I’m not a young man anymore. My desire for sweets and the finer things in life, unfortunately, are becoming less and less as I become older. So, I asked my daughter, a 16 year-old Japanese/Scottish girl, to share her comments on the Sweet Potato Afternoon Tea we experienced at the beautiful Andaz Toranomon Hills Tokyo hotel in the Japanese capital.
Koko’s Verdict on Andaz Toranomon Hills Tokyo’s Sweet Potato Afternoon Tea
Koko, as she’s known to us, is what I’d describe as sweet potato obsessed. Perhaps it’s the Scottish part of her DNA that has a very strong predisposition to all things potato. Anyway, one very humid late September afternoon we rocked up to the 51st floor of Andaz Toranomon Hills Tokyo to sample its very fine and diverse afternoon tea.
Koko reviewed her experience below:
“The cookie that had an American style was soft, sweet, and really delicious. The sweet potato cone had a rich sweet potato flavor, which I really enjoyed. Since there were many sweet items, the club sandwich tasted even better in contrast. The presentation was also beautiful, and everything was really delicious.”
The most perfect words have rarely been spoken or written by mini-McInnes. From my side, the two items on the afternoon tea menu that I wasn’t particularly looking forward to ended up being my two favorite dishes. The fig cheese cake and the mushroom and gruyère cheese quiche were superb and totally changed my mind on figs and mushrooms (two foods that I have never been particularly fond of).
In addition to a comprehensive menu of teas including anastasia, green rose, a very delicious spiced pumpkin iced tea, the actual food menu was varied and, ultimately, a balanced vision of savory and sweet cuisine ideal for families, couples and solo diners.
The panoramic view from the 51st floor is really something else. You can feel the immensity of Tokyo as you sit at the bay window tables and sip on your tea whilst nibbling on some stunning sweets guided and created by Chef Patissier Normand Jubin who, alongside his very capable team, have made this one of this season’s must-visit experiences.
Something Savory
The savory menu includes the aforementioned standout quiche in addition to a super shrimp cocktail brioche, cheese cucumber sandwich and a club sandwich — all were absolutely delicious and the perfect balance to the avalanche of sweets that came next.
My mother was a huge fan of apricot, a fruit that has never felt so popular in Japan, and in my opinion, isn’t really used as much as it should. However, the apricot macaron and apricot and pecan nuts cookies were outrageously good and would immediately convert any apricot infidel. My mum would have been proud of the Andaz team for its delicate fusion of apricot into a sweet potato menu. Koko, on the other hand, absolutely adored the sweet potato and blueberry crème brûlée, and sweet potato cone.
Ending with a small platter of chocolate bars, a curated mix of milk chocolate and nuts, white chocolate and apricot, and a rich dark chocolate version which really stole the show.
The Perfect Afternoon Tea Experience
The service was impeccable, the perfect balance of attentive and unobtrusive with the overall experience being brilliant. A really pleasant way to kick off autumn in Tokyo, with your daughter by your side, one of the most beautiful views of the city and some fantastic food. Koko and I bounced out of Andaz Toranomon Hills Tokyo, probably due to the sugar rush, determined to return again soon for the hotel’s next themed afternoon tea.
Andaz Tokyo Toranomon Hills
establishment, lodging, point_of_interest- Toranomon Hills Mori Tower 51st Floor, １丁目-２３-4 虎ノ門 港区 東京都 105-0001, Japan
- ★★★★☆
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