Afternoon Tea at Nobu Hotel Palo Alto
Spring time is the absolute best time to visit the Bay Area as it is the most colorful time. From poppies lining the streets, lilies sprouting along the coast, and Japanese cherry blossoms blooming in most of the Bay Area’s outdoor parks, there’s so much beauty to see and take in at this time of the year. If you’re looking for where to admire the beauty of Japanese cherry blossoms and indulging in a Japanese inspired tea party, I highly recommend booking a Cherry Blossom Tea Time experience at the Nobu Hotel Palo Alto!
The Japanese Inspired Garden at Nobu Hotel Palo Alto
Nestled at the core of Silicon Valley, the ultra luxe Nobu Hotel Palo Alto is a sanctuary of both tranquility and luxury. Embodying the Japanese aesthetic and way of life, you can literally feel the energy and aura of the property both within and beyond its walls. Experiencing their Cherry Blossom Tea Time on a sunny spring afternoon put me at ease and made my tummy happy, and as you keep reading, you’ll figure out just why. What I love about Nobu is that they are so consistent in their way of providing excellent hospitality to all guests that walk through their doors. While the Cherry Blossom Tea Time was exceptional in its taste and aesthetic, the experience was elevated by the best server, Ryan.
Anyway, let’s get to the good stuff, shall we?
Cherry Blossom Team Time Overview
When booking this experience at the Nobu Hotel Palo Alto, keep in mind that it is $70 per person and only available on Saturdays and Sundays, from 2-4PM.
There is a savory and sweet platter, one delivered after another. The savory platter includes some of the most delicious small bites you’ll have.
Prior to receiving both platters, you’ll be choosing your tea to pair with the experience. I chose the Nobu Shiso Tea and the Genmai Cha with Matcha.
If you’re looking for a refreshing and light tea, choose the Nobu Shiso Tea as it is so, so delicious. I would drink it everyday if I could, as I’m such a huge fan of the taste of shiso. The flavor of the shiso itself isn’t overpowering at all.
If you’re looking for a safe option and something that will pair beautifully with everything you’ll devour, I’d go for the Genmai Cha with Matcha. This is the standard go to for everyone, the safe choice.
If you’re open to experimenting, try out the other teas! Let me know how they taste and pair with the small bites.
Savory Platter
The savory platter was delightful. If you’re a fan of beautifully plated meals, you’ll love that it’s adorned with edible flowers (adding a touch of femininity to the plate) and pea sprouts. I recommend eating a pea sprout or two in between bites to “cleanse” the palate.
Shokupan King Crab Sandwich
This is very flavorful, yet very light. You can taste the Kewpie mayo but it’s not overpowering at all.
Egg Salad Dry Miso Taco with Dill
The egg salad is very creamy and flavorful, and the dill and chives just accentuates the flavor even more. The ‘taco’ shell is made out of wonton, and adds a nice crunch.
Ali Amarillo Cucumber Sandwich
Very refreshing! There’s a lot of flavors going on, but they’re all subtle flavors producing a great ‘wow’ factor.
House Cured Scottish Salmon Puff Pastry
Cured to perfection, the puff pastry adds air in every bite, making the overall bite feel very light and delicious.
Monaka Shell Tuna & Takuan “Chirashi”
This is in a really adorable sakura bowl, topped off with caviar. The bowl itself had a nice chewy texture to it. It was a cross between a shrimp chip and bread, but of course, no shrimp flavor to the bowl at all. It had a very nice chewy texture to it. All flavors just blended so beautifully together.
Lemon Creme Fraiche & Ikura Blini
Another refreshing little bite. I loved that it had a mini pancake, adding in a balance between all the flavors that were going on on top.
Sweet Plate
Of course, the sweet plate was going to be as marvelous as the savory platter. Presentation was excellent, every single dessert was almost too pretty to eat!
White Chocolate Lychee Mousse
The mousse, the cookie-like cracker holding it all, the flower, as well as the jello-like texture made it a very dynamic dessert. This packed a punch for sure.
Strawberry Matcha Cream Puff
If you’re a fan of cream puffs, you’ll love this one. I don’t know about you, but I’ve had so many cream puffs where there is too much cream and not enough puff. This had just the right amount. The matcha tied all the flavors in altogether so well.
Passion Kumquat Sponge Cake
Very light and airy. I loved the dried kumquat slice at the top, as its tartiness balanced the sweetness that was going on. I would say this was the sweetest out of all the desserts.
Cherry Blossom Macaron
A classic desert, you can never go wrong with it. While it was cherry blossom flavored, it wasn’t too overpowering, and it paired so well with the chocolate.
Fruit Platter with 7 Spice
To end off, you have a fruit platter with 7 spice seasoning sprinkled all over, adding in spice and dynamic flavoring to the fruits. The fruit platter consisted of citrus fruits, dragon fruit, and kiwis!
Nobu Hotel Palo Alto Restaurant Review
The Nobu Palo Alto Hotel’s tea party experience is something you shouldn’t miss. With a beautiful Japanese garden as your view, sunlight peeking through, and cool breezes going in and out, you’ll find that this is the perfect place to have a solo tea party or celebrate life with your loved ones.
