WHERE: Mixology Salon, Tokyo In a city where the traditional converges with the avant-garde, Mixology Salon sits at the center and offers newfangled cocktail creations infused with a curated collection of premium teas leaves. Their star mixologist Shuzo Nagumo introduced “teatail”, which became the ne plus ultra of their menu. Using Gyokuro – regarded as the highest quality of green tea in Japan – a cocktail course is charged with three different levels of infusion so you can savor the nuance between each tea strength. As a coda, you will be served with a smoked oyster soy sauce finished with the residual Gyokuro tea leaves. If you hit the bar during the right time of the year, you might get to try their other seasonal brews such as Pear and Taiwan Oolong Cocktail. To create these innovative mixes, Mixology Salon uses a sleight of hand that is a centrifuge machine and a sous-vide technique to distill their liquor under reduced
Bon Appétea: Longjing Prawns
This famous Zhejiang cuisine – hailing back to the Qing Dynasty – will please the most discerning palate and appetite. Ostensibly simple, the fresh crispiness of the prawns is underscored with the green fragrance and finish of Longjing (Dragon Well) tea. Ingredients 350g raw peeled shrimp or raw king prawns 7g loose Longjing (Dragon Well) tea leaves. Click here to shop our recommended blend. 1 egg white 1 tbsp cooking oil 2 tsp cornflour 1 tsp salt 1 tsp Huatiao cooking wine Instructions Prepare the prawns and remove their innards. With the dexterity of a skillful surgeon, make a small incision on the back of the prawns and use a toothpick to pry out its dark vein. Massage the raw prawns in egg white, corn starch, a pinch of salt, and a dose of salad oil so that the prawns will not stick together during the stir-fry process. Cover and refrigerate for an hour. Infuse your tea leaves with 100ml
Bon Appétea: Moroccan Beef Stew with Mint Tea
Looking for a recipe to impress your guests at the Thanksgiving dinner you are hosting this year? Consider this meltingly tender beef stew recipe with a refreshing touch – spearmint tea! It will either leave them satiated or craving for another bowl. Ingredients 750 ml dry red wine 2½-lb. boneless beef chuck roast 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper 1 tbsp. kosher salt, plus more 3 tbsp. loose mint tea leaves. We recommend Brew Me’s Minty Breeze (Click to shop) 3 medium yellow onions 3 medium carrots 8 garlic cloves 2 star anise 1 cinnamon stick 4 large sprigs thyme 2 Tbsp. red miso paste 1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes 1 cup parsley leaves and tender stems Crusty bread (for serving) Instructions Preheat oven to 300°. Place 2½ lb. beef on a cutting board and cut into 2″ cubes – just try to cut them in relatively evenly-sized pieces so they will cook at the same
TEA IS FOR TRAVEL: Kou-An Glass Teahouse
WHERE: Kou-An Glass Teahouse, Tokyo Tea, since time immemorial, has been the totem of Japanese culture and philosophy. Artist Tokujin Yoshioka crystallized his reverence for his native tradition in a new form that gives the meaning of the art of tea clarity in today’s milieu. Images: Tokujin Yoshioka The minimal glass architecture forgoes the typical physical elements one would find in a teahouse, such as a tatami, Ikebana and calligraphy scroll. And it is reduced to the base of how tea ceremony is appreciated, in a way that transcends time and spatial perception – these two subjects are the quintessential preoccupation of Japanese deep-thinkers. In the open-air, observers will see the transparent installation’s poetic expression in constant flux under the moving natural light at different times of the day. Spatial cognition is thrown in sharp relief when one moves into it, as the line between nature and architecture is in absence. The traveling exhibition, which made its debut at the
Bon Appétea: Matcha Mille Crepe Cake
When Japanese meets French – you get a decadent Matcha Mille crepe cake. Its green tea layers are subtly bittersweet, with decadent fresh whipped cream in between. The icing on the cake? You don’t need an oven to make this! Ingredients Crepe batter: 1 3/4 cup whole milk 3 tbsp sugar 3 large eggs1 1/2 tbsp melted unsalted butter 1 cup cake flour 2 tbsp matcha powder. We recommend My Tea Inc’s premium matcha (click on the link) imported from Kyoto(click to shop) 1/2 tsp baking powder neutral flavor oil Fresh whipped cream: 1 cup heavy (whipping) cream 3 tbsp sugar Instructions Crepe batter: Add the milk and sugar in a small saucepan and combine well. Heat on medium heat until the milk is warm to touch. Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Then slowly add a small amount (½ cup at a time) of warm milk while whisking. While whisking, slowly add the melted butter to the mixture. Set up
