高層階ビューが素敵な和のアフターヌーンティー♡ : Skytree View Restaurant Ren

It's been a while since my last post.

Although I have a baby with me during the COVID-19 pandemic, I occasionally dine out...
I plan to write more bit by bit. m(._.)m

I was invited by my sister-in-law to visit here (*^^*)

This is the top floor, Sky Restaurant Ren, at the Tobu Hotel Levant Tokyo, located close to Kinshicho Station!

The seating had ample space, providing a comforting feel even during this time.
My 9-month-old son usually doesn't cry much when held (though he can be quite restless on my lap but somehow it’s manageable with the chair belt!), so I brought him along.

This is a winter afternoon tea limited to 3 groups per day ☆
It was on sale for JPY 4,500.

Here’s what we had, along with my thoughts.

○ Welcome Drink: Sparkling Green Ginger

Apparently, it's green tea mixed with ginger ale. The slight bitterness hidden behind the spicy ginger ale is quite nice. The elegant aroma of green tea wafts through the nose. It pairs well with curry bread!

○ Amuse: Levant Original Curry Bread

Served on a stylish plate, my mood instantly lifted! (*^^*)
The outer layer was crispy while the inside was chewy, and the curry had skillfully used the flavors of the vegetables. The ratio of the hollow to the curry was just right; it's such a delightful feeling when it melts in your mouth!

○ [1st Tier]
- Chocolate Terrine
- Pound Cake
- Rich Pudding
- Raspberry Canelé

The presentation was impressive! I didn’t expect it to come in a Japanese bento box. This is my first experience with a Japanese-style afternoon tea!
Normally, afternoon teas are full of delicious but heavy sweets, but here, the sweetness and quantity are moderate, which is great because it doesn't weigh you down later! Everything was delicious!

○ [2nd Tier: Mixed Special Savory]
- 3 Types of Temari Sushi
- Special Omelette from "Ren"
- Foie Gras Terrine Panipuri
- Salmon Terrine with Caviar Panipuri
- Homemade Chicken Ham and Beet Panipuri
- Rillettes Panipuri

When having afternoon tea, there’s often the dilemma of what to eat as a main dish, but the presence of temari sushi, omelette, and curry bread solves that nicely! Each dish not only looked elegant but also had refined and delicious flavors.

○ [Monaka Plate]
- Snowy Strawberry Monaka
- Shiratama Zenzai
- Yokan
- Konpeito (Japanese sugar candy)
- Shiba-zuke (pickled shiso leaves)

Yay (//∇//)
I love strawberry monaka! ♡
It felt like a luxurious version of daifuku filled with strawberries. The sweet red bean paste in the zenzai was sweeter than I expected (I personally prefer less sweet anything) but wasn’t too rich, so I finished everything without any issues.

The drink options were as follows, and all you can drink!
Since I was breastfeeding, my options were limited, but the hojicha and ginger ale I had were really delightful.

[Free Drink: HOT]
Darjeeling Tea / English Breakfast / Peach Tea / Apricot Tea / Earl Grey / Sakura Color / Chamomile / Forest Coffee / Hojicha (roasted green tea) / Green Tea / Cascara Tea

[Free Drink: COLD]
Oolong Tea / Orange Juice / Apple Juice / Ginger Ale / Iced Coffee / Iced Tea

Overall...

I was absolutely thrilled with this content amidst such a beautiful view.
It was truly wonderful, but just one thing: considering my recent hearty appetite, I felt the "quantity" might have been lacking... haha.

If there had been some delicious sandwiches too, that would have been perfect! I would have hoped for a chicken one and a fruit sandwich. Haha
(How unrefined of me to ask for sandwiches during a Japanese-style afternoon tea.)

In any case, I definitely want to visit again!
I am filled with gratitude towards my sister-in-law who invited me.
(≧∀≦)

And thank you to my son for behaving calmly.

It was a great meal!!

