Sabō: the Japanese-style tea room at OGATA Paris

Rare are those places in Paris where everything seems to go in slow motion and where one takes the time to let the seconds pass quietly. Precious moments that the Japanese are fond of and that they are used to appreciate especially during the famous tea ceremony. In Paris, a place offers you to live this unique experience. To do so, head to Sabō, the tea room nestled in the basement ofOGATA Paris, in the 3rd arrondissement.

Here, the tea experience can be savored in different ways. You have the option of tasting a tea of your choice accompanied by a wagashi, the famous Japanese pastry. Or opt for the Sajiki menu, which offers a memorable moment in four tea sequences, accompanied by Ochauke and Wagashi. A word of advice: don't be in a hurry and allow at least 1h30 for a guaranteed escape.

The tasting starts strong with Gyokuro, the famous exceptional green tea. Considered as the noblest green tea of the Land of the Rising Sun, it is obtained after several infusions at "low temperature", between 50° C and 60°C. Its particularity? To offer the most Umami aroma of all green teas!

By observing the tea master, Katsuhito Imaizumi, at work, we discover that the preparation of tea is a real art, requiring a very high level technique. To obtain such a perfect tea, one needs a lot of rigor, concentration and precision in the dosages and temperatures. Each gesture must be precise. We never tire of watching Katsuhito Imaizumi.

Then, it's time for a little pastry, here the Moegi, made of grapes and Kokuto Shōchū, coated with matcha.

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We follow with a seasonal infusion, Sekkicha, both thirst-quenching and fragrant, before falling under the spell of the excellent Hojicha, a roasted Japanese green tea.

As a side dish, we offer Ochauke, sweet and savory appetizers, in perfect harmony with the roasted tea.

And we finish with the unavoidable and tasty matcha tea, perfectly balanced. For the gourmet side, Sabō presents us with a small wooden tray where several wagashi are nicely laid out, including a " Sancho mochi " and a " Kurumi mochi ". For my part, I opt for the delicious " Mame Daifuku " with glutinous rice paste, red bean paste and nuts. On the other side, there is the Ice Monaka (a ball of ice cream slipped between two wafers)!

In the end, we come out of this experience soothed and relaxed with, as a bonus, the happiness of having discovered totally unique flavors around the world of tea!

And to top it all off, OGATA Paris' tea room also offers workshops to better understand the ancestral culture of tea, to learn more about its benefits or its seasonality. Visit the official website to learn more.

Please note that it's been over 4 years since our last visit, so the place and experience may have changed.