Japanese-inspired Australian tea and rice bowl shop makes debut in Japan

From Tokyo, to Sydney, and back again.

On June 30, Juan Bowl & Tea Tokyo will have its grand opening in Tokyo’s Omotesando neighborhood. Japanese owner and chef Anna Ishiguro opened the first Juan Bowl & Tea in Sydney, Australia, in 2017, and now it regularly boasts lines of people waiting to feast with their eyes and stomachs on the elegant rice bowl creations.

▼ Chef Ishiguro

The Tokyo branch will be the shop’s first. Chef Ishiguro had seasonally opened the Juan Wagyu Steakhouse in Nagano Prefecture in 2018, but unfortunately, it was unable to withstand the coronavirus pandemic. Luckily, Ishiguro never gave up, and now her dreams of opening a stylish restaurant in Tokyo are coming true.

The menu will feature many of the same items as the Sydney branch in both content and flavor. However, the ingredients for the Tokyo branch will be sourced locally in Japan.

A first for Juan Bowl & Tea will be offering each donburi rice bowl as a set meal. Sets come with soup with homemade miso, seasonal side dishes, and an ochazuke (tea over rice) set with tea pairings unique to each menu. For instance, the shop’s signature Wagyu beef-based meal above comes with an earthy hojicha roasted green tea to complement the rice bowl’s hearty flavors.

The shop’s signature Wagyu Donburi Set will be available for 3,480 yen (US$22.04).

This dish below is, believe it or not, an eel donburi (3,380 yen). It has a thin and fluffy omelet dome to lock in all the flavor.

Their tonkatsu pork cutlet rice bowl is available in premium or ultra-premium cuts for 3,280 yen and 3,880 yen respectively.

And finally, the chicken-based rice bowl is actually served in Chinese Hainan style with lemongrass and ginger notes paired with the coolness of cucumbers. It will be available for 2,880 yen.

The tea pairings extend to desserts–which you can order as a set for just 1,200 yen–and you can purchase each of the four teas on the menu on its own as well. Teas will be sourced from The Tea Company based in Tokyo’s Shinjuku neighborhood.

▼ Matcha Tiramisu and Black Sesame Warabimochi are on the dessert menu.

If you’re intrigued, mark your calendars for June 30 when the restaurant opens. They’re open every day of the week aside from irregular holidays, so check their social media accounts for updates before stopping by!

Restaurant information
Juan Bowl & Tea Tokyo/ジュアンボール＆ティートーキョー
Address: Tokyo-to, Minato-ku, Kita-Aoyama 3-7-1 Kaos Bldg 1F
東京都港区北⻘山3-7-1 カオスビル1F
Open: 11:30 a.m. – 9 p.m. (last order 8:30 p.m.)

Photos: Press release
Sources: Shibuya Keizai Shinbun, Fashion Press
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