Visit: Tamarind Tea Room

I recently read about a tea room on Midtown Lunch adjacent to the well regarded Tamarind restaurant on 22nd street. Indian flavors along with a large selection of tea? Count me in.

 The Tamarind Tea Room is a sweet little spot just next to the main restaurant. The space is small but very comfortable and elegant. There are 6 tables and one extremely warm and friendly staff member taking orders. He immediately made us feel at home, chatting and recommending various teas to go with the food we ordered.

The first page of the menu has a welcome note. The owner started the tea room to connect childhood memories of drinking tea in India to his NYC life, "My family always prepared for the day ahead with a bracing cup of fine tea. After school there was afternoon tea awaiting us, and in the evening, a relaxing cup as we shared the events of the day". You can feel his love for tea and family through this relaxed and amiable restaurant.

We went with the 'tea for two' option, which includes a sandwich, pot of tea, and dessert. This option is a large amount of food, and should satisfy even the hungriest lunch seekers. There is a suitable list of Indian teas as well as oolongs, greens, and herbals. Something for everyone. I decided on the Assam which was bold and reviving. It was served in a perfectly sized teapot. My saag paneer sandwich was filling and tasty, as was the creamy rice pudding and buttery cookies for dessert. The tea paired well with the food, creating an overall sense of happiness and peace. It helped with digestion, too! My idea of the perfect lunch.

The gentleman waiting on us was so friendly we felt like regulars. Service was a little on the slow side, so I'd suggest coming here only if you have an ample lunch break. The food was so delicious and the tea selection so satisfying that I will definitely be back. It's a great place for a long lunch away from the office, or a break from shopping in the flatiron district. Tamarind Tea Room is an absolute gem.

Tamarind Tea Room: 41-43 E 22nd St, New York, NY 10010

Update: Tea In The Office

My Trusty Trio

A wonderful friend read my Tea in the Office post and gave me a lovely electric kettle as a Birthday gift. I am so touched by the thoughtful gifts I received this year (if you aren't reading my facebook page, here is a link to the other amazing tea related gift)! This kettle has helped change my office tea routine, since I'm now easily able to achieve the perfect temperature for my tea. This is the kettle, and it's a great BPA-free choice for an office space.

My new routine has also caused an interesting issue- every time I take the kettle to the kitchen to fill it, someone has a comment  It's usually "why do you need a kettle if we have hot water from the cooler?" I then have to explain how some teas require boiling water and our water machine isn't hot enough. Watching everyone's face as I explain this has been fun. Some show a look of confusion and walk away. Others have a smile of realization, and usually ask a follow up question or two. It's fun to see how many people I can educate about water temperature!

Do you get any tea questions from coworkers? Do you share your tea routine with others?

A Visit to Kanlo tea in Tribeca

Tribeca is a neighborhood composed of new and old New York. Cobble stone streets are lined with historic houses but if you look closely you'll see hordes of strollers, expensive restaurants, and organic food markets. It's historical pull lures me there every so often, and this week I found myself admiring 19th century row houses and thinking of tea. There were two places on my Tribeca must-visit list, Kanlo, and Laughing Man. I decided to visit Kanlo, because they only focus on tea (Laughing Man is primarily a coffee place), and I have been curious about their store since they opened in 2011.

Kanlo's store is a small, but with a large selection. Many tea blends as well as pure teas line the shelves. They have attractively packaged loose and bagged tea to purchase, and brew up cups to go. It was a quiet afternoon at the shop, and the gentleman behind the counter was able to give me his full attention. I asked what the store was known for, and he pointed to a few flavored blends, and noted his favorites. According to their website (you can buy all of their teas online) Kanlo focuses on teas from Sri Lanka. Because of this I was tempted to try one of the Ceylon teas. The friendly man behind the counter said he could make me a cup of any tea in the store, hot or iced. I was surprised to see that they didn't offer any samples to taste, which didn't help my indecisiveness, but ended up with an iced Mango Ceylon tea. It was very refreshing, with a convincing mango flavor along with brisk black tea. I will definitely be back to try one of the pure Ceylon teas to get a better idea of the quality.

The store has a simple, clean decor, and I admired little touches such as a few small tables to sit, along with a nice table in the back. A little 'money frog' caught my eye, smiling in the corner bringing balance to the store.

Kanlo is a perfect place to grab an iced tea before sitting in the waterfront park a few blocks away. Sip a Ceylon tea and imagine the clipper ships bringing in tea and spices into the harbor. I can't imagine anything better on a warm spring day.

Kanlo: 5 Harrison St. NY, NY 10013: Recommended for a quick cup, and for tea to take home.

