My thoughts on The Story of Yanxi Palace and the Relationship to Tea

This is a very odd post for me to write as it's not the type of post I'd usually feel inclined to write but I had quite a bit of thoughts about this and finally decided to put it out there after watching it late 2018.  And just so you're aware, I may ramble on on bit.

This post is about  a Chinese period drama called The Story of Yanxi Palace (延禧攻略).  It aired in 2018 and was extremely popular in China and Hong Kong.  There are many reviews out there on the story line and the costume and set design. But I'm not really going to talk about these aspects.  There are 2 parts to this post.  The first part will be on the topic of tea in the story line.  The second part will include a few thoughts about one of the themes coming out of this drama - the various challenges on what it means to be female and expectations of females back then and even today.

Part one.

I noticed that the drama referenced tea more than any drama I've watched.  Maybe this is common in dramas made in China as I haven't seen many; most of the dramas I've watched are TVB (Hong Kong) or Taiwanese.  The link with tea was such a surprise! There were several scenes where tea was mentioned: one in which various types of teas were identified, a tea party was held by the Empress, the Emperor while meeting with his siblings and uncles of the imperial family had shared a tea that was a mixture of items, and there was a scene where the Empress was drinking and describing a tissane.  Also, I don't think there is much science behind this, but one of the doctors stated drinking tea and eating grapes together in larger quantities would result in diarrhea!

Anyway, once I looked up some information about the Emperor Qianlong, I quickly found out he was a tea lover and avid learner of tea.  In the drama, they mention he prefers Dragonwell green tea but upon reading some info from the blog Cha-dao, they state his favourite kind of tea was in fact milk tea, strong milk tea to be exact. Qianlong would also have a tea master make his tea every day and also held many tea parties.  The post also mentions that it's likely the English way of adding milk to tea was started because merchants that visited China during this time would bring back such information affecting trends back home.  However, over at the blog Tea Happiness, Sara suggests there are another reasons for why milk was added to tea in Britain.  Getting back to the Emperor Qianlong, the milk tea the Emperor made was made with half water, half milk and salt, instead of the splash that is added in the western world today.  Half milk, half water is how I make it too and just reading about it made me want to drink a hot milk tea!

This really peaked my interest in what was served at these tea parties.  So besides being entertained for several weeks (there are 70 chapters to this drama), it also led me to learn more about the Qing Dynasty Emperors and want to seek out info about tea in the Imperial Palace. 

Part two.

Note:  There will be spoilers.

This is why the story was a little more interesting because sometimes  the back stabbing can  be too much at times!  The story revolves around the female character Weiyingluo who enters the Imperial Palace (or known as the Forbidden City) as a seamstress but her ulterior motive was to uncover the truth behind the death of her older sister who she believed was murdered in the Imperial Palace.  The interesting part is that she is not like other females during that time; she is outspoken, will stand up for what is right, is very clever, and unlike other heroes, definitely believes in an eye for an eye.  She is who she is and does not hide it or will change to be someone else to please others.

I read one review that mentioned they think these period dramas are sending the wrong message to females and promoting the idea that females need to vie for the attention of the male to be wealthy.  I agree that back then it was the thinking and a period piece must portray this fact, but with the writing of the main character and various subtle incidences in the drama, it is quite apparent that this drama is subtly attempting to challenge those notions.

One important scene is when the Empress (while trying to protect Weiyingluo) explains to the Emperor that she is trying to preserve herself by protecting Weiyingluo.  She sees Weiyingluo as a person who is straightforward and what you see is what you get.  She is who she is and will not change herself while the Empress feels that once she became his wife, she no longer could be herself.  She needed to be the "Empress" that is expected of her by everyone in the palace and by the country. She has lost herself essentially.  Although she is the Empress it is a cage to her and she goes on to say that no matter where women are, they are in a cage and that cage was made by men.  The Emperor of course does not understand this thinking, but from this statement the topic of the expectations put upon women is broached.

Other examples include child birth and back then the risk to a woman's health or even life would be higher than now but bearing a male offspring was often a goal or THE only goal.  Weiyingluo would often question why is it so imperative that even when the Empress was not in full health she intended to get pregnant. 

