マダム・チェチーリア
Cantonese Swallow for a fun, enjoyable gourmet girls' lunch~♬ To savor the moment, "How about having coffee before we leave? C-chan, are you up for it?" → "If it's not too cold, let's walk down the street to a stylish place, but it's chilly so let's go to Marunouchi Building!" And so, I headed back alone while C-chan and two others crossed the street to Marunouchi Building. We took the escalator up to the 5th floor and saw Spice Bistro B, right before Casablanca. Next to it was Camellia-ya, a place that brought back memories from the two Camellia-ya Coffee shops in Shinbashi. My first time at Camellia-ya was in December 2012 at Camellia-ya Coffee in Shinbashi Tea House with S-chan who lived in Shinbashi, and the second time was in April 2014 when I went with the instructor from my flower arrangement class to Camellia-ya Coffee Hanare in Shinbashi. Although this was my first time here, it had the same concept as the other two locations - a Taisho Roman style, stained glass windows, and waitresses in frilly white aprons. Even the coffee cups were the same Royal Copenhagen! R-chan and O-san ordered cake sets as they had room for dessert. I was full, so I just had coffee. We all went for the Camellia-ya blend coffee (¥1000) which was made from high-grade coffee beans that were rigorously managed from production to extraction by the roaster. The coffee had a clear taste with no bitterness, a deep flavor with a refreshing aftertaste, and a proper acidity making it a delicious coffee. R-chan chose a Belgian chocolate cake (¥920 for a single slice, ¥1650 for the set) and O-san had a black tea chiffon cake (¥830 for a single slice, ¥1560 for the set). They offered me a taste of both cakes which were delightful - the tea chiffon cake was fragrant and fluffy, while the chocolate cake with milk and bitter chocolate mousse was rich and exquisite. Looking at the cakes in the showcase, I felt satisfied with the generous portions and reasonable prices. The interior design, staff uniforms, and coffee service at Camellia-ya were reminiscent of the other locations. The roaster skillfully poured coffee from the siphon into the cups held on a tray, balancing it with two other siphons on his fingers. It was a professional technique that I could never master no matter how much practice. The waitresses were efficient but lacked warmth, almost like AI robots. The restaurant was full with customers waiting in the narrow aisle, but we were lucky to find a table near the entrance without waiting. Another memory was added to our Marunouchi Building experience, with a view of Tokyo Station from the window.