An Accidental Afternoon Tea Inside Kinokuniya Bookstore

We were just wandering inside the Kinokuniya Bookstore...

It was another day with my sister vacationing in the UAE. As usual, we don't have a proper itinerary for the day, so we decided to drive to Al Maryah Island in Abu Dhabi and go to the Galleria Mall. We had a hefty lunch. Being always sleep-deprived, I was already looking forward to good coffee after that very, very sumptuous lunch at Din Tai Fung. We also thought about having some nice dessert after that tasty and savory food.

But first, books.

While we were passing time and letting the food go down we walked around the mall until we reached Kinokuniya Bookstore. Lil sis had a book she wanted to buy. The bookstore was so big. I literally drowned myself with all those beautiful titles.

Meanwhile, my sister found the book she was looking for. On the other hand, I was already suffering from painful legs from all that walking and standing. Then at the corner of the bookstore, we found this little cafe...

pay for your book first.

There actually was a sign that you need to pay for the books first before entering the cafe (though I don't think anyone as checking). Rightly so, because there was an exit at the side (not through the bookstore - first photo).

so we entered...

It looked interesting and appealing, so we entered the cafe with high expectations. The cafe itself looked rather charming, if I'm honest. It's all clean lines and light wood, with little Japanese trinkets peeking out from the shelves. It seemed like a peaceful little haven. There were some customers working, studying, or casually hanging out.

My sister and I on the other hand, were too eager to try their coffee.

errr, tea!

Although they had a range of coffee in their selection, we opted for some Japanese classics since were were in a Japanese-themed cafe, right?!

We asked the barista (who did not look happy) what she would recommend. She said in a dry tone - "You can try matcha latte and hojicha latte."

We were given an option to change the milk to coconut, almond, soy, or oat, but for an additional charge of AED 5 ($1.36). "No, thank you. We will just keep it as with normal fresh milk."

the verdict?

Now, don't get me wrong, the ambiance was nice enough... But the drinks? Oh boy. My matcha latte was… underwhelming is putting it mildly. It lacked that vibrant green hue and that lovely balance of earthy bitterness and subtle sweetness that makes a good matcha sing. It was just kind of… milky.

My sister's houjicha latte wasn't much better. I honestly did not know what taste to expect, but, I did not like it. LOL. This was not exactly the exciting flavor adventure we were hoping for.😏

We could have spent the money on a better coffee or tea, or some nice dessert. The Magnolia Bakery would have been better. This Japanese-inspired tea afternoon experience paled out in comparison to our royal coffee break.

_{All photos are owned by the author unless stated otherwise.}