川善茶居 Sinmei Tea - (Hong Kong)

  Sinmei Tea House is just 2 days away from their 1st year anniversary of opening,  but initially it took me some months to pay my first visit as I was honestly quite apprehensive about visiting new Tea Shops in Hong Kong.   Especially after a couple of false starts where tea houses here actually sold teas that tasted WAY worst than my morning McDonald’s Earl Grey in France.   Sinmei,  named behind the Owner and the Shop,  managed to convert me my bias towards this phenomenon,  as she makes good teas and is also a great baker.   It is no surprise to me,  as Sinmei has spent time in both Australia & London and knows exactly what pastries and teas should taste like back at home…  

 

Who’s this little young Tiger? 

Matcha Mojito -
It would be unfair if we came here just to see Mithu the Cat, but I have got to say I have been very impressed by the Green Tea items here too, as I am such a Matcha fan. The Matcha Mojito is quite Green Tea powdery like but also balanced with fresh Mint leaves and Soda. I just liked this so much despite the powdery tannin background. ~ 8/10

Vegetarian Club Sandwich -
Sinmei, the shop owner is majoratatively Aqua-Vegetarian herself.  All food items here are therefore vegetarian by default. I was offered this Club Sandwich during 1 day and was gob smacked by how wonderfully constructed this vegetarian sandwich really was. I swore I even tasted meat in it,  as it was quite complex with layers of eggs, tomatoes, green leaves and marinated tofu. ~ 9/10

Matcha Yoyo-
Yoyo is an Australian invented biscuit. I grew up in Aust so this had a nostalgic feel personally.  This special recipe is quite unique and quite like a Macaron gerbet sandwich, but with more shortbread pastries sandwiching within the Green Tea White Chocolate filling.  I think this could do with more Green Tea flavours still, but overall it was enjoyable but expected. ~ 8/10

Baked Banana Toffee Cake,  Green Tea Sponge Cake -
The Banana Cake here baked satisfactorily.  Sometimes it is a tad too wet but the crust is crunchy and the banana and toffee flavour pronounced   ~ 7/10 to 8/10

Green Tea Matcha -
Kyoto style Matchas are hard to come by in Hong Kong. I have been to so many places looking for the elusive REAL Matcha experience that can measure up to the ones I had in Kyoto, Kobe and Tokyo. None of them delivered thus far  Except here.  The Matcha is prepared by using an imported water with lower Sodium-Carbonate content and a soft water, in order to emulate the real Kyoto tea ceremony experience.  You have got to give Kudos to the shop owner for even thinking about these points.  The Japanese Matcha dissolved tea is whipped rigorously to re-create the true bubbly experience.  It is slightly green bitter but I was totally addicted as it is quite loyal to the original Kyoto experience. Well done. ~ 9/10

Mithu -
He was once a stray young cat barely a few weeks old but taken into custody by the owners here, and oh so adorable, and just too playful with his own personality.  He has grown up in size since a few months ago and is starting to bite you back in a friendly way.  He also seems to love girls more than guys, haha welcome to the world of Pheromones & sense of smell!!

 

 

 

Price: Around HKD $30 - 75 per person
Ease of Access:   3/5  (Close to Sheung Wan MTR Station)
Food: ♕♕♕♕  -  ♕♕♕♕♕ 

Opening Hours:
Mon to Sun  - 11:30am - 19:30pm

Address: 上環永樂街50號昌盛大廈5樓
5/F, CS Tower, 50 Wing Lok Street, Sheung Wan
Ph: 3690 8238