it is dulled by the whipped cream, only to be slightly revived by the strawberries. The Matcha Castella Cake gives off hints of strong coffee within a somewhat dry piece of cake. The dryness, however, becomes non-existent thanks to the Miyazaki Cherry Black tea I sip with every bite.

The Strawberry Sandos at Ginza St James

I finally round off my afternoon tea by absorbing myself in the richness of the Truffle Chocolate, which arrives with two other pastries. This is the one component of the Japanese afternoon tea that concludes my and my friend's experience, as well as the education we both received on each of the components. It also concludes that a traditional afternoon tea can be modified to a certain extent to meet the traditional cuisines of countries worldwide.

It is also safe to say that my experience has piqued my interest and inspired me to learn more about the origins of each component.

The Travelling Foodie's Facts and Figures

• The total price of Ginza's Japanese afternoon tea is £55 per person, with an optional add-on of extra fizz available.

  
  

• You can click here to view the full menu of Ginza St James's afternoon tea.

• You can click here to view all other experiences available at Ginza St James.