kung fu tea

kung fu tea
1529 Wisconsin Ave NW FL 2nd, Washington, DC 20007
tel: 202) 813-3672

what was consumed: taro milk tea with bubbles and taiwanese fried chicken

coming from so.cal, where i've been drinking bubble tea since my childhood, i'm always happy to visit new places that offer delicious bubble tea. 

kung fu tea makes their drinks to order (i.e., they're not pre-packaged/pre-mixed), which is great. in fact, when you order, after you select which tea you want, you choose how sweet, how much ice, and what additional fixin's you'd like to add. my usual go-to is taro milk tea (and depending on my hunger, i'll order the tapioca pearls). they also have tapioca pearls that "explode" when you bite into them! i'll most definitely try those, next time.

i also like that kung fun tea has a few savory bites. in particular, i love the spicy taiwanese-style fried chicken. the szenchuan spice that's a part of the batter is delicious and will be a great complement to your tea.

the location i visited is also down the street from georgetown university. so, depending on when you go, the lines may be long thanks to all the co-eds. hahaha ...

online: https://www.kungfutea.com/

85 degrees

85 degrees

2700 Alton Pkwy #123, Irvine, CA 92606

tel: (949) 553-8585

what was consumed: asian bakery bread! and salted cream black tea. YUM.

i remember the first time i went to 85 degrees. stacey and i waited in line. for a long time. and when we finally got to the front, we were greeted with glorious, glorious rows of delicious looking (and delicious tasting!) baked goods. you make your selection and the staff will wrap individual selection in little bags (the selection that you're not going to eat immediately, anyway). they're also supposed to be well known for their mocha bread, which they didn't have this time around. sad face. i'm always up for baked goods from 85 degrees. will you please bring me some?

online: http://www.85cbakerycafe.com/

chaaye khana

chaaye khana
shop # 11, block b united bakery plaza super market, F-6 markaz, islamabad
tel: 051) 8312192

what was consumed: stuffed french toast, omelet, coffee (with donut)

looking for a bustling place to enjoy some tea and brunch-y foods? put chaaye khana on your list! 

the first time i visited, it was for a farewell brunch for a good colleague/friend. we were sad to see her depart from post, but happy that we got to try chaaye khana in her honor.

the food is tasty (be sure to get an order of the stuffed french toast, to share at least. it's a little rich/sweet for my liking, but i was happy to enjoy bites of BJL's ;) the stuffed french toast also seemed to be the most popular, as quite a few of them passed our table. the toast is crispy on the outside, deliciously filled on the inside with a light cream). their pakistani options are quite a treat as well! 

chaaye khana is proud of their very large tea selection. tea drinkers, rejoice! chaaye khana takes it very serious, and i'm glad that they do; their selection is amazing and the tea looks (and smells) delish. but for an avid coffee drinker like me, my palate isn't accustomed to the subtle notes of delicate teas. lucky for me, coffee is also an option (phew!). they serve coffee in french presses (just as they serve all of their teas). if you order coffee, you also get a donut (for better or for worse). i'll just take the coffee, please. a lots of it!

be sure to get to chaaye khana early (or just test your luck. not sure if they take ressies) because it's always super packed.

online: http://www.chaayekhana.com/

osulloc

osulloc
many locations, such as this one in insadong: 서울특별시 종로구 인사동길 45-1; also at 서울특별시 종로구 관훈동 170
tel: 02-732-6427

what was consumed: green tea! and green tea lattes and green tea ice cream. try the citrus lattes ... YUM.

tea seems to be a part of east asian culture, no matter which culture. in korea, green tea is one of the many popular teas and of the many brands, shops, and options that are available, there was always something about osulloc that called my name.

osulloc offers green tea and a slew of other tea beverages a la coffee shops (i.e., tea-based lattes, served hot and cold). their green tea is probably the most well known, and most enjoyed. they also have a slew of other teas, as well as green tea ice cream and a few other baked goods (like the green tea roll cake! yum). and be sure to also pick up some of their green tea spread, which is DELISH on shortbread cookies.

bjl and i went to osulloc's tea fields during our trip to jeju island. it's quite expansive and we could see how much care goes in to all of the tea production, as well as all of the other green tea products that result from osulloc.

also, as my time in seoul comes to a close, i thought it appropriate to end my seoul posts with memories of osulloc green tea. the creamy lattes, the subtle but fragrants scents of the teas, the delish ice cream ...