Women fighting over men is also a topic that is touched upon.  Weiyingluo is one of the Empress' maids or woman companions but she also has 2 others.  They all have fallen for one of the highest imperial guards who also happens to be the Empress' brother.  He has fallen for Weiyingluo.  She doesn't openly admit she likes him too, but when one of the other maids finds out he is interested in Weiyingluo, she goes to Weiyingluo to accuse her of stealing him away.  Weiyingluo calmly says, he is not some object that she could steal.  He is a person that makes his own choices.  Why don't you go confront him?  Often women will be unkind to each other when in fact they should be confronting the male.

Often in these palace dramas the concubines would be fighting for the attention of the Emperor.  Later in the drama Weiyingluo does too, however she does so not by harming other concubines to bring them down, but does things to make herself be different and shine above the rest.  Of course unless one of the concubines had hurt her or set her up, she will in turn hurt them back or at least turn their plot back against them.

She also stands strong on the belief that she is Weiyingluo and no one else and cannot pretend to be someone else.  When there is a new concubine that has the Emperor seemingly smitten, she acknowledges that this new female has the look of purity and innocence and any man would be attracted.  When her maid/friend tells Weiyingluo that maybe she should be less strong headed with the Emperor to win him back, but she quickly says, I'm Weiyingluo and that is who I am.

She also challenges the place women are put, essentially behind the man.  During that time, none of the concubines or even the Empress was allowed to sit down at the table while the Emperor was eating, they would just stand by him.  However, at one point when she comes to visit him while eating, she states she feels tired and uncomfortable to stand and must sit with him; if not she will leave.  The Emperor because he was troubled with a decision and wanted her to stay agrees.  He later confides in her what is his worry.  You slowly see as their relationship matures that they have become so much closer when they see each other as a true partner and acknowledge each other.

It is not to say any of the other women in the drama were weak, quite the contrary.  There were strong characters each with their own issues and motives.  Many of them were strong, but had to live and act within the confines of their position as a female during that time.  There were also female characters that I just did not like very much and they never realized the err in their way!

I believe you can find the series with English subs now.  Overall, a very good series and I'm glad tea was part of it!

Snacks: Hmmm, what's that?! - Taiwanese dessert chocolate candies

Wow, haven't done a snacks post in a long time.  Been eating a little healthier and trying to save money to feed my addition for tea, but this treat I could not pass up trying!

Two of Taiwan's most iconic foods are now little chocolate candies: bubble tea and pineapple cake.

I have a soft spot for the company's strawberry chocolate so am always looking out for their chocolates.  These squares are also very cute (IMO).

So, how were they?

First, I have to say I like the wrappers.

Second, marks for trying to incorporate texture in both pieces.  Adding a "BUBBLE" or tapioca-like pearl into the tea flavoured chocolate and some cookie like texture into the pineapple flavoured chocolate.

But, in terms of taste there was something a little off in the bubble tea one, not quite the tea flavour I was expecting but it is milky.  The pineapple tasted more real but I'm a little put off by the orange colour.  Anyway, I think they are great to try for the novelty of it all or as a gift to bubble tea loving people, but not sure if I'd buy it regularly if I was in the mood for sweets.

Ingredients list for those interested...

Dazzling Cafe in Toronto

For months I could only see a glimpse of the distinct pink and white front signage for Dazzling Cafe from afar but never confirmed what it was till recently.  In Taipei, Dazzling Cafe is well known for it's desserts and specifically honey toast.  When they first opened, line ups would be so long that on my last visit to Taiwan, I didn't attempt to go.  But upon realizing they have opened a Toronto location just down the street from where I am, I decided it was time to try this dessert cafe.

The decor is very cute and feminine; typical of some places in Taiwan where girlfriends love to gather for brunch or dessert.  It definitely makes you feel quite "girly" and although I'm past the age of baby doll dresses and reading ViVi magazine, I still love the dining experience of something so cute.

Chairs with bunny ears :)

We had gone for dinner despite knowing the food options were not going to be plenty nor were portions going to be large.  I figured we'd make up the calories with dessert!  :)

Ordered popcorn chicken, came heavily seasoned with five spice powder and pepper, not bad.

I had the bacon and poached egg pasta which looked and tasted good but portions were small for North America.  Very normal for Taiwan though.  You also don't get much in the way of bacon but the egg was poached well.  The pasta wasn't very heavy, if you're used to rich sauces you may not enjoy it as it was more light and pleasant.

