This section introduces Maruyo Tea House, quietly located in a residential area of Omaezaki, Shizuoka Prefecture.
It is located about 5 minutes away from Kaze no Marche, a roadside station in Omaezaki.
I happened to be in the neighborhood and saw information about the store on Instagram. I stopped by because of the delicious-looking sweets and the nice, relaxed atmosphere of the store.
Maruyo Tea House
The tea merchant Akabori Shoten has opened Maruyo Teahouse, and there is a parking lot next to the store.
The exterior is a horizontal Japanese-style building with a lawn in front of the restaurant, and the building itself is new, with a clean and calm white and brown building.
The interior was white with light coming in through the windows, so although it was not a large restaurant, it looked spacious.
Simple, stylish tea sets and china for sale are placed near the entrance, along with a selection of Japanese-style macaroons and Japanese sweets.
There is not a lot of seating for eat-in, but there were wooden tables that felt warm and inviting.
I could enjoy a little courtyard garden from the window and had the impression that the restaurant had thoroughly created an atmosphere as if it were a tea store.
The famous deep steamed tea from the Enshu region that Maruyo Cafe offers, as well as the store's famous variety of green tea named Tsuyu Hikari, are particularly prominent, and Tsuyu Hikari cookies, cakes, and puddings are on the menu, indicating that they are the cafe's recommended products.
Further in the back were kettles and other specialized tea utensils and equipment, and a counter for authentic tea tasting.
The tea expert clerk will probably talk with the customer and select a green tea of his or her choice.
I did not order any rice dishes because I thought the main focus of the restaurant was sweets, but it seems that there are a wide variety of rice rice balls with various ingredients made with rice from Enshu and served with various types of tea.
In addition, there were also tea rice with ochazuke, chasoba, and beef bowls made with Enshu Yumesaki beef, which seemed to be enjoyable enough as a lunch.
Omusubi and other items can be taken out, so I wanted to stop by again the next time I was hungry.
It was late afternoon when I entered the cafe, but it was about 70% of the time and not crowded.
As for the clientele, there were families, young couples, and people of all ages, but they were relaxed and enjoyed their meals in small groups, as it was not a place to come in large numbers.
When we took our seats, we were offered not water but sencha tea, which I believe is sold at the restaurant.
The waitstaff wore uniforms like a samui with a uniform dark blue top and bottom, and were mostly young male staff.
I was told that Tsuyu Hikari is the store's most recommended product and was given a detailed explanation.
The drink menu includes green tea, hojicha, Kyoto matcha, and other teas, coffee, homemade kuromitsu kinako banana smoothies, tsuyu-hikari frappes, and other drinks.
Frappes are also available for takeout.
sweets (desserts, candy, etc.)
As for sweets, there were many tsuyu-hikari and matcha sweets, the restaurant's top choice, including hearty tsuyu-hikari parfaits, ice cream, and matcha cakes.
I was also interested in a strawberry parfait named Japanese Tsuyu Hikari Parfait, but since I was after dinner, I ordered other sweets and drinks in consideration of volume.
Since I originally like matcha green tea, I was particularly interested in the matcha sweets. I ordered the seasonal matcha affogado and matcha and skewered dumpling set, and my friend who went with me ordered Tsuyu Hikari Pudding.
The green tea affogado was served with vanilla ice cream, shiratama, anko (red bean paste), and green tea jelly topped with a rich warm green tea sauce.
The matcha sauce was very rich and bitter, and the neutralization of the sweetness and bitterness was just right and refreshing.
We also had matcha green tea and skewered dumplings. The bitter matcha green tea and mochi dumplings were a perfect match, and I was happy to be able to taste the real matcha green tea without having to go to Kyoto.
It is rare to find authentic matcha at other restaurants, so I was impressed by the richness of the menu, which only a tea house can offer, and I am sure I will become a repeat customer.
The entire price range was about 2,000 yen, so I felt it was a good value to be able to have a good taste of matcha and tea at an affordable price.
The sweets on the menu are also available for purchase in the store, and there are a variety of set menus, including seasonal menus using local ingredients, making this a cafe that I would like to visit again and again to conquer the various menus.
By the way, I bought a premium macaroon with green tea (550 yen) as a souvenir because I was curious about it on Instagram.
The macarons look gorgeous with gold leaf, and the waffle-like macaroon dough looks a little different from other macarons, but the taste is just as good as it looks, with a bittersweet matcha and a strong matcha flavor.
It is a stylish and sophisticated space, not an old-fashioned image of a historic teahouse, but a well-conceived concept.
I thought this café was perfect for those who want to relax and unwind with a casual, authentic cup of tea and delicious sweets as well as atmosphere in a comfortable space.
