JAPAN TODAY


 

TOKYO - Something spooky is brewing this autumn at the Hilton Tokyo Odaiba. Through Oct 31, the five-star hotel is embracing the season of screams and scares by hosting a Halloween-themed dessert buffet that’s no tricks, just treats.

Held at Seascape Terrace Dining, the two-hour plan offered daily from 3 to 5 p.m. is not where you’ll find traditional finger sandwiches or scones. Far from it, the bedecked buffet features ghoulish graveyard ganache, eerie eyeball tarte au fromage, and ladyfinger cookies adorning raspberry “blood-splattered” cheesecakes.

At ¥3,000 a person on weekdays (an extra ¥500 on weekends), the time-honored tradition of afternoon tea takes on a festive guise as sugar fiends descend upon the “Monster Ball”: an Instagram-worthy dessert spread that is ready for its close-up!

Flooded with natural light in the daytime, the glass-enclosed Seascape Terrace Dining boasts unobstructed views of the cinematic Rainbow Bridge spanning across the Tokyo Bay. This picturesque skyline along the Odaiba waterfront may also be enjoyed on the inviting terrace for autumnal alfresco dining.

 

However, inside is where throngs of buffet-goers revel at the elaborate gothic décor that would make the Addams Family feel right at home. Straying from the prototypical orange-and-black mold, a chic monochrome palette dresses up the spine-tingling display of desserts that embody the Japanese concept of kowa-kawaii—not full-blown frightening, but rather, “creepy cute.”

Designed with picture sharing in mind, a total of 31 hauntingly sweet confections are largely bite-sized to keep the kitschy cakes intact before they are snapped on smartphones and shared across the social media stratosphere.

 

Laid before a curtain of cobwebs, mummy cake pops and monster cupcakes are perched upon rust-covered antique mirrors as ornate candelabra lurk behind chestnut-cream roulades—the reigning flavor of fall in Japan. Pumpkin, a synonymous symbol of All Hallows’ Eve, is also creeping its way into a handful of sweet treats, most notably as the brimming golden filling in the “Kiss Me” cream puffs.

The photogenic layout continues with jack-o’-lanterns seated on spooky spell books as a raven-colored croquembouche (complete with a cascade of candy-red pouts) looms over a tray of eyeball tartlets that are, surprisingly, light and lemony.

A “levitating” chair in mid-air conjures up a poltergeist-like presence as sweet-toothed patrons make their way through the buffet line below. Luckily, a fridge lined with cauldrons each contain a ladle of hibiscus jelly in lieu of an eye of newt or toe of frog.

 

Likewise, single-serving cups of bittersweet caramel flan rank high among the line-up of awe-inducing desserts with its decorative feline crockery—flashing a Cheshire cat grin.

 

While the buffet is self-service, once seated, guests are offered complimentary cups of coffee and tea, although alcoholic beverages (i.e., cocktails and Champagne) are available as an add-on to the standard tea service.

Whether showy or sensible, those who come dressed in a Halloween costume will receive a refreshing mocktail that mysteriously changes color. Perhaps a bubbling witches’ brew of double, double toil and trouble?

 

With the festival of fright less than a month away, don’t miss out on satiating your sweet tooth at Hilton Tokyo Odaiba’s monster mash of ghosts, ghouls, and gore! It’s sure to be a “thriller” tea time to die for...

 

Seascape Terrace Dining

Address: Hilton Tokyo Odaiba 2F

Tel: 03-5500-5500

Hours: 6:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Dessert Buffet 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Featured Menu: Halloween “Monster Ball” Dessert Buffet
Weekdays: Adults ¥3,000; children ¥1,800 (6-11 years old)
Weekends & public holidays: Adults ¥3,500; children ¥2,100

Duration: Until Oct 31