My partner had the pork jowl baked rice.  Tasted good as well but very small portions.

We each got a milk tea which tasted fine, nothing spectacular though.  We did ask for reduced sugar and ice.  Too bad they didn't have any special set meals where the drink is at a discount.

Dessert...

Hazelnut chocolate honey toast was a mountain of bread, ice cream and whipped cream.  It was good but definitely lacked enough ice cream and had too much whipped cream to really make it an extraordinary dessert.  And I think I was disappointed that the ice cream was vanilla.  They cut the inside of the toast into cubes and the hazelnut choocalate part was a small amount of nutella piped into each cube.  In the end, we had quite a bit of the toast shell left over.  If they made this with even just one more scoop of ice cream it'd be much better.

Service was great which always makes the experience better.  They have a small upper level and I noticed a few high chairs were available for those bringing little ones.  Overall, it is expensive for what you get, but I'd consider coming back again for a bubble tea and/or dessert with friends.


Dazzling Cafe

37 Sheppard Avenue E
Toronto, ON M2N 7K1

T:  647-723-7300

http://dazzlingcafecanada.com/

How to Make Roasted Milk Tea (Without Milk Powder or Creamer)

ChaTime's roasted milk tea has been a favourite of so many of my friends and myself that there are times I want to make one at home.  Especially a hot one on extremely cold days like today!!  I know that most bubble tea places use milk powder or creamer in their drinks which makes it easier, however I don't have these items on hand. So I began using regular milk and thought I'd share some key tips on how to make milk tea, more specifically roasted milk tea in this post.  Making cold vs hot also requires different steps which I'll highlight but my recipe below will be for a hot roasted milk tea.

1.  Finding the right tea

Tea is available almost everywhere these days, but finding roasted tea...that can be a stumbling block from the start.  There are oolong teas that are roasted however, roasted oolong may be a little expensive to use and may not be exactly the right flavour profile.  A more readily available roasted tea is hojicha (also spelled houjicha) a Japanese style roasted green tea.  If you haven't heard of hojicha, you're missing out!  Comforting when brewed hot and refreshing and unique when cold brewed.  I purchased my first batch at Nohohon Tea Room which sells the Momo Tea brand (very nice teas) but recently I've also ordered online from Yunomi. Roasting levels can vary though.

2.  Quantity of tea leaves

Use at least double the amount of tea leaves for the volume of water used to brew the tea.  You could try three times the amount depending on the tea but start with two.  This is because of the addition of milk or ice that will dilute the brew.

3.  Using liquid milk instead of milk powder

So this post comes about because I don't have milk powder or creamer on hand.  To get a similar creamy taste, it's ideal to use 3.25% fat or homo milk for this but you could definitely use lower fat milk.  In addition, because you'll be using liquid milk, a small amount won't cut it, the quantity of milk will need to be almost equal to the quantity of tea and that is why you'll need to brew the tea strong.

4.  For cold milk tea, use large chunks of ice to cool the tea quickly.

You want the tea to cool very quickly to reduce the amount of water that gets added to the drink or you risk diluting the drink too much.

5. Steep time

There are some teas that will be quite bitter if over steeped so don't try to add extra time to the steeping unless you are making more than one portion. You will need to increase the steep time compared to making a single portion by about a minute.  I find with hojicha it doesn't over steep so easily so often I'll brew longer.



Hot Roasted Milk Tea:
Makes 1 large mug (approx 300ml)

6g of hojicha tea leaves (1 rounded tablespoon)
150 ml boiled water
1-2 tsp sugar (adjust to taste, I prefer 1.5 tsp)
150 ml milk

Put tea leaves into a brewing vessel*.
Pour boiling water into a separate cup first, then pour onto tea leaves (this step is to reduce the water temperature to about 85°C as boiling water with result in some bitterness).

Let steep for 3-5 minutes.
Strain the tea into your cup/mug.

This was after 4 minutes

Add sugar.
Heat milk till steaming (do no boil).
Add to tea and sugar, stir and ENJOY!.

*No brewing vessel, a small pot/saucepan also works (and steps may be simplier), especially when making more than one cup.