Spotlight: The Tea Merchant

The Tea Merchant is a new online tea company offering a range of teas and teaware with a focus on organic and fair trade. I recently reviewed their green kukicha, and I have a few more coming soon.

I met founder Joey Landford at the NY Coffee and Tea Festival. I was intrigued by their teas and his new Kickstarter for an innovative tea tumbler. He is friendly and offered to answer a few questions, so we had a cheerful email exchange.

TH: How did you discover tea, and when did you start drinking it?
JL: I started drinking tea back in college but I never could really get into it, as I was too busy going to school full time and working full time to pay for school to take the time to enjoy tea. It was not until I moved to Japan that I started to really appreciate tea more. Drinking tea everyday with every meal became commonplace and I started to explore tea much more when I lived there. 

TH: Why start a tea business? How long ago did you start, and why?
JL: I started The Tea Merchant about 9 months ago. I started it because I could not find work after being laid off. So I decided to take all my savings and create my own job that I would love. The result was The Tea Merchant, and this led to me designing my tumbler. Its been an enjoyable, stressful, fulfilling experience so far.

TH: What is your favorite part of running a tea business?
JL: My favorite part about my job is quality control and experimentation. I get to drink tea all day to make sure its up to par. Trying new blends and enjoying new flavors is always fun. But it is a lot of work especially for a small company like mine where I am the only employee

TH: What makes The Tea Merchant different from other tea stores?
JL: The Tea Merchant is different in that I focus more on Organic and Fair Trade teas. You’ll also find that my teas are more subtle and not overpowering like other companies. Balance is key in teas and my blends all will focus on particular flavors or style while not losing the fact they are still tea. Take my Silk Dragon for example it is a vanilla Oolong with marigolds that even if you take the vanilla out of the blend the oolong can still stand on its own. This means every steep offers a different, tasty experience.

TH: Where do you source your teas?
JL: My teas are sourced from all over, China, Japan, and India primarily. I look for Organic and Fair Trade estates when possible but I won’t sacrifice quality to achieve this. This always makes blending more difficult but it’s a fun challenge and I think the final product is better for it.

TH: Tell me a little bit more about your tea tumbler kickstarter. Why did you decide to create one, and how long did the process take?
JL: Well this tumbler is something I think the tea industry can really benefit from. It makes drinking loose leaf tea easy, and I found this was a major barrier for my very busy friends. Even if you’re not busy it’s still an easy solution for while at work or at home and it can even work with coffee! Being able to fully control steep times without having to remove the infuser is something we all can enjoy. I’m using the Kickstarter to help me get this product into production. Kickstarter will allow me to give awesome rewards and discounted tumblers to the people who like it. It’s a win win, as I get into production faster and people receive the product sooner and cheaper.

A big thanks to Joey for answering all of my questions! If you have any other questions for him, leave them in the comments. A review of the Silk Dragon Oolong Joey mentions above will be coming soon, along with a few others!

Tea in the Office, and a Call for Suggestions

When I'm at work, I rely on my trusty yellow Bee House teapot. It's the perfect size, has a removable strainer and is very sturdy. I usually use filtered water that is heated through the water cooler or coffee machine for green and white teas, and actually heat water in the microwave until it boils for black tea. I've thought about getting an electric kettle for my desk, but I've been having a hard time choosing the right one. I want a variable temperature kettle so I can control the temperature, but most of them use plastic, and even the smallest bit that touches the water has BPA in it. I've seen a few electric kettles that are BPA free, but they just heat the water to boiling and don't have any other settings.

If anyone knows of a variable kettle that does not contain any BPA, please leave a comment below! I'm on the hunt and would love your opinions.

How do you steep tea in the office? Do you use a teapot, or paper filters, or teabags? Or are you lucky enough to work from home?

Tea Adventure at the American Museum of Natural History

The American Museum of Natural history is one of my favorite places to visit in NYC. I have fond memories of class trips here to learn about everything from dinosaurs to minerals and gems. I felt a nostalgic child-like awe when I entered the building. This week I was invited to visit the special exhibit, Our Global Kitchen: Food, Nature, Culture. It is a fascinating exhibit I urge you to see if you can. There is a tasting kitchen where you can experience various categories of food (the schedule is here), and through April 14th you can taste teas!

Green Mint tea

Throughout the exhibit you will find interactive stations, and my favorite included smelling various scents such as ginger and popcorn. Of course, the best part was the tasting room, where we were given cups of tea to taste. Two friendly staff members dole out the tea along with biscuits and basic tea history. There is a chalk board with a tea quiz (picture at left), and a display of teas and tisanes. It was fun to chat and have a little nibble while drinking our samples. We tried a refreshing mint green tea, but other days had black teas, and even Jasmine rice cooked with tea. This weekend they are featuring the Arnold Palmer, one of my favorite iced tea drinks. I appreciated the mint tea, but I would have liked some information related to the tea, such as the cultures around the world that drink it, and the different ways it can be prepared and served. Tasting and smelling tea is of course a wonderful addition to the exhibit, but it could have been taken further. I would have liked to try at least one other tea, in order to fully explore and compare flavors.

