Mariage Frères

I started my tin of Wedding Impérial tea from Mariage Frères right after the wedding and it's gone now which I think is a sign that I haven't posted in a while. I took a photo of it to share on here when I gushed about its delicious chocolaty carmely goodness but my photos are still terribly unfocused and I feel -- as dull as plain text is -- it is better than poor quality photos. (I must work on my atrophied photography skills.)

Is it strange that I was introduced to Mariage Frères while living in Osaka? They had this wonderful tea room in Shinsaibashi. My friend Aileen (who has lived in Paris) and I used to meet there for tea. It's a good thing Aileen was with me on my first visit or I probably would have been too overawed to enter on my own. Mariage Frères' teahouses are so elegant they seem to be only for nobility. However the wait staff was kind and the tea as well as the pastries were superlative.

I still feel exceedingly cultured when I sip my Mariage Frères' teas. I can even enjoy them without honey or milk which is the ultimate badge of sophistication in tea connoisseur circles.  I can’t wait until I can get out my Esprit de Noel again!