Crimson Teas - Try Some Pu-erh Teas

Last week it was raining and much like today's cold weather (can't believe snow in April!), I was in need of something.  Something soothing and warm, but I wanted something different from the light oolong teas I regularly drink.  It was a dark tea kind of day so I headed to Crimson Teas and I'm so glad I did!

A week or two ago I saw an Instagram post from Gustahaus praising their yin yang tea/coffee mix 鴛鴦茶and although I love ordering HK milk tea at HK cafes, I was more intrigued by the Pu-erh (pu'er/puer/po lei) teas 普洱茶offered.  Pu-erh or also known as dark tea (後發酵茶, 黑茶) and is often associated with HK dim sum; the tea that gets dark, earthy or bitter (depending on quality) and strong very quickly.  Pu-erh tea though, can be quite soothing and it was that kind of day.

Situated on College St., at the edge of the UofT campus, most of the people there appeared to be students.  It's been a while since I've been in the area...I've probably been back to the campus only a handful of times after graduating years ago so it was a little strange for me to walk in.  There is a long communal table and the ordering is actually done at the back of the shop.

Crimson Teas offer 5 different types of Pu-erh: black, red, green, white (moonlight), and raw.  All are available for sampling which is awesome.  Pu-erh tea is different from others as there is a fermentation and darkening process the leaves undergo to create that earthy flavour and supposedly develop healthy microbes that aid in digestive health.

Aside from pu-erh, they also offer milk tea, a variety of other specialty teas, and coffee for those that really, really want to have coffee for very reasonable prices.  A small amount of baked goods and light snacks/meals are available too.

I had a cup of the white pu-erh.  It was lightly earthly with background notes of peach, similar to how white tea tastes.  The white pu-erh is made with leaves from Yunnan province that I'm told is plucked at night (hence the name midnight white).  They are plucking the characteristic fuzzy buds of the white tea before photosynthesis can occur and then process it to make a pu-erh.  If you have a chance to speak with Phillip (the owner), he can tell you about how the tea is processed in more detail.  I had the opportunity to chat with him about the heatlh benefits of tea too.  I've been in the process of writing a post on the health benefits of tea, and he ended up being a great resource; I'm sure I'll be asking more questions.

Besides the pu-erh, I also got a chance to sample the milk tea there and it is quite smooth and flavourful.  You add your own sugar and I must say, not much is needed.

If you're a fan of pu-erh tea, go and try it out.  If you've never tried it, go and try it out.  If you've never liked it, go and try it out and then if you still don't like it you can try something else.  Point is, go and try it out!
如過你喜歡普洱茶, 去試試看.  如過你沒有喝過, 去試試看.  如過你不喜歡普洱茶, 也要試試看或試別的飲料.  終點, 去試試看!

Crimson Teas

233 College St

Toronto, ON M5T 1R4

http://www.crimsonteas.com/

Why the occasional duplicate sentence written in Chinese?  

One of my goals starting in 2016 is to improve my Chinese language skills so this is one way I'm going about it.  
Please comment if you noticed I've totally messed up!  Thanks!

Mabu Station 麻布小館

Large portion of grass jelly!  那份燒仙草超大啊!!

Mabu Station is a bright and cute space with comfortable seating.  A huge menu of food, desserts and drinks is available. When deciding on a place to meet up with some friends, both the menu and space made it a good choice.  Meeting up with girl friends for a late night bubble tea or dessert has been something I have missed and I'm glad a few Fridays ago (yes, it's been a while!) we headed to Mabu Station.

Shared the grass jelly dessert - one huge dish!  And I also had a milk tea.  Milk tea was average, but I quite enjoyed the toppings and grass jelly.  The bowl costs $9.99 now (used to be $6.99), but it can easily be shared by 2 or 3 people.  Another friend got a sago, purple glutinous rice and mango dessert and I would say it was really lacking in the mango department, needless to say she was pretty disappointed.

Service was also quite nice and quick when needed. We also weren't rushed, I think we were there for 3 hours!  Maybe during regular meal hours it may be a little more chaotic, but if you go after 9 pm, it's pretty laid back.

Mabu Station 麻布小館
5457 Yonge St (there are 2 sections)
Toronto ON M2N 5S1
http://mabustation.com/

Why the occasional duplicate sentence written in Chinese?  

