Lovejoy's Tea Room, Portland

Me, in a fabulous chair at Lovejoy's in Portland
Thank you @mitranite for the photo!

Portland has a new tea room, and I think (hope!) it’s here to stay!  Lovejoy's Tea Room on Killingsworth is a blend of traditional and cheeky, serious about the food and tea with the right blend of quirks and welcome to keep it interesting. 

The Queen's Tea ($29.95) comes with a scone and a crumpet

I've been here twice, and both times I enjoyed myself. The tea room attracts the traditional ladies who do tea, but also a young, diverse crowd. I think this could be the key to the tea room's sustained success. When I visited recently, a table entirely of young men sat just behind me. Owner Brendon Constans sets the tone for the environment, where one can be welcomed for who they are. All best wishes!

Brendon Constans, Owner

Tempting petit fours

Captain Picard watches over the tea room

Heathman Tea by Vitaly Paley

It's been open for awhile now, but I have not written about the re-envisioned afternoon tea at the Heathman Hotel in Portland, OR. Chef Vitaly Paley relied on his heritage (Belarusian) to inspire the experience. I had the opportunity to enjoy tea here recently, and am happy to share a few moments with you. 

The Tea: Paley collaborated with Steven Smith Teamaker to curate a small but mighty list. I chose the Georgian Caravan, served only at the Heathman. It's smoky but not overwhelming, bold but allows for the jam (do add!) to be distinct. Plus the tea is served in a pretty glass cup with fancy metal cutwork. 

The Setting: I was visiting alone, something I enjoy. I was given a lovely seat near the fire. The restaurant manager rearranged things to ensure my view was of the fire - I made note! It's a gift to have such care. 

The Food: Bolder than one normally finds at afternoon tea, but delicious and unique! Find the full menu here. 

Some of my favorites: The middle tier shown below, including a deviled egg, walnut-stuffed eggplant, blini with caviar and mushroom piroshki (stuffed potato bread). The khachapouri (Georgian cheese bread - not shown) was amazing, and I was touched by the steopka (sour cream and walnut cake), based on his grandmother's recipe.

If you're in Portland and love afternoon tea, I recommend this experience. Be sure to take in the lovely surroundings, too - the tall bookshelves and the interesting large-scale art.

Yum Cha in Hong Kong, Lock Cha Tea House

Yum Cha is a practice, associated with Hong Kong and Cantonese-speaking parts of China, of having tea and dim sum (a variety of small dishes).  It's like brunch. I was recently in Hong Kong and had a chance to visit the Lock Cha tea house to enjoy this custom.

See the tea kettle to the side?  It's cleverly built into the table. 

We enjoyed a yellow tea (top) and a Phoenix oolong (bottom). 
The oolong was called "greenish" tea in English. 

Veggie dumplings

Cakes of pu-erh and other tea

Afternoon Tea at Clockwork Rose Tea Emporium

Clockwork Rose Tea Emporium

Two friends and I spent a recent Sunday afternoon enjoying afternoon tea at the Clockwork Rose Tea Emporium in the historic part of Beaverton, OR. It's a charming venue, with weekends already booked out through the end of the year. (You can email to be added to the waiting list.)

The tea room is fashioned in the Steampunk style. It's interesting and whimsical, and makes me wonder why I hadn't seen the natural affinity of these things before. It's a light touch, with interesting artwork positioned throughout the space. From the website, "Steampunk is a sub genre of science fiction or science fantasy that incorporates technology and aesthetic designs inspired by 19th-century industrial steam-powered machinery."

What I can say in current time and space is that the food is abundant, fresh and delicious; the tea choices are worth getting excited about (they exclusively serve Harney & Sons); and the service is attentive. 

Afternoon tea is $30, and for that you will enjoy a bottomless pot of tea with salad, sandwiches, savories, scones and desserts. I took a fair bit home.  Some special diets can be accommodated, (vegan, gluten free, etc.), with advanced notice.

