Explore the New World of Matcha: From DIY Tea to Stylish Sweets in Omotesando

Matcha has long been rooted in Japanese culture, from tea ceremonies to wagashi (traditional Japanese sweets).

But this time-honored flavor has evolved in surprisingly creative ways with the times.

In recent years, a wave of specialty matcha dessert shops has ushered in a new era of matcha sweets that blend Japanese tradition with Western innovation.

Why not step into this new world of matcha, where the classic and the cutting-edge come together?

Matcha sweets at Ujien Urasando Garden

Matcha sweets at Ujien Urasando Garden

“Ujien Urasando Garden”: a renovated traditional Japanese house in Omotesando

In this article we’ll introduce the Urasando Garden location of “Ujien,” a long-established tea shop that first opened in Kyoto.

The shop sits inside Urasando Garden—a renovated traditional Japanese house that now hosts a handful of unique stores—just a short walk from Omote-sando Station.

Pass through the noren (traditional Japanese fabric curtain) at the entrance, and you’ll find an even calmer space within, complete with a serene courtyard where you can also dine.

Urasando Garden, a renovated traditional Japanese house

Urasando Garden, a renovated traditional Japanese house

Urasando Garden offers a sharp contrast to the glitzy world of nearby Omotesando Hills and high-end fashion boutiques. With its understated design and tranquil atmosphere, it offers a peaceful escape from the bustle outside.

Urasando Garden, a renovated traditional Japanese house

You can also enjoy your food and drinks in the courtyard

Ujien’s signature “Matcha Parfait” Made with premium Uji matcha

Founded in Kyoto in 1869, Ujien has built its business around tea, offering everything from retail tea products to sweets and cafe dining.

Their Urasando Garden branch opened in 2016 and features modern matcha desserts like parfaits and tiramisu, all made with high-quality matcha.

The deep umami, fragrant aroma, and subtle bitterness of true matcha take on new dimensions when paired with sweets.

One of the best examples of this harmony is the “Matcha Parfait.”

Matcha parfait at Ujien Urasando Garden

“パフェ(抹茶),” Matcha Parfait 1,500 JPY (tax included)

Layered with matcha jelly, cake, shiratama (rice flour dumplings), ice cream, and cookies, each ingredient adds a unique texture and rhythm to every bite.

The flavor experience evolves as you eat, keeping you engaged to the very last spoonful.

Matcha parfait at Ujien Urasando Garden

The main topping is matcha ice cream

The star of the show is the matcha ice cream—lightly sweet with a clean finish that lets the rich aroma of matcha shine through.

Another standout is the matcha jelly. Its smooth texture and subtle bitterness leave a pleasant aftertaste, rounding out the parfait beautifully.

Matcha parfait at Ujien Urasando Garden

Matcha jelly

“Matcha Tiramisu”: a dessert you could almost drink

The Matcha Tiramisu feels like the best of both worlds: a dessert and a drink in one.

Matcha Tiramisu at Matcha parfait at Ujien Urasando Garden

“ティラミス(抹茶),” Matcha Tiramisu 1,500 JPY (tax included)

Scoop into it and you’ll first notice the mascarpone’s incredibly soft, almost liquid-like texture.

Take a bite, and its rich yet balanced flavor gently spreads across your palate—making the term “drinkable dessert” feel just right.

Matcha Tiramisu at Ujien Urasando Garden

What brings it all together is Ujien’s carefully selected matcha. It balances the sweetness with just enough bitterness to create a clean, sharp finish.

If you’re craving both the slight bitterness of matcha and the sweetness of dessert, this tiramisu is the perfect choice—it delivers the best of both worlds.

Matcha Tiramisu at Ujien Urasando Garden

One delightful bonus? Each Matcha Tiramisu comes with a complimentary piece of Ujien’s original “Fresh Chocolate” (ganache). Its rich flavor offers a nice contrast to the tiramisu and makes for the perfect palate cleanser.

Other flavors like matcha and hōjicha (roasted green tea) are also available for purchase at the shop—perfect for souvenirs!

Japanese sweets at Ujien Urasando Garden

(left)”抹茶 生ショコラ 小佳女 “おかめ”,” Matcha Fresh Chocolate “Okame” 1,620 JPY (tax included), (right) “ほうじ茶 生ショコラ 火男 “ひょっとこ”,” Houjicha Fresh Chocolat Hyottoko “Hyotoko” 1,620 JPY (tax included)

Freshly made-to-order: the “The Smile-Inducing Matcha Mont Blanc”

If you really want to immerse yourself in matcha, “The Smile-Inducing Matcha Mont Blanc” is a must-try.

