Hey guys! I am finally back with this longggg overdue post! We decided to go to Sinmei Tea to celebrate Rachel’s birthday (I know, this was 3 months ago, my bad!). We struggled a little to find this cafe as the sign was relatively small so we kept driving past this store. When we arrived at the store, it was also quite packed as it was afternoon tea time. Thank goodness we made a reservation beforehand!
We had trouble finding this place, the sign is so small on the street, it's impossible to see on the other side of the road. The outside facade is also very minimalistic & non distinctive. Glad we found it though (and also finding a couple of seats). The earl grey angel cake was light & fluffy, very subtle hint of earl grey. The rose tea was delicate. Great place to spend a sunny afternoon chit chatting & catching up.
My fav here is always the early grey tea. Their cakes are always light and fluffy. Loving their choice of tea. Wholesome food served here. I wish they bring back the avocado pandan cake back for permanent.
I myself am not a fan of desserts, but I got so obsessed with the angel cakes here. A definite 5 out of 5 for the rose one since it smells so rosy and tastes so flavourful. The texture is super fluffy yet not dry at all. Also a huge thumb up for the matcha latte. The matcha taste is so strong yet not overwhelming. I would say it’s a great place to chill with friends for a lazy afternoon.
I really enjoyed my visit to Sinmei Tea. I shared the dumplings with noodle in peanut-chilli sauce with my companion and we both thought they were delicious (we added the extra four dumplings and found that this was the perfect amount for two people). We also ordered the matcha lava cake which was beautifully cooked and served with ice cream. The drinks/food were very well presented and the staff member laid our cutlery/meals out carefully. Be aware that the lava cake takes 30 minutes to prepare (so we ordered ours at the same time as the dumplings) and that there is limited seating. Overall, our visit was a very pleasant experience.
All good. I love their match lava most(♥ω♥*) Match latte is my lover too. Everyone have to try it and would kown what's real match soul.(´∀`)♡
The service and the food here was great!!! We tried the chicken dumplings with noodles, matcha angel cake and matcha lava cake. The matcha lava cake and chicken dumplings were spectacular!!! I would come back just for the lava cake! The angel cake was light,and delicious but the matcha flavour wasn't as strong as I'd have liked it to be(but I love really strong matcha flavoured stuff).
Earl grey sponge cake is excellent with their variant of green tea drinks . Small place & though parking at certain hours . Definitely one of my casual relaxing places👍👍👍
My frd and me are loyalty of this little place, as we both been following sinmei from hk to brisbane. Highly recommended the dumplings, served with the noodles and signature peanut sauce (this is so good to die for!!!). I ordered a hot drink (Goji berries, red dates with honey) and my frd had a signature hk milk tea. The lady never disappointed us, as she always surprised us with something new on menu.... We were happy with all the food, drinks and service :D We talked with lady for like few hours, and we ordered one little piece of earl grey cake, which is light and yum. Such a relaxing afternoon for us :)
the cake, you know, it's really soft and tasty!!!!!
The drink we ordered is match soul and iced hojicha latte.
This novel combination is really good. You will fall in love in the dessert.
Recommend to everyone!!!!
Been following the shop from HK to James street and now Paddington. Is alwys my match fix go to, and she always got something new to surprise you with, not just the matcha lava cake, but also the drink, and try talk to her, she might bring you some new energy.
Sinmei tea had a very nice ambiance. The service was friendly and the menu was very unique and special. We ordered the green tea hot chocolate, hojicha hot chocolate, scones and matcha loaf cake. The drinks were $7 and the cakes were around $6. We really enjoyed our drinks and the scones, the cake was okay. Overall a very pleasant experience in a nice spot, only criticism is that it is a little expensive. A very different place- would love to come back and also try the brunch options!
What's a great little place! Been living in the area but never noticed this spot. Stepped in and weren't impressed with its settings and ambience that didn't give a comfortable feel. We were a bit reluctant whether staying or leaving, but we were really keen to try the drinks there.
