China Shadow, the Chinese restaurant at The Strings by InterContinental Tokyo, will introduce a limited menu built around autumn flavors starting October 1.
Shine muscat grapes, chestnuts, and Western pears take the spotlight, reimagined through Chinese culinary technique across a lineup of sweets and savories. The "Shine Muscat & Chestnut Chinese Afternoon Tea" and "Shine Muscat & Chestnut Parfait" pair vivid presentation with layered flavor for a taste of the season, suited to a special occasion or a treat for yourself.
Shine Muscat & Chestnut Chinese Afternoon Tea
Period: Thursday, October 1 – Monday, November 30, 2026
Hours: Chinese Afternoon Tea 11:30 AM – 6:00 PM (last order 4:00 PM); Chinese Evening High Tea 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM (last order)
Price: Chinese Afternoon Tea ¥7,700 per person; Chinese Evening High Tea ¥8,800 per person
The Chinese Afternoon Tea returns for another year, dressed for the season with autumn's best ingredients. Shine muscat is paired with almond tofu, daifuku, and egg tart to play up its bright sweetness, while chestnut is matched with sesame balls, a crispy rice Florentine, and tapioca coconut milk that bring out its richness — a spread of sweets built on Chinese technique.
The savories include tempura pairing shine muscat's bright sweetness with the light saltiness of prosciutto, and an original sushi made with whelk from Hokkaido's Mitsuishi fishing port.
Executive Chef Ando travels to producing regions and works directly with growers to select every ingredient, and that care carries through into every dish.
To finish the afternoon tea, guests can add a half portion of the restaurant's mala soup or a fried rice made with Hidaka kelp from Hidaka Mitsuishi, Hokkaido, and autumn salmon (additional order). The experience opens with a welcome pot of ロンフォン八宝茶, China Shadow's original Chinese tea blended by Chef Ando from seasonal ingredients chosen for their gentle effect on the body — a graceful start to an unhurried afternoon.
The Evening High Tea's savories include Peking duck.
Savories
- Belle de Brillet and Shine Muscat Jelly
- Chinese Burger
- Whiting and Belle de Brillet Escabeche
- Shine Muscat and Prosciutto Tempura
- Tender Apple Gratin from Shinshu Tateshina Farm
- Hokkaido Mitsuishi Port Whelk Original Sushi with Okhotsk Soy Sauce
- Organic Kale from Tomatodo Farm, Nagano, Stir-Fried in Oyster Sauce
Sweets
- Crispy Rice Florentine, Mont Blanc, and Chestnut Tapioca Coconut Milk
- Sesame Balls with Chestnut
- Jasmine Tea Crème Brûlée with Autumn Flavors
- Shine Muscat Egg Tart
- La France Pear Pudding with Belle de Brillet
- Almond Tofu and Shine Muscat Jelly
- Shine Muscat Daifuku
Optional menu (additional charge)
- China Shadow's Original Mala Soup – ¥550
- Fried Rice with Hidaka Kelp from Hidaka Mitsuishi, Hokkaido, and Autumn Salmon, with Shiso Aroma – ¥550
Belle de Brillet, a 100% natural liqueur that blends pears from France's Anjou region with cognac and concentrates the flavor of about 18 pears into a single bottle, also appears in a cocktail and dessert.
- Belle Spritz – ¥2,420
- Shine Muscat Jasmine Breeze – ¥1,650
All listed prices include tax, with a 15% service charge applied separately.
Shine Muscat & Chestnut Parfait
Period: Thursday, October 1 – Monday, November 30, 2026
Hours: 11:30 AM – 9:00 PM (last order)
Price: ¥4,180 (limited to 10 servings per day; reservation required by 5:00 PM the previous day)
China Shadow's Shine Muscat & Chestnut Parfait packs the season's flavors into a single glass. A crispy rice Florentine and Mont Blanc top the parfait, along with grapes, shine muscat, figs, and other fruits at their peak in autumn. Inside the glass, rich chestnut and chocolate ice creams layer with a jelly made from lychee black tea and a Belle de Brillet liqueur that concentrates the flavor of pear, finished with black sesame cream, an almond tofu with chocolate sauce, and fresh autumn fruit. Its character shifts with every spoonful.
The parfait comes with three savories — including the restaurant's own Okhotsk soy sauce dressing and its Chinese Burger — where sweetness and saltiness play off each other for added depth. A half portion of the mala soup or the Hidaka kelp and autumn salmon fried rice can also be added on.
Shine Muscat & Chestnut Parfait
- Dried leaf chips
- Shibukawa chestnut and Mont Blanc cream
- Candied pecans
- Shine muscat and fig
- Crispy rice Florentine
- Meringue
- Chestnut ice cream
- Chocolate ice cream
- Lychee black tea jelly
- Belle de Brillet jelly
- Chocolate and black sesame cream
- Pearl craquant
- Crushed pie sheet
- Almond tofu with chocolate sauce
Savories
- Chinese Burger
- Hokkaido Mitsuishi Port Whelk Original Sushi
- French Fries with China Shadow's Original Okhotsk Soy Sauce Dressing
All listed prices include tax, with a 15% service charge applied separately.
China Shadow
China Shadow brings a distinctive sensibility to classic, traditional Chinese cooking, striking a harmony that has become part of its identity. Skilled chefs turn out creative, refined dishes, from delicate dim sum crafted one by one by dedicated dim sum chefs to elegant Chinese sweets that weave together tradition and originality. The restaurant suits business dinners and formal meals paired with wine as much as it does gatherings among friends, and welcomes every guest with attentive cooking and warm hospitality.
Menu items may change depending on ingredient availability.
Reservations and inquiries: https://intercontinental-strings.jp/jp/dine/china-shadow or +81-3-5783-1258 (restaurant reservations)
Photos are for illustration purposes only.
