CHATOAN

Tea and Sweets the Japanese Way
[updated May 2020]

Chatoan is a Japanese tea and sweets cafe in Asagaya near Shinmeigu Shrine. “Cha to an” literally means “tea and red bean paste”, which is a winning combination with its balance of bitter and sweet.

The tea served here is especially delicious due to the owner’s commitment to high quality tea leaves in pursuit of a particular taste. This tea is Japan’s best from Shizuoka (known for its green tea), and she does her best to use only tea free from pesticides.

As a tea specialist, the owner has a lot of knowledge about the correct temperatures for different flavours of tea. With cold water and ice, the tea is sweet and aromatic, almost like a high-end cocktail. With hot water, the tea becomes bitter and strong– even with the same tea leaves the flavors change dramatically due to the temperature! The owner wants customers to enjoy the different flavours according to water temperature, and she would be pleased to have you visit for such an experience. Tea utensils are also carefully selected, and different items are used depending on the type of tea.

That covers the “cha”, but what about the “an”? Well, both being in the name of the shop, you will find the owner is just as serious about sweets as she is about tea. The red beans used in these Japanese sweets are also pesticide-free and used no chemical fertilizer. The cafe usually provides two types of anko red bean paste: sweet and not-too-sweet. Additionally, if you want more than just tea and sweets, rice ball and miso soup lunch sets are also available.

As is typical with a good quality Japanese sweets shop, certain items are limited to the season, so you can enjoy the unique culture of Japan that changes with the four seasons.

The owner said that sometimes guests visit here with tension due to their impression of Japanese tea ceremony, which is strict, so they may think they should behave in the same manner here. Although Japanese green tea lessons (only in Japanese) are available, thanks to the friendly owner and this relaxing space with nice sunlight, guests don’t need to feel bound to those rules and can have a carefree experience. The owner wants guests to simply enjoy the cafe as a relaxed atmosphere to experience Japan’s traditional and time-tested combination of tea and sweets.

ACCESS