The Marunouchi Building | Review by Queena

“Shiseido Afternoon Tea Feast”

We started the afternoon tea with something savory to whet the appetite. The fried shrimp sandwich is one of Shiseido’s signature dishes.
Crispy yet soft toast holds crunchy fried shrimp, while the special sauce and mayonnaise balance everything perfectly. The most inconspicuous supporting player is actually the most important. The finger-licking sauce is the soul of the dish.
You can taste the fresh sweetness of the seafood as soon as you bite into the freshly fried shrimp. Whether for afternoon tea or a regular meal, I recommend ordering one.

The “assorted dessert plate” I was looking forward to the most

The refreshing aroma of matcha is ideal with fruit. The slightly bitter tea flavor paired with seasonal fruit is the prelude to the desserts.
The berry mousse combines raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries, with just the right balance of tartness and sweetness. It’s very refreshing and smooth like ice cream.
The caramel pudding pairs rich, milky pudding with wonderfully fragrant caramel, making its aroma bloom in your mouth.
The chestnut parfait and strawberry parfait perfectly represent the transition from fall to winter. The delicate and adorable mini parfaits are still elegant, with a different flavor in every bite from top to bottom. Chestnut on the left and strawberry on the right, from fall to winter, from maple leaves to the snowy season.
It was like seeing a symphony of two seasons on one plate.
The orange cake was surely the “encore” of this symphony.
The lingering orange flavor, followed by a sip of lemon tea with a sweet finish, brought this culinary feast to a perfect close.

I liked the food here so much that afterward, I bought some shelf-stable sweets as souvenirs from the gift section on the first floor.

Starbucks in Nakameguro, a feast for the senses of smell, taste, and sight.

As soon as you enter Starbucks, you’re greeted by a giant coffee roaster decorated with about 2,100 handcrafted copper cherry blossoms.
The aroma of coffee also hits you right away.

This time I ordered the “Matcha Cream Soda.”
It was my first time trying a carbonated matcha drink, and it surprised me. The delicate matcha aroma paired with the light fizz was very refreshing.
The floating vanilla ice cream added an interesting texture.
It wasn’t sticky or overly milky, but felt more like a dessert.
One drink fully showcased the fusion of a beverage and dessert.
It was truly impressive.

My friend’s hot spiced milk tea came with marshmallows. It was seriously a camera killer—we spent almost 10 minutes taking Instagram-worthy photos, and the marshmallows still stood tall. The marshmallows let you adjust the sweetness of the milk tea to your liking.
They weren’t boring to eat on their own either. It was also surprising to find this kind of marshmallow at a café.

There’s a wall decorated with mugs and another wall made from a collage of about 5,000 Starbucks Reserve coffee cards. From a distance, the cards form the word “TOKYO.”

These two walls are also real film killers. I took lots of beautiful photos while making sure not to disturb any customers who were relaxing!

You can spend 3–5 hours here. It’s a good place to take a short break and have a snack after shopping. After a good rest, you can move on to your next activity.

From the peaceful Kanda Shrine, you can also see Tokyo Skytree!
I also happened upon some incredibly delicious cheesecake and light food.
For a Taiwanese person captivated by food, while visiting the shrine and buying omamori charms, filling my stomach is also a must.

Otsu Coffee is on the slope by the shrine’s main entrance (about 20–30 steps away).
It’s a charming, refreshing little shop with gentle music and comfortable sofas.
This time, I ordered a bread gratin served with baked potato chips.
For dessert, I had the cheesecake.
The seasoning and portion of the savory dish were just right for an adult woman, leaving room for dessert and coffee.
The tomato blended with the baked cheese, creating a salty-sweet flavor wrapped in the richness of the cheese.

At first, I was drawn in by the photos online because the cheesecake looked like pudding. When I saw the actual dessert, I still thought it was pudding.
It wasn’t until I cut off a bite and put it in my mouth that my friend and I exclaimed in surprise, “Wow, it’s cheesecake!” It was so rich, with dense cheese and caramel. Every bite was surprising.
I ate at this shop twice during this trip!

If you also really like cinnamon, their spiced cinnamon milk tea is delicious. The layers of spices make every sip feel different.

After finishing your prayers at the shrine, this is a nice place to meet friends, eat and drink, and share your fortune results. It’s a good choice for lunch or afternoon tea.