It's a late afternoon catch up, and all we wanted was some drinks and a nice chat. Sinmei offered a variety of hot and cold drinks which we found in quite a unique menu. I had a matcha mojito-matcha, lime, brown sugar, soda. It was such a nice combination served in good looking green colour. Loved it from the first sip! It's sensational! Wished it was served in a bigger glass for this $8. My one mate had a signature Hong Kong milk tea which was nice but a little bland. Liked the iced tea cube though. Another had matcha soul (matcha, soya milk, almond flakes, honey, sultanas, osmanthus) which was interesting and tasty.
Happy with the drinks and the Hong Kong lady seemed very nice and friendly. Will definitely come back for her homemade cakes and other drinks.
Great little place in paddington. It's a little tucked away so it's hard to spot at first. The matcha late was really delicious. The cakes are light and yummy. The service is great. Just a little pricier than other cafes and cake portions are small. Overall great place will definitely return because their matcha latte is amazing 😍
Tucked in James Street, this humble japanese/hong kong fusion dessert place did not disappoint. A bit on the pricey side, but the food and the drinks were well worth it! With added whimsical decor.
Tried the iced matcha latte since that day was hot and they didn't make it too sweet so I quite like the bitterness of it. We also ordered a matcha lava cake but I think they could reduce the sugar a bit and increase the bitterness.
Amazing cafe !! Relax and chill place for hang out with friends chatting. The place is quite small actually but it's really cute place to relax your mind. The matcha is good, but what the best is the bagel cake and lava cake :)
What an exciting find!!! Tucked away in a fortitude valley alleyway is this amazing collection of matcha flavoured drinks and cakes. Ordered the mojito iced tea and matcha angel cake - was quite impressed. Great service. Can't wait to go back and try everything else.
Love the menu here! Tried the Earl Grey cake and Hojicha Latte. Can't wait to try more
The atmosphere is pretty stiffling though. It's nice and quiet, great for quiet chats with one person but not a place for little kids or groups of friends.
This quaint Asian-style tea room is nestled quietly among Brisbane’s trendy James Street boutique shopping and restaurant precinct. Part bookstore and part cafe, Sinmei Tea is a welcome reprieve from the hustle and bustle of the inner city. Sinmei is a must for those who love sweets, tea and matcha. The menu is divided into Tea Ceremony, Herbal Infusions, Hot Artisan and Cold Artisan drinks. A range of desserts are also listed on the menu and displayed at the counter. There’s limited all day brunch options to cater for those seeking savoury snacks instead.
Awesome matcha teas! Ordered the matcha soul. Really great if you're a true matcha lover! Cake was nice. Lovely service. Great small spot outside to relax and sip away. No regrets.
Sinmei Tea is located inside Scrumptious Reads which is right across from Gerard's Bistro. It's not easy to spot but once you've tried their sweets and drinks, you won't be forgetting them any time soon. We ordered the matcha angel cake, matcha lava cake, a white chocolate matcha drink and genmai matcha latte with chestnuts. Everything was spot on in terms of flavour. The drinks and sweets weren't too sweet but we're quite rich in flavour. The genmai matcha latte was a standout with the chestnut flavour singing out. We also loved the matcha lava cake which was gooey in the centre and served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream in a cute teacup which helped cut through the richness. I can't wait to make my next trip to Sinmei to try the rest of their menu soon!
Matcha or green tea is always my favourite but there haven't been many places in Brisbane which offer matcha deserts/sweets. Was really excited when I saw this place on TV and decided to give it a go. The place was very small and not many seatings available. The menu was not big with hot drinks starting from $6 and cold drinks from $7 and many selection of deserts available to chose from the menu. The hot drinks were excellent and beautiful with it decorations. The cake.. OH My! absolutely delicious with fluffy sponge and not sweet at all. The cold drink we ordered were very interesting too with matcha mixed with fresh orange juice. My little 2 year old niece love it so much that she finished the whole drink. Would definitely visit again and finger cross with the seats.
Lately, there has been much ado about matcha. Instead of only being able to find it in speciality tea shops, it has been turning up in local cafes. After our previous visit to Sinmei Tea, we thought it the place for the best matcha drinks and treats in Brisbane. After some attempted matcha drinks at other places recently (reviews to come), this was confirmed.
