New Things for a New Year: New Washi Tape and Tea Set

Happy Chinese New Year!  新年快樂!! I was going to write a Chinese New Year post but then I was too busy cleaning, making things, and eating out.  So now I have a ton of food posts to write, but since it's the new year I decided to share a few of the new things I started the year with: my new washi tapes and new tea set :)

I've loved looking at washi tape for years but I knew that if I bought it it would stay virtually unused because I didn't want to waste it...kinda like when I was a kid and realized stickers were expensive, I just didn't waste them on anything.  Anyway, I finally purchased a bunch from Yozo Craft and I love them!  Great colours and designs and quite affordable for 10m rolls.

 

Most will be used in my notebooks since I'll be holding on to them and some for card making.  And maybe, just maybe I'll let my child use them...but she'll just stick them everywhere (including my nose) without a second thought!  Like how my friend so aptly mentioned to me today, love how children eat foods (like cookies) without guilt.

I love getting anything tea related, whether it's tea leaves or teapots or tea cups.  Although I already have two other clay teapots, I couldn't resist buying this one.  (Some people buy new clothes for Chinese New Year, I like to buy new tea or teaware.)  My new tea set is a pear shaped purple clay tea pot made in Taiwan (from Taiwan Tea Crafts).  It's a nice little set and pours really nicely.  I used it to brew a lightly oxidized oolong tea from the Aowanda area in Nantou, Taiwan. The clay will enhance the flavours of certain teas and if you continue to brew the same tea in the clay pot, you are in a way 'seasoning' it so future brews become more flavourful.  Over time, you could get tea from just pouring hot water into the pot without leaves!  With any unglazed clay pot, it's best to use only one type of tea so the hardest part for me is now deciding which tea to use in the pot.  Hopefully this is the hardest thing I'll have to do this year, lol!

Annvita Tea Room - Beautiful Space - CLOSED

First Flush Darjeeling Tea

Annvita Tea Room
5441 Yonge St.
North York, ON M2N 5S1
T:647-505-5666

I was excited to go to Annvita Tea Room for afternoon tea since (English style) afternoon tea  is one of those indulgences that I love, but rarely get to do.  Annvita Tea Room is a tea company started by Ann Chiang, to bring the English tea experience to China.  Toronto is actually the first international location within this brand.

We went on a Thurs afternoon and I was quite surprised to see half the room already occupied.  The room maybe fits about 25 patrons.  And, it quickly filled up soon after we were seated, a number of groups actually had to wait!  I was almost certain that it wouldn't be busy on a weekday afternoon but I was so very wrong! 

Let's actually start with the good.

The Good

Service was very polite and attentive.
All the teaware and table settings were very beautiful and of good quality.  The silverware was dainty and had the Annvita name engraved on each piece so you definitely feel like you're having a Victorian style afternoon tea.
They are open 7 days a week until 11pm.

Even the sugar bowl was matching.

There's also a huge selection of tea you can choose from which is a plus if you're looking for teas not traditionally offered at the many surrounding Taiwanese tea shops in the area.  A large book is given to you to read through as it describes the company and teas they offer. 

The Average

The food!  I ordered the Victorian afternoon tea set for one ($39.99) and I was hoping to see some unique pieces but they were all just average in appearance and taste.  I do appreciate that some of the desserts were not that sweet which definitely appeals to the Asian palate; my mom would like this set.  The set for 2 people was double the price and comes with a few additional items.

You can also get a slightly less expensive tea set called the Jane Austen tea set for $34.99.

2 tier tea set

Savory selection: R: smoked salmon roll, L: Ham spread with melon

The scone was okay, not too dry.

Clotted cream and one preserve

Fruit tart, with almond jelly filling?

I think the best dessert on the dessert plate was probably this tart.  It was nice and light and I think it was an almond jelly filling.  The crust was crisp and a little on the thin side but maybe it is supposed to be a lighter dessert so they didn't want to have a thicker crust.  This would most likely be a cream cheese cake or heavier tart in other afternoon tea sets.



Madeleine

The beverages!  We can't not talk about the tea when going for afternoon tea.  With my afternoon tea set for one, it comes with a pot of tea and I ended up selecting a First Flush Darjeeling.  Darjeeling tea is sometimes referred to as the "champagne" of teas.  It is a varietal of tea that comes from China but is grown in the Darjeeling region which is a high mountain area in India.  I usually don't drink this tea at home but when I'm out, it would be something I'd consider ordering.  The first cup was okay, slightly sweet with vegetal notes and mild astringency, but it didn't wow me; I've tasted better.  Since the leaves were still sitting in the pot with the remaining water, my second cup was bitter.  They do fill up your teapot with water again but the tea leaves are already over-steeped.

