The Tea Room

OUR TEA ROOM

A bowl of matcha, after the sushi.

When the omakase is finished, we move you to the tea room inside the restaurant. A bowl of matcha is whisked in front of you and served with a seasonal sweet. Rather than leaving in a hurry, you take a quiet moment to look back on what you have just eaten.

Why a tea room after sushi

We do not want the evening to end at delicious. Food and sake, the vessels, the room, and the last bowl of tea. When those come together, you may find yourself wanting to return. That is why the tea room comes last. The gentle bitterness of matcha clears the layers of fat, vinegar and soy left on the palate, and returns your taste to a level place. In the few steps from the counter to the tea room, the evening turns from eating into remembering.

In the manner of Sado Ogasawara-ryu

Our tea room follows the practice of Sado Ogasawara-ryu. It descends from Sohen-ryu, founded by Yamada Sohen, a leading disciple of Sen no Sotan, in the line that runs from Sen no Rikyu. The Sohen-ryu manner avoids display and values a quiet, unadorned setting: beauty found in simple things rather than in impressive utensils. For a single bowl at the close of a sushi course, that thinking fits without strain.

Guests sometimes ask whether this is a branch of Urasenke. Urasenke is one of the three Sen houses, founded by Sotan’s fourth son Soshitsu. Sado Ogasawara-ryu is a different branch from the same Sen no Sotan, not a school beneath it.

How it goes on the night

• After the mealWhen the last piece has been served at the counter, we show you through to the tea room.
• The sweetPlease take the seasonal sweet first. With its sweetness still present, the matcha loses its edge and the finish becomes clear.
• The matchaEach bowl is whisked in front of you. Hold it in both hands and finish it in about three sips.
• AfterwardsSimply set the bowl down. Please also look at the scroll and the hearth if you wish.

Questions we are often asked