Call it a café, it is actually a tea lounge set on the second floor of a restored shophouse along Seah Street just opposite the Raffles Hotel. I stumbled upon it after lunch nearby some weeks ago. Getting to find out more about this place then I realized it was no average tea café, but one with the capital 'TEA'.
It was love at first sight the moment I set foot into its interior.
Its menu boasts over 50 well selected types of teas from our region and beyond. From the ever so common Chinese teas, floral teas and fruit teas, to more exotic/premium tea leaves such as Japanese Gyokuro (玉露）and DaYuLing (大禹嶺茶) from Taiwan, to comforting home brews like Red Date Tea and Eight Treasure Tea, you name it, they have it.
We were treated to a cup of refreshing green tea (Bi Luo Chun 碧螺春 as I suspected) and some crackers as soon as we sat down, which was very welcome. Warm wet towels were also offered (in the SIA way), making us feel like VIPs.
Sweet memories were still lingering of that cup of enchantingly fragrant Peony Jade I had at Nectarie Patisserie not so long ago, it was only natural to choose one with a similar-sounding name.
Much to the contrary, my cup of White Peony ($12) here was much more heavy-tasting with strong oriental flavours. Its bitterness which was quite overpowering for my tastebuds at first, was well balanced by the candied orange peels which made a heavenly complement to the tea.
My companion on the other hand picked the sweet-tasting Cranberry Tea ($12) from the fruit tea menu. The tea was nicely perfumed with a delightful scent of cranberry. The tartness of the berries was not exceedingly bold. Best enjoyed with the provided syrup.
Apart from many known health benefits, ladies will be glad to know that cranberries which are laden with antioxidants are useful in fighting ageing and improving complexion. Who said that healthy stuff should necessarily be awful-tasting?
There is no better way to enjoy good teas than with some delightful light bites. On the menu you can find tea inspired comfort food like the mouth-watering tea egg and tea wings. As our first choice tea mushrooms was not available for the day, the lady staff recommended Cucumber Sandwiches ($8) to us.
As it was for our teas, there seemed to be no effort spared in preparing this dish. Cucumber was thinly sliced up to very fine thickness that you could almost see through it. Together with grounded sesame seeds and seasoned seaweed they were sandwiched between two pieces of white bread which were then pressed to an appealing thickness.
Still remember that Kid's meal created by my playful companion at The Plain last November? Here creativity struck again. Titled, Macro vs Portrait.
At the other end of the spiral you find yourself at the loft housing a boutique shop. There it showcases an exhaustive collection of tea sets for tea appreciation of higher levels. It was simply an eye-opener.
Some of the teas here are quite pricey -say a pot of premium Tie Guan Yin for $28-, making them only good for occasional indulgence. The venue nonetheless is a great getaway for small groups to have some queit conservations or just simply chill and spend a peaceful afternoon away.
TEA Café
38A Seah Street
Mon – Sat, 11am – 7pm
Closed on Sundays and Public Holidays
6333 5400
TBZM has moved to another location while business hours remain unchanged
43 Middle Road
#02-00 Boon Sing Building
It was love at first sight the moment I set foot into its interior.
Its menu boasts over 50 well selected types of teas from our region and beyond. From the ever so common Chinese teas, floral teas and fruit teas, to more exotic/premium tea leaves such as Japanese Gyokuro (玉露）and DaYuLing (大禹嶺茶) from Taiwan, to comforting home brews like Red Date Tea and Eight Treasure Tea, you name it, they have it.
We were treated to a cup of refreshing green tea (Bi Luo Chun 碧螺春 as I suspected) and some crackers as soon as we sat down, which was very welcome. Warm wet towels were also offered (in the SIA way), making us feel like VIPs.
Sweet memories were still lingering of that cup of enchantingly fragrant Peony Jade I had at Nectarie Patisserie not so long ago, it was only natural to choose one with a similar-sounding name.
Much to the contrary, my cup of White Peony ($12) here was much more heavy-tasting with strong oriental flavours. Its bitterness which was quite overpowering for my tastebuds at first, was well balanced by the candied orange peels which made a heavenly complement to the tea.
My companion on the other hand picked the sweet-tasting Cranberry Tea ($12) from the fruit tea menu. The tea was nicely perfumed with a delightful scent of cranberry. The tartness of the berries was not exceedingly bold. Best enjoyed with the provided syrup.
Apart from many known health benefits, ladies will be glad to know that cranberries which are laden with antioxidants are useful in fighting ageing and improving complexion. Who said that healthy stuff should necessarily be awful-tasting?
There is no better way to enjoy good teas than with some delightful light bites. On the menu you can find tea inspired comfort food like the mouth-watering tea egg and tea wings. As our first choice tea mushrooms was not available for the day, the lady staff recommended Cucumber Sandwiches ($8) to us.
As it was for our teas, there seemed to be no effort spared in preparing this dish. Cucumber was thinly sliced up to very fine thickness that you could almost see through it. Together with grounded sesame seeds and seasoned seaweed they were sandwiched between two pieces of white bread which were then pressed to an appealing thickness.
Still remember that Kid's meal created by my playful companion at The Plain last November? Here creativity struck again. Titled, Macro vs Portrait.
At the other end of the spiral you find yourself at the loft housing a boutique shop. There it showcases an exhaustive collection of tea sets for tea appreciation of higher levels. It was simply an eye-opener.
Some of the teas here are quite pricey -say a pot of premium Tie Guan Yin for $28-, making them only good for occasional indulgence. The venue nonetheless is a great getaway for small groups to have some queit conservations or just simply chill and spend a peaceful afternoon away.
TEA Café
Mon – Sat, 11am – 7pm
Closed on Sundays and Public Holidays
6333 5400
TBZM has moved to another location while business hours remain unchanged
43 Middle Road
#02-00 Boon Sing Building