My partner ordered an Annvita tea cake and a pot of iced milk tea.  One plus for Annvita is that they offer cold teas which many other traditional afternoon tea spots do not.  This was much appreciated by my partner who'd rather drink a cold drink than hot.  It was definitely interesting to drink cold milk tea from a fancy bone china cup!  With each tea order, you do receive two cookies to go with your tea which is nice (I have mentioned before that I love getting a little cookie or cracker with a drink order in Asia).  The iced milk tea was smooth and creamy so no complaints on taste here.

Iced milk tea

Annvita Cake - this turned out to be banana cake

The Poor

The value!!  As mentioned, my afternoon tea set cost $39.99 which is a bit expensive for what you get in my opinion but I guess I'm also paying for the experience. The teas themselves if you look at their individual prices are also quite expensive ranging from $11.99 - $24.99 per pot.  My first flush Darjeeling was actually $24.99 if you purchased a pot of this tea alone.  It wasn't a poor tea and I don't mind paying for good quality tea or food, but unfortunately I didn't find the quality of my selected tea to be of this value.

I understand that a lot of money has gone into the design of the tea room and the cost of the teaware, which I can imagine would be quite expensive to replace if one of those tea pots were to break.  So I can understand a mark-up.  When I think of afternoon tea at hotels in Toronto like the King Edward or even one at Maison Birks in Montreal (that I thought was great for under $30/person), the quality of the set here was a bit lacking. 

Annvita does offer other items besides afternoon tea but as mentioned, my partner ordered the Annvita cake which was $6.99 for literally a banana cake/muffin.  Unbelievable!

Anyway, below are some pics of the tea room which is very nice and a huge selling point.

Front counter

One side of the tea room

Display...unfortunately the tea cannisters are only for display and not for sale.

Fine Bone China

Tea for sampling

Afternoon tea is not only about the food and tea but about the company that you're with and the conversation that ensues so it was still a nice indulgence for me and I'm happy that I got to try this place out. 

If you live in the area, it's convenient to come here for a taste of Victorian style afternoon tea. Aside from the value, if you prefer desserts to be on the lighter side (less fat and sugar), this would be a great option!  Unfortunately, there are other afternoon tea spots I have yet to try and likely won't be back any time soon.

David's Tea Update - Ahhh, they have a flip top!

I recently did a review of their carry travel mug and was quite impressed with it.  But, 2 things that I noted as potential negatives of the carry travel mug were addressed in their new travel mug (at least I think it's new).  I previously noted that you required both hands to open and drink as campared to flip-top versions that you can do with one hand AND the 16oz size might be too big for some if they want to carry it in their bag.  I guess others before me thought the same! :)

 

Now, upon visiting a David's Tea recently, they have a flip-top version and it's slightly smaller at 14oz!  Definitely more handy I would say.  The only negative I see is the strainer might be too small to brew oolong tea.  Right now, my oolong leaves unfurl and fill the entire strainer of the carry travel mug.  This 14oz migh actually be too small for ball-shaped oolong tea.  I think I'll go with that and just be happy with my current one.  (Ahhh, so hard to avoid the grass is always greener mentality, lol!)

Besides the new travel mug, the reason I went into David's Tea was to try an iced tea.  I originally wanted to go to Chatime but the lineup was at least 20 people long!  Didn't have time for that, so headed to David's Tea since it was something I've wanted to try.



16oz iced tea - Organic roasted gyokuro. They make any of their teas iced which is a big draw for many.

Most people would get something fruity or something like their Chocolate Macaroon but I decided to go for an iced Gyokuro.  For tea purest, I'm sure my selection to be iced would receive disappointing head shakes and they would stop reading altogether.  This is because fine green teas are best drunk hot so the nuances can come out.  Although this is true, if the iced tea is brewed hot first, the flavour profile should still come out to a certain extent.  Oolong teas is where each brew might be different so an iced version is less likely to show the nuances.  So anyway, I opted for Gyokuro because I noticed that they had a Roasted Gyokuro which I've never had before.  All hot and iced teas are $3.25 a cup (16oz).

