While the blossoms are almost gone from the trees of Vancouver, there’s still time to celebrate Sakura at the Urban Tea Merchant with their seasonal Sakura Tea Afternoon Tea service available until April 30, 2014.  The tea merchant is tucked into a courtyard on Alberni Street with views of the colourful blossoms and sports a tea room classed up with the addition of white tablecloths and a tea pot fountain.

Start with the Seasonal Teas, the Sakura! Sakura! tea described as “an ode to spring, a fragrant TWG blend evoking Kyoto’s most celebrated season. A scattering of cherry blossoms and green tea yields a most aromatic and elegant fragrance.”  The White Spring Tea is also available for a brief time in the spring; this white tea has lively floral notes. The Tea Party Tea is another favourite  it’s a black tea inflected with notes of candied sweetness and the Paris to Singapore is pairs well with the tea service, a green tea enhanced with fragrant cherry blossoms and red fruits. 

Chef Michael Riley is now behind the kitchen creations offered at the Urban Tea Merchant and there’s been a few changes in the menu since I sampled it in 2012. The tea is $38 per person with an extra $30 for Veuve Clicquot Champagne and another $15 if you’d like to add some Northern Divine Caviar to the tray. We’ll certainly be returning for Urban Tea Merchant’s new complete Caviar Service shortly.

For the Sakura Tea Service there’s a plentiful selection of savoury and sweet items, all arriving at once smartly placed on a glass tray in a pleasing arrangement.

miso-maple glazed sable fish in butter lettuce
“Dignitary’s Tea” chicken cone
smoked salmon ribbon with ponzu jelly
“Red Chai” beef carpaccio with horseradish foam
“Singapore Breakfast Tea” seared tuna tataki
TWG Tea macaron
“Sakura! Sakura!” dessert sushi
“Matcha Nara” madeleine
“Rum Tea” pecan tart

Once again the miso maple sable fish reigns supreme, but the new tuna tataki gives it a run for it’s money. The dessert sushi was less of a hit, being a bit dry, but the pecan tart is a fine example of this delicious sweet. The service here is always spot on and you’ll be hard pressed not to leave with a few teas, tea macarons or some tea jellies for home tea parties.