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User's reviews
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Zhi Tea
I visited Zhi Tea 12-11-11 @ 3:16pm Website: http://zhitea.com/ Address: 4607 Bolm Rd., Austin, TX 78702 It was a very sharp turn to get to the right street, I passed it once and ended up having to circle back to it. There was limited parking, but the place was not very full. By the end of my visit there were 4 other patrons, 3 of which stayed with for here drinks. One woman, the blender, was taking care of the front of the store. She was very knowledgeable and helpful with telling me about the teas and helping me select one to have. The walls were covered with shelves of tea, and plenty of sampler sizes. There were 4 tables, and 1 couch corner. Average experience for a tea shop, but cozy and nice. I will gladly go back to visit next time I am in Austin.
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Alice's Tea Cup, Chapter II
After shopping at Kusmi I headed down to Alice’s for lunch. The reviews on Steepster left me a little wary but friends on Facebook had recommended I visit it next time I was in town. I did need to look around a bit to find it as it was around the corner and the entrance was set down below the sidewalk. Once I found it I headed in and asked for a table for one. The hostess was pleasant and happy. I did feel a little guilty coming in at peak time alone. I was seated on the level below sidewalk next to the kitchen; there was definitely a second floor that plates were being brought up to. The restaurant was skinny and long. The décor was mismatched china and framed prints of pictures of various Alice films, and artist pictures and painting inspired by the same. There were little notes around (think eat me and drink me) like on the dessert case (come closer, come closer). They did pull off the wonderland tea party, grandmomther’s parlor theme well. The tables were wooden with wooden chairs; the table I was on was actually an old converted sewing desk with footpedal. The staff seemed to have droopy too large and mismatched attire as a uniform (which makes sense) that added to the theme. The tea menu was very large and descriptive – and sorted by type. I wished I were not alone and could order more than one tea to share and try with someone. The food selection was also diverse and tea themed (scones and such). The wait staff didn’t seem happy with me; I guess I was taking up space at a four person table for only one person. I felt a little bad but wished they didn’t seem so grumpy about it. I ordered Alice’s Tea (house blend and apparently a favorite). The tea I received in a whole, not small, teapot with an interesting drip catcher sponge attached. It was served abruptly with my cup only half poured and sloshed about. Was this thematic to the mad hatter’s tea party or just an angry waitress that she got the one patron table? The tea itself was a translucent orange brown color. There was not a strong aroma to the brewed tea. The tea was slightly astringent, so I added sugar to the first cup, but as I kept refilling it I didn’t bother as it was so slight. The tea was a smooth, medium bodied black with citrus notes. I couldn’t taste the green tea they blended into the black. It was a little floral. For lunch I ordered the cumin carrot sandwich. It was delicious and filling and presented well. I tried not to be a burden and to eat and drink in a not dawdling way, but I could not resist the cookie plate at the end. There were chocolate peanut cookies; butterscotch chip cookies, crasin macadamia cookies and what I believe were shortbread. Overall good food, not bad tea, and a grumpy wait staff.
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Lady Mendl's
I called a few days in advance and the only opening was at the 5 pm seating, I am glad it wasn't booked. I suggest making sure you plan this in advance. When I arrived I nearly passed the location by, there is a plaque next to the door but nothing else. I walked in and explained I was there for the tea parlor, and was taken to my seat in a small parlor. There was already one group of four ladies seated, and I got to select which table I wanted from the remaining 4. After I was seated the remaining tables did fill with two pairs and one single person. It was interesting to note that all the wait staff was male, and all the patrons were female. The waiter explained the difference between a tea and a tisane infusion while presenting the tea menu to me, which was a pleasant surprise. Each guest may select one tea, and the 5 courses are decided by the tea parlor and not listed anywhere. I selected the Wood Dragon Oolong, which they said was steeped 5-7 minutes. Throughout the five course meal the wait staff kept my tea filled, my water filled, and the courses coming. You will not leave hungry. The parlor had an upscale, fancy restaurant, vibe. You didn't need to know your tea, or tea preparation, to appreciate the lovely meal. The first course was a butternut squash tart, topped with parmesan cheese and creme fresh. It was surprisingly spicy, but tasty. Next my pot of tea arrived; it had already been properly steeped so no worry about removing leaves or timing it. I was offered cream, which I declined. The table already had granulated white sugar and candied ginger. The tea saucer had a cute sugar cube with frosting flower on top. Second course was finger sandwiches; I could select one of each. I was offered seconds after I completed my sandwiches, I appreciated that but passed. Each sandwich had one predominating flavor, and sadly all other flavors were lost. Please note that they were tasty and filling. -Smoked salmon and cream cheese on pumpernickel -Turkey cranberry -Egg salad -Cucumber I asked the waiter if I could purchase some wood dragon and Lord Mendel tea to take home and I was quoted 7$ each. I accepted. Third course was scones, one plain and one cranberry, with raspberry preserves and Devonshire cream. They were nice and warm, sweet. I do think the cream tasted exactly like whipped butter and wonder if there was a mistake or if Devonshire cream just tasted like whipped butter. There was sadly no refill offer on scones. I wasn't going to accept as I wanted to be able to eat dessert, but as they say it's the thought that counts. Fourth course was a layered crepe cake filled with vanilla cream on a raspberry coolie(?). It was light, and creamy. The raspberry was minimal and completely overwhelmed by the vanilla. Fifth course was a large strawberry dipped in Belgian chocolate, apricot pastry and a shortbread or butter cookie covered in sugar. I devoured the strawberry, it was perfectly ripe and delicious. The pastries were not fabulous, I ended up taking a nibble of each but didn't bother to finish since I was stuffed. The waiter came back and asked for my to go order a second time. When he came back with the packaged teas I was dismayed to find that they were bagged teas, and over ten dollars each for 4 teabags per bag. I still purchased them but in the future I will likely not bother to purchase the tea. The five courses and tea were 35$ plus tax and 20% tip My bill, with tip, came to 67$ I would recommend this as a nice place to enjoy good tea and food with friends, it's inexpensive and filling with great, attentive, service. If you are really a tea person though I would recommend you go elsewhere.