One of my goals starting in 2016 is to improve my Chinese language skills so this is one way I'm going about it.  
Please comment if you noticed I've totally messed up!  Thanks!

a warm cup - rose black tea latte

Rose black tea latte...great for a late afternoon on a cold wintery day.
玫瑰紅茶拿鐵...下午時光冷天氣的朋友

 

5g loose leaf black tea

2 rose buds

175ml boiling water

(if using delicate black tea, use 90-95 °C hot water)

steeped for 5 mins

 

2 tsp sugar

175ml milk

(warmed and frothed)

 

Inspired to make this as I was listening to a podcast from Jess Lively, she mentioned this black rose latte from The Rose Establishment in Salt Lake City.  I checked out their website and their menu sounded great for a brunch or a light meal. But, what was interesting was they use bitters in their lattes...something I've never tried in tea.
 

 

Why the occasional duplicate sentence written in Chinese?

One of my goals starting in 2016 is to improve my Chinese language skills so this is one way I'm going about it.
Please comment if you noticed I've totally messed up! Thanks!

Jule Tea House

House special noodles ($7.49)

Jule tea house started out as just a bubble tea and dessert shop, but over the last few months to half a year (?), they started offering Taiwanese style meals which I was curious to try.  From the menu I think they say they named their tea house Jule because it resembled the pronunciation of the word 'to gather' together (聚) in Mandarin.

The tea house has really nice seating and is quite spacious so it's definitely a nice place 'to gather' with friends.  Soft music plays in the background and on the back wall they also have a nice green wall to add to the comfortable feeling of the space.
這個茶館很寬敞, 是一個很好的地方和朋友聚集在一起. 音樂播放輕輕的, 後牆有綠色植物給人以舒適的感覺.
I ordered their House Special Rice Noodle which was a spicy mala rice noodle with pork ribs.  The meal was decent and it was indeed spicy, but portions were a bit small.  If you were a big eater, you'll need to add a drink and a dessert to be full. Otherwise it's good as a light meal.  Too bad there isn't a drink special if you order one of their meals.



Jule does have a number of desserts on offer that makes them a little unique, but I wasn't up for trying them so I can't comment.  The bubble tea we ordered was the regular milk tea and on a previous visit I had ordered the same but with tapioca.  Both occasions the milk tea was good but the tapioca could have been better, they were not all soft and chewy.

Overall, the food and bubble tea didn't blow me away, but it's a good place to hang out with friends as the seating is nice and service was decent.

  

MaMa Beef Rice Noodle (soup was a little lacking in flavour)

Jule
20 Carlton St.
Toronto, ON M5B 2H5
T:416-509-7888
https://www.facebook.com/JuleToronto/

Why the occasional duplicate sentence written in Chinese?  

One of my goals starting in 2016 is to improve my Chinese language skills so this is one way I'm going about it.  
Please comment if you noticed I've totally messed up!  Thanks!

Book Review: The Tea Book by Linda Gaylard

The Tea Book
Author: Linda Gaylard
(Fellow Torontonian and blogger on the site http://theteastylist.com/)

The Tea Book is a basic introduction to tea and tissanes (herbal/fruit infusions) with lots and lots of recipes for hot and cold teas and tea cocktails.  When I first picked up the book, it was thinner than other books I have and I was curious as to whether there would be enough info in the book given there were also more tea recipes than other books about tea.

A pleasant read, Linda does a good job at highlighting important points and summarizing key information.  It's a good intro to tea; the history, customs, growing regions, and brewing.  Definitely enough info for beginners and those with a general interest in tea but, did lack on depth if you already know the basics or are looking for more detailed info on a type or region of tea.  (Her website actually has more depth of info like this Jasmine tea post where she traveled to Fuzhou or some interesting tidbits of tea history.)  The book does have a little more info on tissanes than other books so would also be of interest to those that would like to learn a bit more about this area. 

I actually read this a couple of months ago but was holding back on posting a review because I wanted to try a couple of recipes.  Unfortunately, I didn't try the recipes due to lack of time and a few that I wanted to try required one or two ingredients that I just didn't have on hand at the time. I'm also more of a straight tea drinker when I'm home. If I do get around to trying the ones I did note down, I'll be sure to update.  There were several interesting ones and Linda does have a recipe for taro bubble tea made from fresh taro for all the bubble tea lovers!  Oh, also if you like chai tea, there's one in there that looks promising....


What I liked...

