the plan...

...is not to have a plan (apart from a coffee to start the day and a late lunch!)

Every couple of months I spend a few hours with B, a friend from Tasmanian days which means we have known each other for over 30 years.
Today we wandered through some galleries and followed the sign to the 'Green Tea House' tucked away in a mews in Subiaco.
There, Tsutomu Iwasaki (Tom) guided us through the intricacies of making a perfect cup of green tea in his shop brimming with cast iron tea pots, delicate cups and photos of his annual returns to Japan to select the best teas and the most beautiful pots.
On his card he describes himself as a 'Japanese Green Tea Advisor' and with a tea tasting including Sencha "the Classic' and Genmaicha (sencha and popped brown rice) we had a very special hour or so.
He very carefully selected the tasting cups as well... pink for me and blue for B!!

And for those interested in brewing tips for Sencha, here they are
Water temp: 80C
Waiting time: 40-50 secs
Amount of water for two cups: 250 ml
Amount of tea for two cups: 1 tsp
The same leaves can be used 2-3 times. use 80C water for the first cup to bring out the sweetness and hotter water for the second and third cups.

AND for the bakers amongst you, Matcha (powdered green tea) is the way to go for muffins and biscuits.