Wife and husband team Maggie and Harold are the designers and proprietors of the tea room. Their tea journey began on a trip to Ireland, where at a B&B they asked for coffee and were offered an old box of instant. They chose tea instead, and that choice led them on a path that ended at 12412 SW Broadway Street, Beaverton. 

I look forward to returning soon!

Tea at the American Girl Tearoom, Chicago

I recently met my family in Chicago, for a weekend of fun. The highlight for me was afternoon tea at the American Girl store.  I wasn't sure what to expect, and was impressed.  The tearoom is tastefully decorated, with black and white stripes and bright pink accents.  It appeals to girls, but also grownups.

The table setting comes with hair bows for the girls, and chairs for the dolls.  If you don't have a doll, you can borrow one.

The tea foods were each connected to a doll's persona. Kit's homemade pig-in-a-blanket, Josefina's chicken salad, etc.  See the menu here.

Dessert was fun!  Rebecca's New York chocolate chip cheesecake and Melody's All-American strawberry mouse (served in a flower pot).

The tea itself is served from a bag, and while not my favorite, it keeps things simple for the tea room and the kids.

At $19/person, this experience was very worth it!  Have you been to tea at an American Girl store?  Tell us about it!

PDX Tea: Opening, Documentary Fundraiser and Roasted Dong Ding

It is with much excitement that I share that PDX TEA has re-opened in a welcoming and tranquil new space in Portland! David Galli hosts tastings and educational events, as well as curating high-quality teas (for sale). Many of these teas have come from his travels. David is a good friend, and I know first-hand how lucky Portland is to have someone with his level of knowledge and tasting abilities to be part of our tea journeys. 

Last Sunday, several tea lovers gathered to taste charcoal roasted Dong Ding. We were able to enjoy three different roasting levels. We noticed how the tea shifted not only by roasting level, but also within the consecutive brews of the same tea. 

Roasting tea is a specialized skill. Often the tea roaster is a different person from the grower and also the tea maker. Roasting involves science (temperature, moisture levels), as well as sensory arts (the smell of the leaf, the feel of it in your fingers, the control of the heat).  After a tea is roasted, sometimes the roasters let the tea rest for awhile to mellow before selling it.   

There are different kinds of roasting. Below, David is showing an electric roaster. The Dong Ding tea we drank is a very special type, roasted over charcoals (they are banked with various levels of ash to manage the amount of heat). People who enjoy this type of tea  have concerns that the knowledge and skills of charcoal roasting are dwindling.  To that end, this tasting was a fundraiser for a project to make a Taiwan Tea Documentary, including charcoal roasting. Shiuwen Tai of Floating Leaves Tea is trying to raise funds for this project.  It's a very worth cause, and I have donated!  (Also note - Shiuwen is offering a 30% discount to my blog readers on the High Mountain Tea Sampler - see here.)

I look forward to many wonderful tea tastings at PDX Tea, and I wish all the best to the Taiwan Tea Documentary project!

Tea at a London Pub

In the US, we might not consider a bar a place for afternoon tea, but it's pretty common in the UK.  When I was recently there, I had a lovely tea at Browns Brasserie & Bar. 

Tea was served in the traditional leaves-in-pot style, and I poured through a filter to strain. 

The food was delicious! 
Sandwiches: Watercress and egg salad, salmon with butter, and cucumber with cream cheese.
Scones with jam and clotted cream
Desserts: Vanilla custard, chocolate-covered cream puff, whoopie pie (might not be the British term!) and lemon tart

These serving trays seems to be "en vogue." The one from the yacht was similar.

I want to make a comment about British scones - here is a classic example. Simple, lightly sweet round scones, one plain and one with dried fruit.  The decadence comes from the addition of the jam and cream.  

It was a lovely, leisurely experience (though I got lost finding it, which was another adventure!). I had an entire corner to myself, and the pub wasn't busy yet so I was able to sit and write and sip.  I hope you have the chance to take tea in a pub someday, too.

