Not So Yum

Today, in honor of Chinese New Year, our tea group met up at a Dim Sum restaurant down in Chinatown. This was my first venture into the world of Dim Sum, which seems to be all the rage here. I was under the impression that the meet up would be held in some cramped tiny place tucked away on some Chinatown side street. However, upon arrival, I discovered that one had to ascend an escalator to enter the premises. Any restaurant that requires an escalator ride to get to your meal is going to mean big business. Hiding behind the plain facade outside was a vast banquet hall fitted with tons of tables and chairs. If you do an image search on Yahoo of the place, a whole host of Flickr pages devoted to the interior and the delicacies offered on the food cart will pop up and you'll see what I mean.

The meet up was for a later time so that we would have a better chance of getting a table large enough for our party (they don't take reservations). This affected what was available on the menu as they were to close up a few hours after we arrived. Despite the dwindling amount of choices, the place was packed. The protocol is to order off the carts that frequently pass by. Thankfully, our table passed on the chicken feet or else I would have vomited right then and there. In looking at this experience, it really wasn't my cup of tea, at least the items that were being picked weren't. I'm not a fan of shrimp or pork. I'll eat these foods, but not in the way they were prepared here. I did scarf down the vegetarian spring rolls, and the sweets were okay. The steamed yellow sponge cake was divine! I would go back just for that alone. Since it was Chinese New Year, we were served pots of jasmine tea.

Would I do this again? Perhaps. Maybe. It all depends on the choices on offer. I'm glad for the chance to try different foods and learn a thing or two.

High Chai - Russian Tea

In addition to the most beautiful weather we had today, I met up with my tea group at the High Chai tea room for a Russian tea brunch.

Pictures here.

High Chai is a combination tea room/bar/restaurant which is located on 18 Avenue B at 2nd Street. They specialize in exotic flavors, and are heavy on infusing unique flavors and flowers in their beverages. I arrived for the 12 noon gathering. Inside, the decor was a mix of quirky and beautiful. Mosaic tiled floors, bright wall colors, and a decorative tin ceiling. Basically, the kind of decor you would want for your own little abode.

Svetlana, the owner, gave us a quick talk about the Russian tea ceremony. When tea arrived in Russia it was expensive. To conserve the precious leaves, the samovar came into use. Invented in the city of Tula, this apparatus houses a pot on top, which holds a small concentrated form of the tea. The bottom of the samovar holds the water. You pour the concentrated brew from the top into your cup, and then dilute it with as much water as you prefer. This way, you make don't end up wasting your leaves.

It's probably not a surprise that I now want to own a samovar!

On offer for the brunch were sandwiches, Russian cheese pate with croutes, and a nice salad. For dessert were Russian cookies, and a chocolate fountain with fresh fruit for dipping. As a surprise, the owner gave us each a shot glass full of the rose petal infused vodka mixed with cold tea. Floating in the glass were actual rose petals. It tasted interesting - and flowery! I don't see myself ordering this in the future, but it was nice to try it out.

I got to talk with Svetlana, whom I found so lovely and accommodating. I am really, really positive about this place. I can't stress the pluses enough. Everything was wonderful. The food, the drink and the ambiance were absolutely perfect.

The group I was with was part of my meet up. The conversation flowed and I got to know many people, including the organizer of the group - Mei. I had heard from the others that they too were having a wonderful time. I also heard that the previous tea meet ups were a blast.

Since this was my first meet up with the tea group, I am really looking forward to future events.