Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Caffe Bene

 
Caffe Bene is a South Korean coffee chain that just opened a branch in NY's busy Times Square area. Right on the corner of Broadway and 49th street in tourist/theater/office central, the place is difficult to miss. Since it's Korean chain, I was curious to see if they'd have some interesting tea and hopefully some tasty food.

Walking up to the cafe we noticed enormous coffee cup and waffle characters waving at the tourists walking by. My friends and I were turned off by this, and almost decided to keep walking. But then realized we were on a mission.  Maybe they'd have good tea!

The interior is spacious and airy, with lots of seating. The main focus appears to be coffee, but
there is 'Premium' Full Leaf Tea, Iced Tea, Iced Tea Lemonade, Green Tea Latte, Chai Tea Latte and something called a Misugaru Latte on the menu. I wanted to ask more about the teas and where they came from but a guy with a camera was focused on me while I was ordering, so I made it brief and ordered a Chai latte. He followed us around the cafe while we were making our selections, which was very annoying. I was starting to get angry but everyone behind the counter was so sweet, that I didn't want to cause a ruckus. I imagined myself on a Korean TV station with the headline 'Angry Tea Blogger Punches Cameraman'.

I was curious about the Misugaru latte, but wasn't feeling particularly adventurous. There was a sign posted near the registers giving a little more information about the roasted barley, rice, and grain powder in the drink. I may try it once the paparazzi are gone.

The Chai Latte was pleasantly sweet but not cloying. I prefer a bolder, spicier chai, but the mild spices with gentle sweetness was comforting. I could taste cardamom, but it wasn't the dominant flavor, which is a good thing. Cinnamon and a tiny hint of pepper and clove were in the background. This is a good choice for a Chai Latte if you are in Times Square.

I also had a sandwich, which was 'fine' but nothing to really mention. There was a green tea panna cotta that looked interesting, and the scones and pastries looked promising. We were really hoping for some Korean food and pastry, and not just a few pre-made sandwiches, salads and generic pastries.

The seating area is spacious and would be comfortable to sit while sipping a cup of tea, a rarity for the Times Square area. But this is only if they stop shouting 'WELCOME TO CAFFE BENE' to everyone that enters the establishment. I would have taken pictures of the decor, but I wanted to get away from the cameraman as quickly as possible.The prices were comparable to any midtown cafe. If I needed a quick cup of tea near my office, this is definitely a better alternative to the other chains in the area. But if I was willing to walk more than 2 blocks, I'd go to Argo Tea in Columbus Circle.

Caffe Bene: 1605 Broadway, NY, NY 10019
Recommended for a Quick Cup

Monday, January 30, 2012

Keko Cafe


Trying to cross off another place on my list, I took a lunchtime visit to Keko Cafe. It's in a quiet part of Murray Hill that is very close to Koreatown. Walking in out of the cold, I was met with a warm and cozy vibe. Cozy mostly because the place is tiny, and chock full of whimsical items. Paintings, trinkets, tea pots, even suitcases adorn the walls and shelves.  It feels a little bit like a European grandmother's attic. All the tables were taken, and everyone seemed to be enjoying their lunch.

This is a good place to sit with a book or laptop. The music playing was Edith Piaf-esque, with an occasional Middle Eastern flair. Since it's a small place you can hear all the conversations around you, but it would be comfortable to sit for awhile and slowly enjoy a pot of tea.

Service was efficient but brusque. The cafe specializes in both tea and coffee, and they have a descent selection of basic teas. One look at the wall of tea canisters reveals they are all from Harney & Sons. Certainly not a bad thing!

I'm on a Darjeeling kick, so I ordered a pot. It came in a small pot with the strainer inside, leaves steeping. The only problem I had is I couldn't find a place to put the used strainer. So I was forced to leave it in the pot and drink it quickly. The first cup was quite nice, a quality, smooth Darjeeling with that lovely muscatel flavor. But by the time I was ready for a second pour, the tea was bitter and almost undrinkable. I should have crammed the strainer on the tiny saucer, or asked for a second plate.  I thought the tea was reasonably priced at $5 a pot. The food however, was a bit expensive.

Sandwiches are small, without anything on the side except a miniscule slice of pickle. The pickle slice was so small, I wondered why they even bothered with it. Prices for sandwiches were over $7. There is a nice list of salads and crepes on the menu, also expensive, but may be a better choice. There are assorted pastries if you want a sweet bite with your beverage. I noticed they have an afternoon tea menu as well, which seemed reasonable at $13.

