Gen Sou En In Brookline Opens With A Tea Party [Photos]

BROOKLINE, MA — Friday night, Gen Sou En the new Japanese Tea House hosted a tea party complete with lion dancer, a traditional ceremony to open the sake barrels and a who's who of Brookline's foodie world.

The first Japanese Tea House in the Greater Boston area opened last month, offering a blend of traditional Japanese tea experience and and more modern food to go with it. On the menu, breakfast, lunch and a light dinner (and the best part? dessert by way of head baker Yozo Masuyama who has a way with chocolate crossiants and cookies).

Haruo Abe, president of Harada Tea & Foods, Inc one of the largest tea purveyors in Asia co-founded Gen Sou En Tea House and brought it to Brookline was on hand at the opening along with represenatives who worked on the February opening.

The 125-seat, 5,500 square-foot tea house that's name translates loosely to "farm to cup" features Japanese green tea, black tea, matcha beverages and coffee brewed from beans roasted in Vermont.

Check out the photos up top from the shindig.

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Check out the lion dance:

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Photos by Maz for Patch