CONTRIBUTED BY KATIE CLARY
Rose Tea Garden
Today, my friends and I went to check the mail right around lunch time, and they mentioned that they were both hungry. On a whim, I suggested we try the cute little garden cafe just outside of Courtney's commissary side, which we learned later is called the Rose Garden Tea Room.
The building has a large tower with the word Coffee painted across the side and a few conical spires reminiscent of a Disney castle. The beautiful garden the restaurant is named for has a wide array of flowers and marble statues that lend it an almost Victorian feel.
When you walk inside, you will be greeted with a vast array of whimsical statues, fascinating trinkets, artificial flowers and porcelain dolls. The decor feels like a fancy British tea room- the perfect atmosphere to have a high tea party with gloves and hats. There are sunny window tables with lounge chairs in the front, secluded areas with couches and tables, and cute little tables with windows facing the beautiful garden.
Rose Tea Drink
Rose Tea Soup Salad
We expected a selection of teas and coffees and a few teatime snacks, but were pleasantly surprised when we saw the amount of options on the menu. They offered soup, salad, a few sandwiches, cake, cinnamon toast, and more than four full meal options.
Lindsey chose the ginger chicken meal, which cost ¥800, and mango juice (¥420) to drink. Her meal started off with bacon corn chowder and a small side salad with a sweet Japanese dressing. The main course was a mix of sauteed onions, green peppers, and chicken in a ginger sauce.
Rose Tea Meal
Christina was brave and tried an egg sandwich that I couldn't quite read the kanji for. It turned out to be a fried egg sandwich with lettuce and tomato and mayonnaise. It cost ¥600, and included two sandwiches. She said the bread was very light and fluffy, and the sandwich was amazing. There was even a cherry in the middle of her sandwiches as a garnish! She also tried the mango juice, since mango is one of her favorite fruits.
Rose Tea Sandwiches
Rose Tea Iced
I had already eaten lunch, so I chose the cinnamon toast and an iced caramel cappuccino for ¥1,020 total. The toast was a large piece of lightly toasted fluffy white bread with butter, whipped cream, cinnamon, and a cherry on top. The cappuccino was creamy and sweet with a large amount of whipped cream and caramel on top as well.
Rose Tea Dessert
Hours: 11:00 am until 11:00 pm
Payment: Yen only
Phone: (098)972-4775
Blog in Japanese: Showcases some of their interesting statues and furniture.
Directions: To get there from Courtney commissary side, go out the gate, and turn left at the stop light. Take the first left, and you'll see the tall building labeled "Coffee" on your right.
From McTureous, turn right out the gate. Take a left onto 75, and continue just past the commissary intersection. Take the next left.
You mention Kanji, but is there an actual English menu for those of us who can’t read Kanji?
The menu is in English and Kanji, but some items are in Kanji only, so we weren’t sure what those were. We had the club sandwich and iced cappuccinos. Not bad for 1000 yen each of our sets. Decor is an old persons dream!
how do you get there from kadena
If you’re coming from Kadena you can go out gate 2. Make a left onto 330. 330 will turn into 75 continue down 75 for what seems like forever. You’ll pass courtney’s main gate on your right hand side. (keep going straight). You’ll pass courntey’s commissary gate on your left, one street up you will turn LEFT. It will be about half a block down on your right. You can’t miss it. VERY EASY to get to.
full disclosure and in all fairness…today i went there and was disappointed. i had last been there 5-6+ years ago (i’ve been here 10 years) at least and thought i’d take my family after seeing it here just for fun. bad idea. i have no problem with the novelty of it being gaudy, tacky, and a dingy fire-hazard run by some batty older women, but we got gypped and it was gross. i ordered for my family in flawless japanese a lemon tea, a mango juice, 2 chamomile teas and cinnamon toast. we didn’t even get the chamomile teas but instead the lady brought us out 2 vienna coffees, which wouldn’t be so bad except that they were 100% international house flavor instant coffee box coffees. gross. then 2 men came in and started smoking up a storm in there taxi-driver style-like. i wouldn’t make that up. i probably should’ve just thrown them the Y2,600 on the way out the door, but we dashed it down and beat feet out the door instead. skip this and hit up either loop coffee, tida’s, or afternoon tea instead…or drive up to the hiro coffee farm. trust me.