The tea tasting setup

Walking around the exhibit I also enjoyed the area showing the diet of various people throughout history. It gives an interesting picture of how cuisine has changed, yet certain basics remain the same. Displays showed the diet of a man from 5000 years ago, one of a Kenyan human rights advocate (who included lots of tea in her diet), and even the immense breakfast of Michael Phelps.

This is a perfect exhibit for foodies, or anyone interested in the social and scientific history of food. Tea lovers, be sure to visit in the next few days in order to catch the last tea tastings! If you go, please report back and let me know what teas you tasted!

Guest Post: Gabbing About Tea And Film

Today I'm excited to announce our first guest blogger, film gabber extraordinaire Lance Werth, from the blogging duo Werth & Wise. Tea often makes its way into the film spotlight and Lance has interesting 'tea' films to recommend. I gave him two different Earl Grey teas to try. Here are his thoughts on the teas, and tea related films. Take it away, Lance!

I’m an old movie nut. Just ask anyone. Whether it’s lecturing someone on the inaccuracies of Mommie Dearest (1981), scouring the film schedules of the Brooklyn Academy of Music and New York’s Film Forum for obscure flicks, or posting opinions and wise-alleck remarks in my weekly film blog with Alan Wise, Film Gab with Werth and Wise (http://filmgabwithwerthandwise.blogspot.com/), I’m all about old movies. But there are a couple things that tickle my fancy as much as an old movie, and one of those things is tea. I've been drinking tea since I was a toddler. My Midwestern family wasn't quite sure what to do when I asked for a teacup instead of a coffee mug. It started because I originally fantasized that I was British, but my love of tea stuck with me past my move to NYC where I discovered the joys of putting milk in tea from a pushy guy in a breakfast cart.

Sara the tea goddess recently introduced me to a couple new teas that made me throw aside the Lipton Earl Grey teabag so I could refine my palette.

Hudson Garden Party

Hudson Garden Party tea 

(http://www.verdigristea.com/flavoredblackteas.html) is a fascinating blend of the traditional Earl Grey flavor combined with jasmine. The resulting concoction feels lighter than many dark teas and is a perky way to start your morning without the harsh kick that milk-less Earl Grey can sometimes give.

French Earl Grey

French Early Grey (http://www.theteamerchant.net/our-teas/black-teas/french-earl-grey/) can best be summed-up as two great tastes that don’t taste great together. While the vanilla flavor in this blend is much less cloying than I’d thought it would be, the pairing of the Earl Grey taste and vanilla rubs my tongue the wrong way.

If either of these teas strike your fancy, why not try a cup while you watch one of these classic tea-infused films?:

Tea and Sympathy (1956)- Young Tom Robinson Lee (John Kerr) is tortured for being the school sissy, so his teacher’s wife Laura Reynolds (Deborah Kerr- no they’re not related) decides to make a man out of him in this controversial, Vincente Minnelli-helmed drama.

The Bitter Tea of General Yen (1933)- Barbara Stanwyck is a Shanghai surprise in this Pre-Code film about a missionary’s fiancé who is kidnapped by the evil General Yen, who, you guessed it, gets a yen for the spunky blond. Directed by legendary director Frank Capra.

Tea with Mussolini (1999)- What do you get when you have a tea party with film dames Judi Dench, Joan Plowright, Maggie Smith and American actresses Lily Tomlin and Cher in pre-WWII Fascist Italy? A tear-jerker somewhat based on the early life of famed film director Franco Zeffirelli.

Alice in Wonderland (1951)- No kid (nor adult) who sees Disney’s animated classic loosely adapted from the Lewis Carroll book could ever forget the inspired lunacy of the Mad Hatter’s tea party. It makes you want to take a bite out of your tea saucer.

The African Queen (also from 1951)- The great Kate Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart sail a junky boat downriver to break a German blockade in WWI in this John Huston classic. While Bogey drinks booze from a bottle, Kate makes her tea with the steam from the rusty boiler. More sugar please.

The Nanny (1965)- No Fran Drescher did not star in this English horror film from 1965. But Bette Davis did- and believe me, you don’t want to drink her tea.

A huge thank you to Lance for his thoughts. Check out his blog for more film gab! Interested in writing a guest post for Tea Happiness? You don't need any experience with tea, just an interest to try it. Drop me a line and let's discuss.