Taste
Expected of a green tea, the grassiness came through with some buttery notes.  But, also quite a bit of bitterness was there too. Gyokuro tea, because it is shaded during part of it's growth, normally produces a umami taste; but that didn't come through. I couldn't taste the roasted quality of the tea either and maybe it was because I had it iced.  However, I've had iced roasted teas from Taiwan and that roasted quality does come out...maybe the roasting is actually very light and is only detected if it was had hot? Maybe the temperature of the water was not right?  Anyway, the taste is indeed that of strong Japanese green tea but the specific roasted and umami quality was not there.  Maybe I'll make my way there some other day and try it hot to compare.

Sugar options include agave, cane sugar, and sweetener. 

The staff will add sugar for you but it is usually a very low amount (which is good).  I actually had to ask for more which was new for me, usually I'm asking for less! 

Service
Very pleasant and eager to assist. 

Overall, I like the fact that you can choose to ice any of their teas, especially great for the summer.  Icing tea that doesn't have any other ingredients but the tea leaves also reminds me of tea shops in Taiwan...yes, yes...more about Taiwan.  Most people would get a drink that is just iced tea of some sort whether it is green, jasmine, oolong, or red/black and have their preferred level of sugar added to it.  This was incredibly inexpensive and something I miss!  For David's Tea to ice any of their teas, it does give the customer the option to try the tea and also to have something flavoured without as many calories of traditional drinks.

  

Glassware and Grass Jelly

Sometimes I'm influenced by the things I watch and read just a little too much...especially when it comes to food and food related items.  Several years ago, I'd watch HK soaps and inevitably start to crave what the characters were eating.  For example, if they were eating instant noodle, I'd want to eat one too.  If the show was based on a Chinese dessert shop selling "tang yuan" (glutinous rice balls), I'd get a craving to go to a Chinese dessert shop.  Don't get me started on food from Taiwan or bubble tea!

This is not only with food.  On one blog that I've started reading, one post highlighted the Duralex brand of glasses.  They looked nice and upon reading that they have been around since 1945 and are used in many cafes and other establishments in France, I wanted them too!  (I can be a such a sheep sometimes!)  It also helped that I was looking for some large glassware and that they are made of tempered glass, dishwasher & microwave safe, and resistant to thermal shock so hot and cold beverages can be served.

Off, I went searching for them on the internet.

And luck would have it that they were on sale for 50% at The Bay!  Of course I had to pick some up and it was just in time for me to make an iced milk tea with grass jelly.  Because the Roasted Milk Tea with Grass Jelly at ChaTime is one of my go-to bubbletea choices, I picked up this grass jelly product at the Kuo Hua store in Markham to eat at home.  Gua Hua Trading company imports products from Taiwan and they have a retail store in Markham. 

The availability of grass jelly in Toronto was limited to the canned variety, which has a firmer jelly texture and wasn't as compatible with adding it to a drink.  However, when Chatime first came on the scene, their grass jelly was soooo smooth and had a nice hint of herbal taste to it, instantly becoming a customer favorite.  But, you can't easily find the same grass jelly anywhere.  Chatime makes their own grass jelly and I believe it's from a powdered product from Taiwan.  So far, I have not found the powdered form as I think it currently is only sold to restaurants/food services.  But, Chatime is not the only tea shop that has a nice smooth grass jelly.  (Yes, you heard me.)  Other tea shops that produce the same consistency of grass jelly include ZenQ (2 locations I'm aware of) and Share Tea (I just found out that there are now 4 locations in the GTA including one downtown!). 

But, if you can't get to any of these locations and want to have some at home, bottle grass jelly might be an option.  So, how did this retail grass jelly measure up?

It's a step up from the canned version if you're looking for softer jelly and less of an herbal flavour.  But, falls short of being an exact substitute.  First, it comes in a bottle like container and thus breaks into little pieces as you try to pour it out; unlike the big chunks that you can get at Chatime.  The texture is smooth similar to the Chatime grass jelly though, so that was good. There's also quite a bit of liquid, would be nice if there was more jelly.

 

Taste was okay, slightly sweet and a little less herbal tasting than Chatime.  Overall, it was a good substitute but you won't be able to get the same large chunks.  I'd still buy it again because it'd be easy to stock at home and the taste and texture was okay.

 

Retail was $1 per 500ml bottle on sale and I'd use 100-200ml for my drink.