and so, in celebration, let's go get some ice cream :D

online: http://www.osulloc.com/

cafe promenade

cafe promenade (in the mayflower hotel)
tel: 202) 347-2233
hours: breakfast - daily, 6:30am-11:30am; lunch - monday-saturday 11:30am-5pm; dinner - monday-saturday 5pm-11pm, sunday 5:30pm-11pm; afternoon tea - reservations only - monday-saturday 3pm-5pm, sunday 3:30pm-5:30pm

what was consumed: restaurant week - carpaccio of roasted beets, seasonal mesclun salad, pistachio crusted rainbow trout, paillard of beef, fresh fruit tart, white chocolate mousse, coffee latte cream brule

a few restaurant week seasons ago, my co-workers and i head over to the mayflower hotel (soon after the whole elliot spitzer scandel) to enjoy the culinary fares of the hotel's cafe promenade. this was actually my first experience with restaurant week (as well as the hotel altogether), so i was looking forward to dining sensation, good times with good people - what more can you ask for?

we made reservations for lunch (despite the protests of some in our group) primarily because we didn't want to spend too much time waiting. good thing, too, because the place filled up pretty quickly, and despite getting there at an earlier time. we sat in a large dining area, well lit by open skylights and decorated with some fancy shmancy chandeliers. we began our meal with the standard bread and butter. loved how there were little herbs on the butter! man, it's all about those little touches.

then came our appetizers (or what the french call entrees. i know, totally confusing! i will err toward the americans being the ones who got confused - haha). i had the lovely beet carpaccio. i'm new to the world of beets, but let me tell you ... DELICIOUS. the combination of flavors made things not too strong, not too bland, not too salty, not too sweet. even their "standard" spring mix green salad had a lovely vinegarette-ish dressing (how come i can't make anything like that at home!?!?).our selected entrees for restaurant week quickly came out. i, of course, chose the option that came with fries - the paillard of beef. and it's beef - what more can you ask? cooked just right so that you don't even need a knife to cut it. it also came along with this fancy butter that made the meal that much more rich in flavor (that is, i remember it being rich in flavor. maybe i'll have to go again to refresh the memory ^_^). others had fish (which i was considering as well, but i couldn't pass up the fries) that was in a pesto sauce. also yum!!!

and then, of course, dessert. now, let me make a comment here about dessert and restaurant week. i'm not a big fan of desserts so i usually don't order them (i'm sure i've mentioned this before and i'll mention it again). but as a part of restaurant week, the 3-courses includes dessert. many a time have i wished i could exchange the dessert for an appetizer (and you can be sure that i'd ask!), but the answer is usualy no. sigh. oh well~ i have to admit, though, i have had quite of number of completely delicious sweet treats.

of course, our experience here at cafe promenade would not be complete without photos. not only did i take photos of the food, but of us as well. many of these photos ended up on our work intranet page as the lighting of the restaurant was so wonderful. hahaha. people ask where we were when they see the photos on the intranet; we just tell them it's a secret (haha).

i have to admit, as we were leaving cafe promenade, we wondered who the people were around us. why did they choose to stay at the mayflower hotel? and, of course, we couldn't help but to wonder if any of them were following in the footsteps of other scandal makers - ha!

online: http://www.marriottmodules.com/restaurant/hotels/hotel-information/travel/bwiih-marriott-baltimore-inner-harbor/cafe_promenade/ (hey - i didn't know the mayflower hotel was a marriot hotel ... )

teaism

teaism
400 8th street NW (btwn d street & e street), washington, DC 20004
tel: 202) 638-6010
2009 r street, NW (btwn 21st street & connecticut avenue), washington, DC 20009
tel: 202) 667-3827

what was consumed: tea, tea, tea ... ginger lemonade, cookies, some other eats ...

there was a time when i wanted to be a tea connuesseiur (and no, i don't know how to spell that --> see my comments on the side ... though, i think i actually looked that one up. where is ms word spellcheck when you need it!). then i realized that i don't really have a sophisticated palate and that while the subtle flavors of tea are appreciated, the kick caffeine from coffee gives me is my current addiction.

in any case, if you want a nice cup of tea, special juice, or even a beer (along with some quick eats), teaism is the place for you! thematically japanese (or asian altogether, i suppose), there is still quite a variety of options for both tea lovers and not.

there are two locations (both of which i've been to) and both have good tea, good service, and good vibes. the dupont circle location is less spacious (so there is the chance that you'll be sitting on the makeshift bench by the cash register or outside) and the penn quarter location has book groups and board game people who meet there (both a plus and a minus? i dunno). and while teaism costs more than the bag of tea within my variety box 'o teas, remember that you're also paying for the ambiance and the increased variety that teaism presents. and let me tell ya, this little indulgence is worth it.

online: http://www.teaism.com/