(L-R) Hikari Sakurai, singer; Matsubara Tadahiro, Ambassador of Japan to Luxembourg; Samira Maaoui, owner of ThéRâPie-Ochaya; Japanese Ambassador's wife; Nanako Miyazaki, President of Pétales de Japon in Luxembourg;
Credit: Elza Osmane, Chronicle.lu
On Thursday 16 October 2025, Japanese restaurant ThéRâPie-Ochaya in Luxembourg-Ville celebrated its first anniversary with an event attended by Matsubara Tadahiro, Ambassador of Japan to Luxembourg, together with the restaurant’s partners and friends.
The gathering opened with a speech by the restaurant owner Samira Maaoui, who thanked the guests (about 20 on Thursday) and staff for turning “a dream into reality”, describing the restaurant as a place where Japan and Luxembourg “meet differently, through the beauty of gesture and sincerity of taste.”
She described the establishment as a modern “Ochaya” (tea house), blending tea, “kaiseki” cuisine (traditional multi-course Japanese dining style), “wagashi” (traditional Japanese treats) and elements of Japanese art, while highlighting the spirit of “Ichigo ichie”, translating as one encounter, one moment, once in a lifetime.
Throughout the gathering, guests were served a variety of Japanese delicacies including tofu from Kyoto, in Japan (offered with either red or white miso), “hamachi” (yellowtail fish) with radish and caviar, “kinoko” and “shiitake” mushrooms (assorted Japanese mushrooms), “nagaimo” with “wakame” (Japanese yam with seaweed) and traditional pastries, along with Japanese drinks.
The anniversary event featured live music performed by Nanako Miyazaki, President of Pétales de Japon in Luxembourg (Petals of Japan), and singer Hikari Sakurai.
Guests had the opportunity to engage with the restaurant’s owners and team, who explained the origins and details of the dishes served and shared the spirit of Japanese culture.
Speaking to Chronicle.lu, Samira Maaoui shared her close connection with Japan, explaining that the restaurant was born from a passion for Japanese culture and a desire to share it with the community in Luxembourg. “We have been travelling to Japan for the past 22 years and realised that we can bring the culture to Luxembourg,” she said.
Her husband added that the restaurant’s aim is to encourage deeper engagement with Japanese culture beyond the well-known sushi tradition. He noted: “Japanese cuisine has much more to offer and at ThéRâPie we mainly specialise in a variety of other dishes, with all ingredients of the highest quality.” He shared that the majority of the ingredients are imported directly from Japan.
The event concluded with a demonstration of traditional matcha preparation.
EO