- Lots of recipes for tea beverages!  Most tea books have recipes for tea infused foods but this one is all about mixing beverages....有很多泡茶放發
- Not as "dry" to read as some other books, with some good visuals....圖片還好
- Great for beginners...適合初學茶的朋友

Example of the visuals and easy to read formatting

Overall, I'd still recommend this book for beginners or tea enthusiasts that want a load of tea beverage recipes.  If you're a tea book collector, this would also be a good resource because of it's easy to read format and you could always refer back to the recipes if the occasion arises.

Lunch AND dinner at ZenQ

ZenQ near my place had started offering food and I've been meaning to give them a try for some time now.  The brand started out trying to establish itself as a dessert and tea place, but the expansion into Taiwanese meals is welcome.  From 12-9 pm they offer a selection of their dishes + drink (a select few) for $9.50.  (I think the Markham location is a little cheaper for their combo?)  ZenQ is actually owned by the same parent company as Chatime, La Kaffa International which I found interesting because I'm sure they must be sourcing the same tea.

For a late (and actually quite rushed) lunch, I ordered the crispy chicken rice combo and I wasn't disappointed, actually quite happy.  The meal comes with a side dish of vegetables, a good portion of chicken and rice with some minced pork on top.  Taste was good and it wasn't greasy.  I would have liked a little bit of basil on the crispy chicken to add to the flavour but it was still ok.  The regular milk bubble tea was good as usual.  I've gotten takeout drinks from them often and it's always been pretty good. 

So...usually I'd try out a place and then move on to try another place but...



Come dinner time...I decided to try their takeout.  Yes, I do things in bunches!  The other entree I was thinking of trying at lunch was the three cup chicken so for dinner, this is what I got for takeout.  The takeout container is not a bento box style but still comes with your main and sides.  There is actually more rice in the takeout container.  Flavour was good and is very typical, could use more garlic but I was happy there was basil.  This time I had a honey jasmine green tea with my meal and it was a nice refreshing drink!

For bubble tea places, this place offers quite a decent meal combo and the hours they offer it is really great as you can have it for lunch and dinner!

  

 

ZenQ (North York)

http://www.zenq.ca/

5437A Yonge St.
North York, ON M2N 5S1
T: (647) 350-ZENQ (9367)



Leaf de Tea - one of the best bubble tea deals in Markham!

Leaf de Tea has been around for years but last weekend was my first time trying out their tea.  We were at the First Markham food court and I wanted a milk tea after lunch and noticed Leaf de Tea.  It had the shape of Taiwan in their signage so I wanted to take a closer look. 

I was really surprised to see the prices were so...I don't want to say cheap because the word also has the connotation that the quality is not there...but, you get exceptional value!  How do you beat $2 for a regular bubble tea?! 

Got a regular milk tea and the jasmine milk tea, both without tapioca.  The regular milk tea was quite good, I forgot to ask for half sugar and it wasn't too sweet.  I may ask for less sugar next time but this was definitely pretty good as is.  Tea was flavourful and smooth.  The jasmine milk tea was also good but quite a strong floral taste.

This has got to be one of the best bubble tea deals in Markham, taste and price are both very good!  It doesn't have the youth appeal or social media marketing of Chatime, but it's definitely a good option for a tea drink if you're at First Markham.  And if you're hungry they also have food, also for a great price.  One special included 10 curry fish balls and a bubble tea for $5!!  Anyway, will be back to try other teas and their tapioca for a better review...and their food!

Oh, and free wifi offerred?!  Interesting for a food stand in a food court.

 

Leaf de Tea
First Markham Place
3255 Highway 7, Unit 250
Markham, ON L3R 3P9

Green Grotto Tea Room - Now Serving Downtown

 

 A few months ago I heard that there was going to be a downtown location for Green Grotto.  If you've been reading my blog, you should know that I've been a fan of Green Grotto for years.  I've even been to their first location at Yonge and Finch many, many years ago! 

The Warden and Steeles location has been my favorite for a number of reasons but I was dismayed that the food menu and drink quality did go down the last time I was there.  So, I was hoping this location would redeem themselves.  They don't have as many food items as the Markham location and only had one special, the rice special for $9.99 on weekdays 2-5pm.