This restaurant is located just a few minutes on foot from Kinshicho Station on the JR Sobu Line, inside the Tobu Hotel.
My sister-in-law visited for afternoon tea and mentioned the beautiful view.
After seeing photos, my mother and I decided to have dinner here, eager to enjoy the night view.

It's a Japanese restaurant, and dinner courses start at JPY 6,500.

The Hokuriku Shokusai Course for JPY 10,000 looked appealing, so we went with that.
(This is a limited course available from December 1, 2015, to January 31, 2016.)
The details are as follows:

- Appetizer: Sesame Tofu
- Assorted Appetizers: Zodiac-themed dish "Monkey" with various items such as
- Abalone, Shrimp, Sayori, Yellow Egg Sushi, Kazunoko in Saikyo Miso, Fava Beans,
- Black Beans, Firefly Squid in Soy Sauce, Grilled Mackerel Heshiko, Matsukasa Tamanegi
- Soup: Shogoin Turnip Puree with Shrimp
- Sashimi: Sea Bream, Tuna, Yellowtail, Sweet Shrimp (from Hokuriku)
- Grilled Dish: Saikyo Grilled Yellowtail with Yuba and Avocado
- Hot Pot: Paper Pot with Hokuriku Wagyu and Seasonal Vegetables
- Dish: Echizen Soba with White Shrimp Tempura
- Seasonal Fruit Dessert

Additionally, we ordered a Japanese sake tasting with three types for JPY 1,200.
My mother ordered sparkling wine for JPY 1,500.

First, the sesame tofu arrived in a beautifully lacquered box resembling a treasure chest.
Wow, it was lovely! (*^^*)
As expected from Hokuriku, it was topped with gold leaf.
I took a bite.
Hmm, it was just average... haha.
It was good, but rather ordinary for a JPY 10,000 course.

Next came the assorted appetizers.
Overall, the flavors were quite salty! (^^;)
I was okay since I had sake, but...
I still felt it didn't quite meet expectations for a JPY 10,000 course.
However, the grilled mackerel Heshiko was delicious!
It reminded me of the Heshiko my mother-in-law gave me recently, making me want to open it and eat it right away.
Its aroma is unique, and it seems like those who enjoy it will become hooked.
Also, the black beans were shiny and wrinkle-free—quite impressive!
I recalled reading in 'Oishinbo' about how difficult it is to cook beans without wrinkles. Haha.

Then came the soup.
This was delicious! (*^^*) It had a gentle flavor, and I finished all the broth.

The sashimi was excellent!
Each piece was top-notch!
I felt it was worthy of the course price.
The fattiness was just right and very flavorful.

The grilled yellowtail was also salty (ToT), and the crab was just average...
Well, I felt a bit disappointed.

The Wagyu in the hot pot was incredibly delicious! It melted in my mouth.
For this course, the sashimi and Wagyu were the highlights of my satisfaction.
Conversely, I felt that the dishes relied more on good ingredients rather than exceptional cooking skills. (^^;)

For the meal, we had Echizen Soba instead of rice.
While I expected specialty soba, it turned out to be rather ordinary (^^;)
But the white shrimp tempura was delicious!

The fruit for dessert included mediocre melon, average strawberries, and absolutely delicious mandarins!

By the way, the Japanese sake was merely what its price suggested, and I wasn't particularly impressed.
Perhaps I should have ordered the regular selections instead of the tasting.

In summary, the main feature of this restaurant would be:
"Great views, but food is just average for the price."
(I guess that sums it up in the title...)

However, the beauty of the view is truly exceptional, and it might be worth visiting just for that.
This time, we were seated on the side where we could see the Skytree, but on the opposite side, you can enjoy the view of Tokyo Tower along with impressive skyscrapers, offering a quintessentially fashionable Tokyo night view.
(*^^*) I'd love to sit on that side!

Additionally, the staff were impressive, operating like flight attendants, attentive and efficient.

It was a wonderful time.
Thank you very much!