David's Tea Travel Mug Review

a. David's Tea Carry Travel Mug, b. Lid with dry tea storage, c. Mesh strainer (removable)

I was looking for a new tea travel thermos/mug and remembered I had a David'd Tea gift card from a couple years back that I still haven't used.  Some might say, what?!  Why haven't you used it?!  Although I'm a tea fanatic, I'm not a fan of David's Tea but I'm also not a hater.  Most of the teas are flavoured teas which are not my thing, but I can see the appeal and I'm sure every once and a while, they are great to have.  I prefer drinking tea brewed from just pure tea leaves (which David's does offer) or if flavoured, flavoured with fresh fruits/juices.

Anyway, back to the travel mug, so off I went to David's Tea to check out their teawares.

I didn't do much research but I've looked at them before and they seemed to meet my needs.  Keeps tea hot, fairly light, the mesh tea strainer can be removed, and leak proof.  SOLD.

After a couple weeks of use, I thought a quick review would be good.

Pros

- Keeps your tea hot! And for the 6 hours it states!
- Lightweight (compared to glass)
- Leak proof
- The plastic parts have not stained but I'll have to update in 3 months
- Handle at the top for ease of carrying

Cons

- You'll need 2 hands when you want to drink from the thermos, one to hold the lid and the other, the body.  Not a deal breaker by any means but you can't just flip it open with a finger and drink with the same hand.
- Maybe keeps things too hot that you can't drink the tea without burning your tongue, lol!
Not really a con since it's purpose IS to maintain the temperature of the liquid but a little bothersome when you want to drink and can't.  I'll usually leave the lid off for ten minutes to cool it down.  Other options include brewing the tea separately (but defeats the purpose of the attached basket) or drinking green tea which requires a much lower brewing temperature.

Additional notes:
- There is a space in the lid to store addition dry tea leaves but I don't think I'd use.  One, because after I brew tea, I take the basket out to prevent over brewing.  If I was going to brew again, I'd have to clean out the basket and reattach and would have to do again later for the second brew which would be a little more work than I'd like.  And, I tested carrying around dry tea leaves in the compartment and for half the day it was fine.  But, when I tried to screw on the lid after drinking some tea, I knocked the compartment open and out came the tea.
- The size may be a bit large for some people.  I carry a large tote so it's fine for me.

I'm pretty amazed at how well David's Tea is branded and how quickly it has expanded.  David's Tea started in Toronto in 2008 and if you check out their website, you'll see how far they've come from one store on Queen St. West.

Final Verdict:  Recommend

Mid-Autumn Festival Celebration with a New Tea Set

The Mid-Autumn Festival, a traditional Chinese holiday celebrating the moon and harvest, is September 8th this year.  Every year I buy moon cakes for my mom and my family and this year will be no exception.  But, for best selection, you have to buy your moon cakes in advance of the 8th.  Chinese bakeries and supermarkets all over the city have them for sale now and in so many different versions from traditional lotus seed paste ones to "snowy" ones (冰皮月餅) that are frozen (will have more on this later).  I'll drink tea when I have moon cake, so when I saw that T&T Supermarket was advertising 50% off a tea set with any purchase of a box of moon cake, I jumped!  I already have a number of tea sets but I love collecting tea sets and it does fill a gap in my small collection.  The tea set ends up being $12.99 for a pot and 6 cups in a traditional motif, and at this price I wasn't expecting a high quality tea set.  For a few reasons, it's not perfect...

There is also one in pink, different design though.

Metal strainer included.

The set is a basic set and I like the floral design.  However, the teapot when full did not pour very nicely.  Tea leaks out from the top and I should have expected this as the lid was not snug, with and without the strainer.  I also think this is because the opening where the tea drains is also at the top so you have to tilt the pot quite a bit.  When the tea pot is not as full, it pours fine.  It also drips slightly at the spout unless you pour quickly.

Normally if something doesn't work well I wouldn't bother writing about it but I do like the cups.  I really like how the cup fits in my hand and the edge of the cup is made thin compared to the body of the cup.  This is done to enhance the tea tasting experience.  The body of the cup also doesn't get too hot so you can hold the cup comfortably when the tea is hot.

So, the cups are great in this set,...the pot, not so much.  The pot's volume is about 1.5 cups of water when filled to the brim so you can adjust the amount of tea leaves you use to this volume.  This is perfect for tea for two or enough for a few friends to enjoy a taste, hence 6 cups.

This offer is until September 8th or while quantities last so if you want to pick up an "okay" traditional Chinese tea set, you can get this at a discount at T&T Supermarket with the purchase of any box of moon cakes.