Minced pork on rice + appetizer/side dish + drink.  Nice deal, but not for big eaters.  The mince pork on rice was a very small bowl (and doesn't come with egg), I would hope not their full size when ordered a la carte!  It was smaller than the free popcorn bowl (another plus for this place)!

The pork was good, saucy but not too fatty.  I selected the fried oysters as my appetizer which was not bad, comes with seafood sauce as the dipping sauce.  I might come back for this special, but I'm not sure if I'd come for the food in general since downtown there are so many other options.

Now, food being average is kinda expected at bubble tea places so how does the tea fare?  Ordered a hot ginger black milk tea and it was perfect for a chilly fall day.  Lots of ginger flavour, maltiness from the black tea and the right amount of sugar (I did not have to ask for an adjustment in sugar). 

Magazine selection again is above all other tea houses, but is slightly smaller than the Warden location.  Cafe ambience is the same as other locations with "cafe music" playing in the background. Service was quick and polite (but this is at 2pm on a weekday).

Definitely a good spot for downtowners to relax with a bubble tea and snacks or dessert.

Green Grotto Tea Room (Downtown Yonge)
35 Saint Joseph St
Toronto, ON M4Y 1J8

Chachago - New Kid on the Block

If you haven't been downtown near Eaton Centre lately, you'll be surprised to find a number of bubble tea places have opened within a 5-10 minute walk of Eaton's.

Chachago, a franchise from Taiwan,  recently opened on Elm St.  I'm not very familiar with this franchise but it seems like it'll be an okay place.

Signature drinks include a fresh taro milk tea which was recommended, so I went with it.  My first bubble tea ever was a taro milk tea and I loved it.  But, fresh taro milk tea is a little different from the powdered kind.  More "starchy" and definitely tastes like it should if you were to boil and make fresh taro root yourself.  It was good and I liked the milk tea (the powdered taro milk teas usually lack tea taste), but it was a bit chunky and I would have preferred it to be smooth.

I also got to try their regular bubble milk tea because now until the end of the month, they offer a BOGO; if you buy one of their 5 signature drinks, you'll get a free bubble milk tea.  They seem to only have one size drink, a large size at other places.  I liked their milk tea, it was flavourful and perfect for me at half sugar (I think full would be too sweet though).

Seating available and service was nice.

Chachago
3 Elm St.
Toronto, ON M5G 1H1
T: 416-591-7109

 

I-migoo Tea Shop - From Zhuhai China

 Another weekend, another milk tea shop.

Whenever a tea shop opens, I'm always very eager to try it out and i-migoo caught my eye because it had a cartoon character situated outside the storefront and were advertising a BOGO offer.  They opened a couple of weeks ago and last weekend we went in on a rainy evening.  It's bright and cheery inside, not very busy though.  This franchise is actually from Zhuhai, China and according to their posted map, they have many outlets in China, even in the northwestern part of China.  My first thought...hmmm, China?  Are they going to make it in this area, an area known to have so many bubble tea places (I can think of 10) in the span of a 10 min walk? 

The more bubbletea places, the better as that means more choice and less line ups.  Unfortunately, based on the drink I tried, they are going to have to work a little harder to cut it in this area. I had an imigoo style milk tea and my partner the classic.  The imigoo is just the classic with tapioca.  The milk tea somewhat tastes like there is a bit of coffee in it which I guess if you are a fan of the Hong Kong drink "ying yang coffee" which is half tea and half coffee, you might like this.  But for me, I like my milk tea to have more of a tea flavour.  The tapioca pearls were also a bit irregular and were somewhat chewy, but more "sticky" than chewy.  Tapioca pearls normally have a good soft chew to it but it doesn't really stick to your teeth as much as these ones did. 

If I were to give them another try, I'd try the food and one of their more weird drinks...like Cheese Teas. Yes, they list a cheese creama green tea and a few others that just seem very odd!!  I wonder if it's like the salted cream teas available at places like Share Tea?  There are also a few drinks that would look good when presented like the potted milk tea which is a tea drink that is topped with oreo crumbs (to look like soil) and a mint leaf.  But, I suspect their milk tea is the standard.  Mango and cocoa are also featured throughout their menu so if you're a fan of these flavours, you'll have more options here.

They have snacks like fries and chicken wings as well, most priced at $3.99.  So if I find myself coming back, I'd try some of the food items.

