February 19, 2010
明森宇治抹茶專賣店
With mom & dad coming to Taiwan to spend Chinese New Year with the baby, we couldn't hardly be skipping out for a long vacation. But it'd be a shame to spend to whole week's holiday cooped up at home, so we decided to take an overnight trip to Taichung with wife's sister & cousin. Unfortunately the weather was lousy with rain when we arrived. The steady rain meant that outdoor activities were all out. So there wasn't much else to do besides sitting around and chat, which is no burden for the ladies, thankfully. Cousin K took us to the Net-popular tea-house featuring macha green tea imported from Japan and hand-made desserts.
Each of us got drinks, but the waffle combo was large enough to share. A decadent bowl of fresh strawberries, strawberry ice cream, and whipped cream on one side. Warm fresh-made green-tea infused waffles on the other. The macha latte, powdered green tea whipped into hot foamed milk, isn't as strong in flavor as the traditional preparation, but much more palatable. And you can't beat warm milk on a cold day. Their famous green-tea cream puffs features a QQ-chewy puff crust and shockingly green pastry cream filling, both green-tea flavored.
Aside from the Western-style desserts, they also offered more Japanese options with the green-tea ice cream, azuki paste, and mochi combination. It was tasty enough, but not as good as the version we had in the real Uji in Japan, and on a winter day the cold dessert isn't as appetizing. The comparison is perhaps a bit unfair, but if you're going to name your shop Uji Macha Specialists you better step up your game to match the real deal. Nevertheless the warm, intimate atmosphere was a welcome refuge to perk up what otherwise would've been a forgettable vacation.
明森宇治抹茶日本咖啡專賣店
台中市西區存中街161巷1號
04-23756262