It’s one of the shop’s signature dishes, and true to its name, it brings a smile to just about everyone who tries it.

Matcha Mont Blanc at Ujien Urasando Garden

“笑みがこぼれるモンブラン(抹茶),” The Smile-Inducing Matcha Mont Blanc 1,500 JPY (tax included)

One of the best parts? Watching the staff pipe the Mont Blanc cream by hand, one by one, for each order, right behind the counter.

The live preparation adds a sense of anticipation, making that first bite even more rewarding.

Matcha Mont Blanc at Ujien Urasando Garden

The base is a matcha-flavored sponge cake, topped with a generous layer of matcha-infused whipped cream.

At the heart of the dessert is the Mont Blanc cream, made with sweet bean paste blended with matcha. Rich and dense in texture, each bite delivers a deep, bittersweet flavor and the bold taste of high-quality matcha.

Matcha Mont Blanc at Ujien Urasando Garden

Bringing together the refined subtlety of traditional Japanese sweets and the elegance of Western-style desserts, this Mont Blanc offers a deeply satisfying experience.

Each layer is infused with matcha, making it a must-try for matcha lovers.

Experience the World of Matcha at Ujien

Conveniently located in the heart of Tokyo’s Omotesando, Ujien lets you enjoy authentic matcha in a relaxed, approachable setting.

With the “Hands-On Matcha Experience,” you can even try whisking your own bowl of matcha—adding a memorable, interactive touch to your visit.

Interactive matcha set at Ujien Urasando Garden

“体験型 お抹茶,” Hands-On Matcha Experience 1,500 JPY (tax included)

First, pour hot water into your matcha, freshly ground from Uji tea leaves using a stone mill. Slowly stir using the chasen (a Japanese tea whisk), gently blending the tea.

Next, lift the whisk slightly and use a quick back-and-forth wrist motion to create a layer of fine, creamy foam on the surface.

Interactive matcha set at Ujien Urasando Garden

The Hands-On Matcha Experience comes with hot water and a chasen whisk for preparing your own tea.

The tea used is 100% Uji matcha, known for its mellow umami and balanced bitterness, letting you savor matcha’s true character.

If you’d prefer, the staff can also prepare the tea for you, but why not give it a try yourself?

At Ujien’s Urasando Garden shop, you can enjoy matcha not just through sweets, but also in its traditional form.

In this peaceful, Japanese-style setting, what kind of matcha moment will you make?

Information

Store name 宇治園 裏参道ガーデン店
Ujien Urasando Garden
Address Urasando Garden 1F, No.5, 4-15-2 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Access Omote-sando Station 5-minute walk from Exit A2
  • Tokyo Metro Ginza Line(G02)
  • Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line(C04)
  • Tokyo Metro Hanzōmon Line(Z02)

Meiji-jingumae ‘Harajuku’ Station 10-minute walk from Exit 5
  • Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line(C03)
  • Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line(F15)

Harajuku Station 14-minute walk from Harajuku Station East Exit
  • JR Yamanote Line(JY19)
Phone number 070-4448-0217
Phone number Accepted
Phone number, Hot Pepper Gourmet
Payment
  • Cash
  • Credit cards(American Express・Diners・Discover・JCB・Master・UnionPay・VISA)
  • Transportation-related electronic money(Suica, etc.)
  • Electronic money(Apple Pay・iD・QUICPay)
  • QR code payment(Alipay・AlipayHK・Big Pay・Changi Pay・DANA・EZ-link・GCash・GrabPay・hellomoney・Hipay・K PLUS・Kakaopay・Kaspi・Kredivo・MPay・MyPB by Public Bank・NAVER Pay・OCBC Bank・Paymaya・PayPay・Toss Pay・Touch’n GO・Truemoney・WeChat Pay)
Hours 12:00-18:00(last order 17:30)
Closed No holidays
excluding Urasando Garden holidays
Seating 7 counter seats
Smoking All seats are non-smoking
Official website https://www.uji-en.co.jp/
Other information
  • Menus are available with Japanese language only
  • Please ask staff about allergy-friendly menus; vegan, vegetarian, and halal menus are not available
  • Wheelchair-accessible
  • Take-out service is available; delivery service is not available
  • Luggage storage space is not available
  • Wi-Fi is available
  • Posting of food photos and videos on customers’ personal SNS accounts is allowed
  • Separate billing is allowed

※Menu contents, prices, store information, etc. are current as of June 2025.