I-migoo  

5418 Yonge street, Unit 5

North York, Ontario

http://i-migoo.com/ (simplified Chinese)

 

Fahrenheit Coffee - For Tea and Baked Goods?

Fahrenheit Coffee
120 Lombard Avenue
Toronto, ON M5A 4J6

Who goes to a popular coffee house and orders tea?!

Me...(I say quietly)
Well, I was actually looking to have a ginger molasses cookie.

Huh?!  (Would be the response of most people.)

Yes, I've been seeing ginger molasses cookies at a lot of cafes and started to have a craving.  I tried to bake some in the morning, but I'm either a truly bad baker or the recipe I found online was not quite right...

Anyway, I wanted a cookie and of course going to a coffee house, it seems a little weird to just buy a cookie so I ordered a drink.  I wasn't in the mood for something strong like coffee so got a Sencha Tea Latte.  The milk was nice and foamy and I really enjoyed it (the tea was okay too). But, don't expect any latte art, cause well, I don't think it can be done in tea.  Overall, a nice beverage.

This makes me want to buy my own milk frother, the expensive over a hundred dollar kind.  It's actually been on my wish list for some time, but it is another gadget I just don't have the space for...and let's face it...I'd probably only use it a few times a month.

So, aside from the tea latte, I got a scone.

What?!  Thought you were looking for a ginger molasses cookie?

Yes, well, they ran out when I went (I hear laughter somewhere)...so since I was in the mood for a baked good, I got a white chocolate cranberry scone.  Not much white chocolate but very buttery!  It's quite different from other scones I've had in that the texture is different and it seems double baked.  Before they served it to me they also heated it up in their oven which was nice.

Space is small so this is not a place to linger/chat/work.  Maybe during off peak hours you can stay a bit to chat especially since there are a few items that are only served in-house, but this is more of a to-go kind of place.  Baristas are nice and you do feel like they want to be there.

Although I didn't get the coffee, looking at other people's drinks, they look well made.  If you like tea lattes, this is also a good place to go.  Ginger molasses cookies...I'll have to let you know another day.

  

 

New Tea Places in Toronto

Gosh!  Tea shops have been sprouting up in Toronto like weeds, but unlike weeds, they are very welcome in my books!!  Here is a list of a few new places:

A new Chatime opened at Yonge and College (439 Yonge St) and today was their last day of BOGO (12- 6pm), sorry, couldn't post fast enough. But, the line up was long! Cash only right now and they don't have internet connection yet.  I ordered a hot roasted tea latte and it tasted good, service was okay, and you have to expect it's a little slow since some staff may be in training.  Seating is available but because of the line, most people were taking it to go. Couldn't really take pictures of the interior as there was way too many people, but when you first walk in, you notice the very shiny and quite beautiful copper Elektra machine.  (I had to look this brand up and Elektra is apparently an Italian manufacturer of espresso and cappuccino machines.)

 

 

The Mall at Langham Square in Markham has opened up a few that I'm thinking of trying soon.  Star Tea (28 S Unionville Avenue Unit 1037-1038) and Cofa Bubble Tea (1023-30 S Unionville).  But, with Cha Me Cha and ZenQ already in the same plaza/mall, it's might be tough for these places to survive.

 

And, FruiteaO tearoom is one in North York that has been open for a while but I only got to try it out last weekend.  We were eating at Haroo next door and I was interested to see if Fruiteao was going to offer anything that would make me come back.  Large selection of drinks and also serves Taiwanese dishes...(now I'm going to come back to try their food).  There is varied seating and a small selection of games.  There doesn't seem to be any restriction on board games here as many other tea places have started to enforce a no board game/card playing rule on Fridays and Saturdays.

 

Got the roasted oolong tea, less sugar.  Hmmm, still too sweet for me and the tea was just okay.  I'd give them another try though, especially because of the food.

 

FruiteaO

Roasted oolong tea at FruiteaO

 

Tea shops COMING SOON!

On one of my lunchtime walks, I came across this new place called Chachago (pictured above) that is supposed to be opening soon on Elm St, west of Yonge.

 

And just for those that like Green Grotto, they will be opening up two new locations. One in north Richmond Hill at Elgin Mills and Leslie and one downtown on St. Joseph street near Yonge and Wellesley, just east of the UofT campus. It should be interesting how well it does downtown.