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Tea and Sympathy
I decided to have dinner at Dinner at Tea & Sympathy around 9 pm on Saturday. There is a list of rules on the door, funny enough that Nicky spells her name the same way. The wait staffs were two girls, one Irish, not sure the other one's accent but it sounded UK/Ireland. Overall it's a tiny place, but when I arrived it was almost full, but no wait. They discourage lingering, but are pleasant, helpful, and it seems (I have never visited England) like a shop you could find abroad. I had the soup of the day, squash soup, with a lapsing souchong. The soup was spicy but nice. It wasn't heavy and I was glad for that on a hot night. The Lapsang Souchong was prepared as loose leaf in a postman teapot. They provided a cup strainer to keep leaves out of your cup while pouring. They failed to mention how long, or that they had not steeped the tea yet. I let it set two more minutes as it was very pale. I think it could have used another minute. The unfortunate part of the large pot and small teacup was that my first cup was weak, my second cup was perfect, and the third cup was over steeped as there is no way to stop the steeping process other than to drink faster. Although there is a no lingering policy I never felt rushed, and the girls knew their product. Sadly I failed to get photos of the outside or inside. The inside walls are decorated with pictures of royalty, and other random British memorabilia. Behind the counter there are many, many different teapots and teacups, which do seem to get used. I wonder if even the ones on the top shelves near the ceiling get used when it gets very busy. The bathroom was next to the kitchen and was tiny. The door stuck, so at first I thought it was occupied, the staff saw me look dejected and pointed out I just needed to pull harder. Overall the place was clean, the food was good, the quality of the tea was good, and the staff was very pleasant and helpful. My only complaint is the need to monitor your own tea after it arrives at an unknown steep time. I would recommend stopping by - the people near me were enjoying mushroom pie, scones and clotted cream, and other delicious looking items. My meal came to $16 including tip. Next door is the store, Carry on Tea & Sympathy's, it is small. The store makes excellent use of their space to offer a large selection of teas and china. They also offer to go service for those not wanting to sit for a meal. Next to the store is an unrelated fish and chips store, making that stretch of street very British.
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Samovar Tea Lounge
I had the Bai Hao Oolong Tea for breakfast. I ordered it as there was no Golden Phoenix Oolong Tea available. The waitress suggested this as an alternative and i enjoyed it. I had the Ginger Quinoa Waffle (Soft like a pillow, heavenly. Served with fresh fruit & real maple syrup) along with this tea. MilitiaJim had the Russian Chay Platter & Bottomless Samovar House-Blend Black Tea. The Chay Platter included: Tarragon-Marinated Beets, Smoked Whitefish & Horseradish, paprika Devilled Egg w/ Caviar, Wheat Crackers, Fresh Fruit, Chocolate Brownie. The location has comfortable benches, outdoor seating, huge windows for natural light and is very cozy. The staff is friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful. The food was great, and the tea was amazing.
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Samovar Tea Lounge
While on vacation in San Francisco we visited Samovar Tea Lounge - Zen Valley for dinner on Saurday night. I ordered the Maiden’s Ecstasy Pu-Erh Tea with Squash Dumplings w/ Dipping Sauce (Handmade vegetarian squash dumplings w/ spicy sesame-soy sauce). MilitiaJim ordered Breakfast Blend with the Wasabi Caesar Salad w/ Wild Smoked Salmon (Organic hearts of romaine, wild smoked salmon, shaved parmesan, garlic, croutons, & Caesar dressing w/ a wasabi kick) We were seated in the upper area in the back at a table for two. The back area was dimly lit. The place was a very relaxed atmosphere with an attentive staff. We purchased a tin of Russian blend and tea oil to take home (sadly the tea oil was confiscated by the TSA because we forgot to mail it home or check a bag). The place was not very busy, there were two other couples there when we first arrived for dinner Saturday night. I enjoyed the other Samovar lounge location (Yerba Buena Gardens) more and would prefer to return there rather than this one. We did not get to try the Mission-Castro location.
