Sukiya - japanese tea house & shiatsu

07/09/2026

25/08/2026

Düsseldorf – Little Tokyo 🇯🇵

We came looking for a little piece of Japan.

The day turned out quite differently than we expected — and our best tea experience came right at the very end. 🍵

Little Tokyo had been on our list for a while.
We came excited for Japanese shops, food and, of course, tea.

So, how was it?

Surprisingly… a little disappointing.

If you're looking for a real Japanese tea house, you may struggle to find one.
We were especially curious about but despite the listed opening hours, it was closed.
One of the owners was there, but couldn't tell us when they would be open.

We also visited a beautiful tea and teaware shop
japan.and.i where I genuinely wanted to buy something for our own tea house, but the experience felt so unwelcoming that we left.

At some point we found ourselves wondering:
What happened to Japanese hospitality – omotenashi?

Thankfully, there were exceptions.

Soba-An was wonderful. Probably the place where we felt closest to being back in Japan. Great food, and watching the soba noodles being made by hand right in front of us was something special.

Wakaba also delivered a genuinely good matcha. 🍵

And then came the best part of the day.

A Chinese tea house. 🇨🇳🍵

SùGuǒ. .de

A beautiful space, a wonderful owner and a completely different feeling from the moment we walked in.
We sat down, enjoyed good tea and finally slowed down.

Wholeheartedly recommended. ❤️

So, was Little Tokyo worth visiting?

Yes, for the experience.

Would we go again?

Probably not.

Sometimes you find exactly what you were looking for. And sometimes something completely different turns out to be the best part of the day. 🍵

16/08/2026

Matcha hunting in Utrecht.

The plan was simple: matcha for us and manga for Gabriel.

What we didn't expect was to experience two almost opposite matcha worlds within just a few streets.

First, ŌSUKE.sabo
Our first attempt didn't work — it was completely full and the small space felt too crowded for us. So we left and came back later.
We're glad we did.

With fewer people, it was calm and intimate. Pleasant service, a lovely cake and really good matcha — smooth, balanced and without unpleasant bitterness. Simple, quiet and focused on the tea.

A few streets later: The Matcha Society.
And suddenly we were in another universe.
Colourful, busy and full of flavours, combinations, sweets and toppings. There was so much choice that we honestly didn't know what to order. 😅

Eventually we chose three drinks and two cakes.
Unfortunately, we were disappointed. The drinks didn't work for us and the matcha itself was distinctly bitter and strongly astringent, leaving an unpleasant dry sensation in the mouth that stayed for a long time.

And yet, experiencing both places on the same day was fascinating.
Minimal versus maximal.
Quiet versus energetic.
Matcha as tea versus a whole world built around matcha.
Two places, just a few streets apart.
The same green powder at the centre.
Two completely different worlds.

Our Matcha & Manga day in Utrecht. 🍵

04/08/2026

A Day at a Dutch Tea Plantation 🍃

Few people know that we have a tea plantation here in the Netherlands.

Last Saturday I finally had the chance to spend a whole day at Theeplantage , learning how tea is made from leaf to cup.

I had been looking forward to this day for weeks. At the same time, I had no idea what to expect or whether I would be any good at it. So I arrived with an open mind, ready to learn.

The day started right on time. Linda welcomed us with a cup of tea (of course 😊), followed by some theory and beautifully prepared course notes.

And then... we headed out to the tea plantation.
I couldn't believe my eyes. The plantation was much larger than I had imagined.

At first I felt like I couldn't even spot the right leaves and I was worried I wouldn't pick enough.....but somehow I ended up picking the most. 😂

From that moment on, we followed every single step of the tea-making process together.
Only after doing it yourself do you truly realize how much work goes into hand-picked, hand-crafted tea.
It is a full day on your feet, surrounded by the wonderful aroma of fresh tea leaves from morning until evening.

Wonderful food, wonderful company and a wonderful teacher.

If you ever have the chance to experience it, don't hesitate.

Now all that's left is to wait...
🍵 I'll let you know on Saturday how my own 40 grams of SUKIYA tea turned out.

And let's be honest...
There was no way I was leaving a tea plantation without buying some tea. 😂🍵

17/07/2026

Čajovňa v podzemí Bratislava

was recommended to us by one of our followers, who told us that if we were ever in Bratislava, we simply had to visit.

We took her advice, and it exceeded all our expectations.

The tea house really is hidden underground and is much larger than we expected.
The teas were absolutely wonderful, and the service deserves five stars.

After tea upon tea, we happily left a little tea drunk... 🍵😉

Thank you podzemi for such a beautiful experience! We absolutely recommend Čajovňa v podzemí and will definitely be back.

01/07/2026

Tea Gathering with 🍵

Last Thursday, we had the pleasure of welcoming Reika () to SUKIYA for a special tea gathering.

Despite the 38°C summer heat, a wonderful group of passionate tea lovers joined us with curiosity and open minds to discover new teas, new stories and new perspectives.

