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Starbucks serves up new afternoon tea set in Japan with super high price tag

13 Comments
By Oona McGee, SoraNews24

Starbucks loves to experiment with creative new menu offerings in Japan, and now the chain has set tongues wagging again, with the announcement that it’ll be offering a special afternoon tea exclusively at the Starbucks Reserve Roastery Tokyo.

Called the Roastery Pasticcini Flight, this afternoon tea will be served at the Roastery’s Teavana bar, and features sweet pastries (known as “pasticcini” in Italian) from the Princi bakery on the ground floor.

This Italian twist on a traditional afternoon tea includes bite-sized cakes and baked goods with autumnal flavors, three of which are totally new. The Mele, for example, is one new delight that catches the eye with its apple-like topping, made from caramelised jelly, that sits atop a delicate, noodle-like pastry made with finely shredded phyllo dough known as kadaif.

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Another new sweet is the Rum Raisin Fromage, which consists of cream cheese, white chocolate mousse and a salty, crumbly dough. Topped with homemade rum-soaked raisins, which also sit inside the cream cheese mousse, this dessert has delicious notes of cinnamon and cloves that give it bagfuls of spicy sweet autumnal flavor.

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The third new treat is the Vignolata, an Italian sweet containing choux pastry, or “bigne” as it’s known in Italian. With delicious swirls of caramel-flavored buttercream and handmade praline in the filling, this little pastry lets you enjoy multilayered textures and nutty, creamy flavors in every bite.

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In addition to the three new autumnal treats above, the afternoon tea set contains five bite-sized cakes and three savory selections. On the side, Starbucks has prepared a variety of richly flavored teas, with customers able to choose one from Kagabo Hojicha (a roasted green tea), Spice Apple Cider, Citrus Lavender Sage, and a Rwandan Black Tea.

Afternoon teas are generally pricey affairs, but this one is particularly expensive, as it’ll set you back 6,050 yen. However, judging by the immense popularity of the chain’s first afternoon tea, which sold out in an hour on the day it debuted in 2021, back when its then-4,620 yen price point was considered expensive, this is a set that’s likely to sell out fast.

Anticipating demand for the set, the chain will be serving it in 90-minute time slots, at 1, 3, and 5 p.m. every day, with advance reservations online highly recommended. Available from 1-31 October, sets will only be made in limited numbers so you’ll want to make a reservation early to avoid missing out.

Cafe information

Starbucks Reserve Roastery Tokyo / スターバックス リザーブ ロースタリー東京

Address: Meguro-ku, Aobadai 2-19-23

東京都目黒区青葉台2丁目19-23

Open 7 a.m.-11 p.m.

Website

Photos: ©SoraNews24

Read more stories from SoraNews24.

-- Starbucks Reserve Roastery Tokyo adds exclusive drinks to the menu for autumn

-- Starbucks Japan’s Afternoon Tea Set: So popular it sells out in minutes

-- Starbucks Oleato in Japan: Staff note reveals the best thing to drink it with

© SoraNews24

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

13 Comments
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Looks nice but the combo looks more like a "ke-ki baikingu" (a dessert buffet) than afternoon tea. Afternoon tea is sandwiches, scones, and a couple of cakes. The photo is 2/3 cakes. I'd rather have scones than more cakes. The idea is to complement the tea, and some of the cakes shown look too fancy and decadent to do that.

8 ( +9 / -1 )

I once had "afternoon tea" with my Welsh Uncle Di and Auntie Edna in London 25 years ago, 

Mother told me the cost was over £22 each.

22 Quid each for tea and scones, 25 year ago? In That London? Did your uncle Dai have deep pockets? Or were you at the Ritz?

I never paid that anywhere in the Cotswolds, ever, and they rip-off tourists left right and centre. Even in Bourton-on-the-Bleedin’-Water. Not 25 year ago.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

I once had "afternoon tea" with my Welsh Uncle Di and Auntie Edna in London 25 years ago,

Mother told me the cost was over £22 each.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Japanese black tea sucks. If this isn't Yorkshire Gold or something of an equivalent calibre, it won't be worth the money.

2 ( +7 / -5 )

As for Starbucks making “afternoon tea,” don’t make me laugh! They know Sweet FA about tea. Besides, BDS.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

An exceedingly poor selection of cakes.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

That ain’t afternoon tea, what a rip off, bleeding twisters

1 ( +5 / -4 )

6,050 yen for tea and cake?

Not that I would expect anything different from Starbucks…

1 ( +3 / -2 )

You could have high tea at a first-class hotel for those prices.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

aaronagstring,

My Birthday, I was ten years old, London The Dorchester,

My Mother and Father weren't rich, Uncle and Aunt were wealthy though.

I was prettified I was going to break the tea service.

That starbucks spread looks well prepared.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

What next McDonalds making Sunday roasts, lol

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Wallace

Could get for less than that with better nosh and tea in a proper teapot with strainer. Been dragged to a couple by missus and son locally, think most we paid was 4000 and there were scones and clotted cream included.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

That ain’t afternoon tea, what a rip off, bleeding twisters

There's thing the kids are doing called 'not buying things they can't afford'. Maybe you could try that? I don't think anyone is forcing you to buy these are they?

-4 ( +2 / -6 )

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