Tea on a Yacht (London)

Well, I enjoyed something yesterday that I had never dreamed. I had afternoon tea on a yacht. I'm in London for a work trip, at the Excel convention center. It's quite far outside of downtown London and I wasn't sure I would find much extra curricular fun.  How wrong I was!  There are lots of hotels out this way that serve afternoon tea, and a really cool museum I will write about soon. 

I had read about the Sunborn Yacht Hotel and its tea service before I arrived.  It seemed nearby and I was trying to figure out the train system to get myself there. Imagine my surprise when I went for a walk and discovered the yacht was moored literally next door to the convention center! Oh, lucky me!

It's not what I think of as a yacht.  It's very large. The picture above shows the lobby entry. The staff is exceptional. When I called to make a reservation, the restaurant hostess took me on as a special case - I was calling outside the 48 hours notice and I was a party of one (they typically require two). She spoke with the chef and called me back - I would be very welcome.  

The restaurant uses Tea Forte served on a pretty white tray.  Here you can see not only the tea service but also the view from my table. I saw the Thames and skyscrapers of London.

Scones: Fruit scones with jam and a giant vat of Devonshire cream (below), of which I did my best to consume.

Sandwiches: Cucumber with creme fraiche on rosemary white bread, grated hen eggs with chive mayo on wholemeal bread, honey roasted ham with salted butter and mustard on onion bread and smoked salmon with cream cheese on walnut date bread. I believe it was black walnut, a special flavor.

Desserts: Berry macaron, cream filled tuile cup and chocolate cup with espresso bean

I was dining alone and didn't have any of my normal friends with me - a book or my journal. Instead, I sat and appreciated the view.  Below you can see a gondola that goes across the Thames. I hope I work this show again next year!  :-)

Camellia Tea House in Kigali, Rwanda

Rwanda had many riches to reveal to me. The beauty of the landscape, the smiles of the people, the delicious fruits, the colorful fabrics, the easy weather, the benefits of a modern city (Kigali), the pleasures of the country, the hope and investment in the future.  Kigali even has its own tea house! 

I was able to visit the Camellia Tea House on my last day in the country, for a leisurely lunch with my colleague. Camellia Tea House is a cafe that serves food and the teas below. 

I enjoyed the black tea (Rwandan). You can see here how it's presented. The insulated carafe keeps tea piping hot. Tea was always served with the optional sugar on the side (and always unbleached sugar).

My colleague and I, enjoying the outdoor patio. It was a nice way to relax and reflect upon our experiences.

Delicious fruit plate includes passion fruit, guava, tree tomato (front, left), mango, watermelon, papaya, grapes, apple pineapple and orange. I am definitely missing all these locally-grown fresh fruits!

I want to go back to Rwanda and explore even more of its tea culture!

Tea Bar PDX, a Light-Filled Tea Space in Portland

I am very behind in getting this blog about Tea Bar PDX written, and I offer my apologies to the owner, Erica, for the delay!

I visited Tea Bar PDX on a bright and unseasonably warm spring day, and the space was sparkling with light. It was a Thursday afternoon, and yet the shop was busy! Erica was helping to serve customers and still made time for me as she grabbed a bite of lunch.

I enjoyed a matcha latte (made with agave and light on the sweetness) as I asked Erica about her tea and business journey. She's got an interesting story to tell and you should visit to hear it from her first hand.  

Erica credits Townshend's Tea on Alberta (another Portland tea shop) for inspiring her interest in tea. Add to that: She lived in China at the impressionable age of 16, she speaks Mandarin, she's joined up with her father's business in commercial properties, and Portland is an incubator for all things beverage. The logical outcome is Tea Bar.

I found the space to be peaceful and I'd like to return to with my journal and a good pen. Wifi is available (and I used it for a few work things), but it's also the kind of place where you can sit with a pot of tea and think.

The space is minimally appointed

Erica

Canisters of tea above the magazine table

From the table at the back, I look over my matcha latte