To suit the season, Reika adapted every tea to the weather, serving each one in a way that felt refreshing and enjoyable even on one of the hottest days of the year 🥵

Along the way, we explored how clay can influence the character of tea, compared different Japanese teas, and created our own flavour maps to put our impressions into words.

Together, we explored the relationship between tea, Japanese ceramics and the subtle details that shape every cup.

It was an afternoon of learning, tasting, conversations and a shared love of tea.

Thank you to everyone who joined us despite the heat. We hope to share another cup of tea with you again soon. 🍵

25 June 2026
SUKIYA · Zoetermeer

17/06/2026

A special tea gathering at SUKIYA 🍵

I am happy to share that we will be welcoming Reika Morishige from Japan for an intimate tea gathering at SUKIYA.

Reika is a tea educator and founder of Hitofuki. Since 2018, she has travelled across Japan visiting tea farms, participating in tea picking, processing and tea selection, while learning directly from tea growers and tea producers.

Through tea gatherings and educational experiences, she shares the diversity and stories behind Japanese tea.

During this special evening, Reika will guide us through several Japanese teas while sharing her experiences from tea farms, tea production and tea culture in Japan. Together, we will explore the journey from tea field to cup.

You can learn more about her work here:

I know this invitation comes together on rather short notice, but if it speaks to you, I would be delighted to welcome you.

🍃 25 June
🍃 18:00
🍃 SUKIYA, Zoetermeer

Reservations and questions:
📧 [email protected]
📞 063 945 6918

31/05/2026

Our first market with the yatai.

The day started early, but in reality, it started much earlier than that. Preparing for a market takes us around 4–5 hours.
Packing tea, utensils, ceramics, ingredients, furniture, decorations, and all the small things that transform a simple cart into a small tea house. The night before, we went to bed around 1:30 a.m. and got up again at 6:30 a.m.

I have to admit, I was nervous. It was our first market with the yatai and I kept wondering whether I had forgotten something important.
My stomach certainly reminded me how much I cared. 😬

This day felt especially meaningful because the yatai itself has a story. A very special thank you to my husband , who designed and built this beautiful yatai with his own hands.
What started as an idea slowly became reality thanks to his craftsmanship, patience, and countless hours of work. ❤️

Arriving at the market is only the beginning. Then comes the challenge of finding the right place for everything and building the yatai from what, only moments before, was a cart full of boxes and equipment. Every item needs its place so that everything flows smoothly once visitors arrive.

Luckily, the weather was on our side.

From morning until 5 p.m., we brewed tea, prepared matcha and hōjicha, served cold brew tea and sparkling tea in bottles, and offered the wonderful mochi from our dear friends .momoe ❤️

A special thank you to Tony for joining us on this adventure, helping us carry and set up what felt like endless boxes and equipment, and for sharing the beautiful sound of the shakuhachi throughout the day.

A special thank you to for their wonderful organization, warm welcome, and support throughout the day 🙏

We came home exhausted, but happy.
Thank you to everyone who stopped by, shared a cup of tea with us, listened to the music, and became part of our very first adventure with the yatai.
We are already looking forward to the next one 🤩

11/04/2026

Five hours in Prague between trains… what to do?
Of course — tea 😁🍵

So Jožin joined me, and we went to visit a Czech classic…


One of the first of its kind,
that inspired so many others...

Founded in 1993 by a group of tea enthusiasts,
at a time when everything was opening up again…
they simply wanted to create a different kind of place —
and somehow, they really did ✨

The interior feels older,
but full of atmosphere…
it feels like you can find everything here —
from tea to all the tools you could ever need to prepare it.

We sat by the door, and I could just watch people coming in…
and it slowly became clear —
this is a place for everyone.

Young, old, men, women, teenagers…
elegant, simple…
just anyone ✨

And since we were already nearby…
I was curious about .cz
So we stopped there too —
and it was really lovely.

Jakub immediately started preparing tea…
you could listen to him for hours,
like a walking tea encyclopedia 😄🍵

And then — quickly back to the train…
five hours passed way too fast.
After a night on the train,

I woke up back in the Netherlands…
and of course — rain ☔️
as always 😄

Until the next tea wandering… 🍵✨

27/03/2026

Tea… and a lot of walking 😁

After Konomi,
we continued our tea day in Bratislava.

Next stop —
I didn’t realise they are no longer a classic teahouse,
but more a tea shop, sometimes offering tastings.

The welcome felt a bit reserved at first,
but in the end we were treated with great care
and beautifully prepared tea.

They even won over my coffee-loving mum 😄

On the way, we made a few spontaneous stops.

A place called
from bryndza bread to salmon, and even matcha.

A small bakery with Bratislava rolls and šišky… mmm

And of course, we had to stop for coffee too.

Mum happy with her coffee,
me with a matcha latte 🍵

On the way back, we passed
I thought it was still a teahouse,
but it didn’t survive covid.
A bit sad, but still a beautiful tea selection.

We ended the day at .tea
A place you have to experience.
Demons at the door, smoked tea,
a mysterious atmosphere and beautiful details.

A full tea day in Bratislava.

No expectations —
and a very pleasant surprise.

There are truly good teahouses in Slovakia 🤍