Tea Press Japanese Tea Rosters @ Damansara Uptown

Tea enjoyment is something that we always associate it with the British of it's incorporation of the tradition of High tea into our culture and the Chinese with it's Dim sum that we always love and enjoy during the weekends.. 

Well, there is a specialized Tea salon that  focus solely on Japanese teas and food that educates people in KL about the experience & pairing of tea and food.. It is solely own by a Japanese which truly passionate about the art of tea service and the enjoyment of the Tea Time Japanese way.. 

The exterior of this tea salon is really beautiful with a blue covered wall with a gold lining that just highlights the name of the tea salon which is Tea Press!

Their seating is actually reflect their unique Japanese culture that caters for group dining and also the single diners that just would like to seek the comforts of the Japanese tea.. You also can choose to have a bar seating area to witness the whole process and the flair of tea brewing!

We are warmly greeted Japanese style and immediately being presented with it's diverse yet mouthwatering menu that just focuses on variety of Japanese tea and coffee creation alongside the munchies like their sweet snacks and also not to forget about their savoury treats like the Onigiri and Ochazuke (Broth rice)..

After much pondering on the type of teas to have, we decided to have a Houjicha and it is actually just nice for 1 person.. Their tea are hand brew with care and attention in every cup.. You are entitle for 3 cups of tea and the server will remind you about it as that is the sufficient amount of serving for every tea leaf to extract it's pure and intense flavour! 

Houjicha (RM10)

The Houjicha tea is being presented in a very Japanese style tea pot that will be served to you consisting the cup of tea together with the tea pot containing the tea leaves.. This tea is a roasted green tea with naturally low caffeine.. The aroma is really prominent especially the roasted tea that has that hint of roasted rice and it doesn't have that bitterness that many are fearful of but it is truly an enjoyable cup of tea that just brings the zen to your soul.. 

Currently they are running their Japanese version of a tea time with a set of tea from their menu alongside a sweet snack and it just cost around RM13 which is a great deal! It's truly an affordable tea time to be enjoyed without breaking the bank!

The first dessert we had is from their best seller dessert and that is the Daifuku! 

Daifuku is actually a traditional Japanese rice cake "mochi"served with fresh fruits..

 This dessert is really cute and it's portion is just nice to share and not too overwhelmingly sticky or full.. The presentation of this lovely daifuku is really simple yet they look beautiful and you're also given alittle plastic stick to pick up and enjoy!

Daifuku Blueberry (RM5)

The first Daifuku that we decided to try out is the Daifuku Bluberry..  

This is one of the many flavours that they have created using the daifuku.. There are other fruit fillings too like the kiwi, pineapple.. 

Let's focus our attention back to the Blueberry! The thin layer of mochi is really smooth and silky without being too cakey and being overwhelmed with the thick layer of powder sugar that many mochi has.. The plain canvas mochi outer layer is a perfect pairing with the sweet and tartness of the blueberry alongside their filling of the sweet azuki bean paste that brought out the grainy texture.. 

Daifuku Strawberry (RM5)

The 2nd daifuku that we devour is the Daifuku Strawberry.. The daifuku strawberry is actually one of their best seller and a must have when you're visiting their tea salon.. It's really petite and cute like how the Japanese always plate their food.. The delicate thin and smooth skin of the mochi just hugs the strawberry like a second skin and it was really an amazing combination.. The flavour is really unique as the strawberry has a tart that balances out the sweetness and the smooth nutty azuki bean paste that made it truly enjoyable to snack on! 

We also had the Sencha tea that is really light and refreshing that surprisingly pairs well with the daifuku.. 

The 2nd type of dessert that we tried is the Dorayaki filled with Azuki which is sweet red bean paste.. This is one of the most popular sweet desserts which is popularized by the famous cartoon character Doraemon! This is his favourite snack to munch on and it becomes the most sought after sweet snack for any Japanese lover.. 

When we caught sight of it on the menu, we are totally getting this sweet snack for one of the Tea time choices... After ordered this and sipping our cup of teas, we were being greeted with a petite portion of the Dorayaki that is really fluffy and it was filled generously with the sweet red bean paste! 

Red Bean Dorayaki (RM5)

The Dorayaki is really fluffy and the texture of the dorayaki pancake is really light and it is really thick! The azuki bean paste which is the filling being sandwiched in the middle is quite sweet in this dessert sandwich and it is rather on the drier side.. Nonetheless, the dorayaki is really great to enjoy with the Sencha that further accentuate the red bean paste notes with the side of smoky aroma of the sencha.. 

Salmon Ochazuke (RM15)

If you aren't into their sweet treats and you lean more on the savoury food, well you don't have to worry as the people of Teapress are really thoughtful and has put together a well thought savoury menu for lunch and dinner.. 

We decided to go for the heartwarming bowl of Salmon Ochazuke.. This is something that is relatively new to us being that you can't find this Ochazuke in most conventional Japanese restaurant.. 

We were really elated to spot them on the Teapress menu and we had to try it! 

The whole entire set up of an Ochazuke is the bowl of rice with the proteins like in this case is the Salmon but they do offer a Saba Ochazuke and it is dressed with sliced seaweed.. On the side of the bowl would be the pot that contains the warm tea broth that is really flavourful! 

After pouring the warm tea into the bowl, you would find it that the tea has a clear color to it and in terms of flavour it is really clean and clear without much character as the tea broth is there to complement well with the salmon and the rice.. Well we don't mind as every spoonful of the broth is really delicious and flavourful when it was eaten with the seaweed, the well cooked salmon and the wonderful japanese rice!

And this bowl of Ochazuke is simple yet it gave a very warmth and satisfying feeling once you have finished it!

Verdict: 

A very serene and calm place to have a Japanese style high tea or an affordable lunch 

Must Try:
Strawberry Daifuku
Blueberry Daifuku
Salmon Ochazuke

Ambience: 4/5

Food: 3.5/5

Price: 3/5

Service: 3.5/5

Tea Press 

46, Jalan SS21/39, 

Damansara Utama,

47400

Petaling Jaya 

Contact: 

+6010-214 9485

Opening Hours: 

Tuesday- Sunday 

11am-10pm

Closed on Monday