Cafe with great interior design and decorations, and the owner/chef was so kind and welcoming. Highlight of the day: Matcha lava cake!!!!! (*droools*) It's meant to be shared between 2 people at minimum for $20, and forever grateful for the extra scoop of ice-cream, just made it all that more perfect. We also had other dishes like the Hakka Thunder Tea Rice and Vegetarian Bibimbap which were not to my preference (I prefer meaty over healthy) For drinks we had the Matcha Soul, Matcha Latte (Iced and Cold). I didn't find any drinks standing out, or maybe it was just too subtle for me. Overall, great design, great lava cake (will be back and edit to great dessert if applicable) and friendly staff/owner
Nice quiet place with great tasting food and beverages! Would come back here again! The service was friendly and has a nice ambience in its small space.
Hailing from Hong Kong and Shanghai, Sinmei Tea on James Street has a different air from its HKG counterpart (where I'm from). Being inside specialty (talk food!) bookstore Scrumptious Reads makes the visit a more laid back and friendly experience.
There are many favorites from the original Sinmei outlet like Matcha Soul (matcha, sultanas, osmanthus, almonds, soy milk and honey) as well as delicious looking and tasting cakes like the Hojicha chiffon with orange cream.
Grab a Monocle (yes they're having a Monocle pop-up the time I went) and enjoy these creative tea-inspired treats!
Really love this cafe. Matcha angel cake was awesome ! We ordered matcha latte and hojicha latte and they were amazing. Will definitely come back again
Tucked inside of Scrumptious Reads, Sinmei Tea Room isn’t your average cafe and the unique menu offers everything tea-related; from refreshing cold drinks like the matcha mojito ($8) made with matcha, mint, lime, brown sugar and soda, to hot drinks like the matcha soul ($6) made with soya milk then drizzled with honey and sprinkled with almond flakes, and dishes such as the Hakka thunder tea rice ($15) and vegetarian bibimbap ($15), and not to mention loads of tea flavoured cake options.
What a nice place to chill. Mainly serving creative great tea drinks and dessert. They also sell indie magazines, books and different arty thingy. Love it
After a long working week, what could be worse than having to work on Saturday? Unfortunately that was the position I found myself in yesterday. After such a long week's work, I was lucky enough to have a friend pick me up and take me out to chill after such a long day's work. He ended up driving me to Sinmei Tea House, situated in Scrumptious Reads in James Street Fortitude Valley. With the name of my blog being "Espresso and Matcha" one can imagine how keen I was to try out the newly popular Matcha Tea House.
Came here after having seen pictures of the cakes on social media feeds. It's not the easiest place to find, tucked in one of the complexes of shops on James Street. If it helps, it's near Gerard's, in the Scrumptious Reads bookshop itself. It is a lovely, calming space, not quite library-silent, with music softly playing in the background.
You have the option of a selection of teas, served differently from elsewhere, so they're not a teabag in a pot, but the actual leaves in a brewing cup. Hot water is poured into that, then when steeped enough, poured into another serving pot/flask, and from that into the smaller cups that hold just a couple of mouthfuls. It is very fragrant tea, and you do get many, many hot water refills out of it, with the tea staying aromatic. There are also other tea-based hot and cold drinks. The matcha soul has greet tea, soy milk, osmanthus, almond flakes, and raisins. It has a nice green tea flavour, unlike drinks from other places that, while green in colour, have barely any green teat taste. It's nicely done so it isn't bitter.
We also had the matcha fondant for two. $20 isn't cheap for a fondant, but it's a good sharing size, and different from what you get elsewhere, which is typically standard chocolate. Again, it actually tastes like green tea, and it's just the right amount of sweetness.
Overall, all very nicely done, and the staff are lovely and more than happy to explain the teas and options to you.
Eat Drink And Be Kerry
+4
It's all tinged with green at Sinmei Tea at Scrumptious Reads but that's because of one ingredient, matcha tea which finds it's way into everything. The delightful Sinmei has joined with Julie at Scrumptious Reads (pictured below) to bring her style of tea house to Australia. Sinmei has tea houses in Shanghai and Hong Kong but her James Street store is the only one where you'll find lamingtons with a touch of matcha which she created specially for locals to enjoy.
Visit instagram location tags for pictures of this amazing cake place.
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