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Makeda Coffee
My plan was to arrive at 7am, I didn’t manage that, I arrived closer to 7:30. I had to parallel park on the street, I didn’t see any signs about the limitations of that parking, I’ve been having to parallel park my entire visit to Seattle, I can not wait to get back home. The location was off the main corner of the street and a bit farther back on 78th than I was expecting. I believe it was the third store in. Prashanthi was the only one working at that early hour on Saturday. There was one or two other customers inside when I arrived, but as time passed many more people kept arriving. Each person was greeted and chatted with, most seemed to be regulars. Parents brought their children, people came in with their well behaved dogs then sat out in the outside seating. Overall the atmosphere was a happy, busy local shop with tons of regulars. Everyone was happy, talkative, and Prashanthi kept the conversations going asking about upcoming family birthdays she knew about and other things showing off how connected the shop is with it’s customers. The store itself was skinny but long and comfortable. There was quiet, upbeat, music playing at a volume that didn’t stop conversations but also provided a nice backbeat to the place. The store was all rich colors and art that made it a nice friendly atmosphere. There was plenty of table seating, bar seating, and outdoor seating. In the back was a comfortable couch and bookshelf full of books. I noticed a sign advertising a board games night on Fridays! Near the front door was used coffee grinds available for everyone to take home for their compost or gardens. On the condiment bar was a microwave and real silverware. While talking with Prashanthi I found out she has worked for years in the coffee shop industry, coming all the way from barista to assistant store manager. She has a true passion for coffee and customer service. She is very knowledgeable about the entire process of getting the best cup of coffee and knows the importance of the (green) beans themselves, the way they are roasted, and the way they are prepared. She has always considered owning a coffee shop, and things happened to line up a few years back enabling her to realize that. She is an east coast transplant but seems to be thriving here on the west coast. There was a large assortment of loose leaf teas, beers, wines, pastries, and of course espresso beverages. Makeda sells only coffees from Seven Roasters Coffee. While there I watched her make many beverages for the other customers, I failed to get photographs of some of the beautiful late art foam patterns, but I can tell you each cup was carefully prepared. The beans were ground fresh for each pull, and nothing sat – it was lovely to watch the slow of the drinks being prepared in one well timed seamless process. I ordered an Assam large tea, and a buttermilk raspberry scone for there. The pastry came on a colorful and sturdy plate, while the tea arrived as hot water with a make your own paper teabag on the side in a teabag dish. Bless her heart! This allowed me to make the tea steeped to my desired strength, and she measured the leaf into the bag for the amount of water poured. It may be called Makeda coffee but the allow tea fanatics to get the best from their lovely loose leaf! I let my tea steep for 1 minute and 30 seconds. Color: Golden red-brown Body: Medium Tea Smell: Rich black tea Taste: smooth, crisp, full black tea with no astringency and no bitterness I thoroughly enjoyed my visit and plan to return before my trip home tomorrow night. If you are ever in Seattle, although it’s outside city center it is worth the trip to stop by this gem of a neighborhood coffee shop.
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Argo Tea Cafe
On my day of wandering around NYC I went to Argo Tea after my Starbucks breakfast. Columbus Circle 1792 Broadway, New York, NY 10019 corner of Broadway & 58th St Website: http://www.argotea.com I found it just fine, again a surprise due to my poor navigation skills. The store was not busy, and it was right before lunch (10 am) so I was surprised, as it was a nice location. There were plenty of benches and tables, and two free hours of wifi with a purchase. There were a few other people sitting and sipping tea while surfing the Internet. There was an island full of tea making merchandise (cups, tea kettles), and a wall of interesting bulk candy type tea dispensers, below them were some pre-packaged teas. The staff was pleasant and amazingly helpful; they wanted to know if I wanted any help choosing a tea, and what other teas I liked. I ordered the Carolina honey iced tea. It came out quickly and with a smile. The tea was a dark yellow-brown color. It visually reminded me of a light wheat beer. The taste was a mixture of mead and hefeweizen. I almost wanted to ask if it was alcoholic. There was a citrus flavor, perhaps a lemon-orange? The after taste was an astringent honey. I did spot in the impulse rack vogues chocolates. There was no bacon vogues though :( I purchased both a chai and ginger green chocolate bar to have as a snack later. If I were not heading to Alice’s for lunch I would have picked up one of their small snacks to gnosh on. Apparently these chocolates were made specifically for Argo teas. The green ginger one was a little spicy and odd, It wasn’t bad but I wouldn’t get it again. The chai one was delicious. There were two other flavors I believe available. The total bill was around 10$