Keko cafe is a fine choice if you are in the Murray Hill neighborhood. Unless you go to Koreatown for a limited choice of teas, this is your best bet in the area.

Keko Cafe:121 Madison Ave. NY, NY 10016-Recommended
Highlights: Harney & Sons tea selection

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Led Zep and Lusty Tea

The West Village is a destination for all things tea. As I've mentioned before, if you walk just a few blocks you can hit Bosie, Tea & Sympathy, McNulty's, DAVIDsTEA as well as The Tea Set. Since The Tea Set is one of the few West Village tea spots I haven't tried, my husband and I decided to take a lunchtime visit.

The Tea Set is a French-owned tea cafe that also has an extensive food menu. Everything appears to be eco friendly and organic, right down to the menu made out of recycled cardboard boxes. The Tea Set also sells their tea commercially, which I've recently seen in a local upscale grocery store.


Walking in to the cafe things seems rather ordinary. There is a dining area with small tables, and a cozy brick wall lined with tea and wine bottles. This is a French-owned cafe, so of course there will be wine!

As we sat and looked around, it became apparent that this was not just a snoozy, cozy tea cafe. I noticed a few books that were intriguing and a bit surprising for a tea joint...


There are many 'interesting' books lining the bench I was sitting on...

...this being the favorite
 It is a sexy tea cafe! I wondered if the young ladies and older couple lunching near us noticed these little details. The tea menu also contributed to the overall feel of the place. Looking at the menu, I was intrigued by the various sensual-sounding teas on the menu. Since I had to get back to work and don't like rooibos and herbal based teas, I decided for a basic organic Darjeeling.

But some of the more colorful teas on the menu were:

Organic Femmes Fatales, Organic Gentlemen Fusion

Organic Sensual Good Night, Organic Perry Street Je T'Aime, Organic Day & Night Sex Booster

The music added another interesting element to the mix. The entire time we were there, classic and prog rock standards were playing over the speakers. I don't mind this type of music, but it did not really blend well with the cozy, relaxing atmosphere for me.


My tea was a respectable organic Darjeeling. It had a nice bold flavor which tasted like a 2nd flush. It certainly hit the spot. But my husband's genmaicha was strangely bland. It smelled nice and toasty but the taste was flat. I'm also not a huge fan of  large mugs with infusers, as the tea cools too quickly. A teapot keeps it a bit warmer. It also looks more like something I'd use in my office, not at a cafe. But that's a small gripe. I do like that the teas are all organic.

The service was very slow, and I actually noticed our server reading a book at the front of the cafe. I'm sure he's used to most people taking their time and relaxing with their tea, but we were on our lunch break and didn't want to dawdle. He never came over to see how we were doing. My husband had to get up and ask him for the check. A friend of mine had a good experience here when the owner was present, so this may not be a common occurrence.

To briefly comment on the food, the sandwiches we ordered were not particularly flavorful, and they were overpriced for the size. I like that most of the food is organic, and the beef is grass fed, but our sandwiches were not very tasty. If you feel like having a bite to eat with your tea, I'd recommend staying with pastries and egg dishes.

The Tea Set, is a fine place for a cup of Darjeeling and some sexy reading while listening to Led Zeppelin. Not a place I would recommend wholeheartedly, but it could be a fun spot to warm up on Valentine's day with a salacious cup of tea.

The Tea Set 235 W 12TH Street NY, NY 10014

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Steep Thoughts- the Making My List edition

While sipping my morning cup of Yunnan, I'm thinking about all the local tea places I have yet to visit. I have a running list of shops and cafes to check out. Sure, I've been to quite a few tea places and I have my favorites, but there are so many left to try! I thought I'd share my list to see if anyone has any feedback. Do you have any places to add? Anything in the NYC area.
Tea-ish Places To Try (in no particular order):
The Mandarin's Tea Room
Cha An
The Tea Set
Laughing Man
Spices and Tease
thirsTea
Keko Cafe
Lady Mendl's Tea Room
Tea Spot

There are also a few places I've been that require a re-visit, since it's been so long since I've checked them out:

Tea & Sympathy (a huge favorite of mine but it's been years since I've been)
Teany (descent vegan fare with a good tea selection)
McNulty's (a great place to purchase tea)
Podunk (cute place with lovely fresh baked goods and pots of tea)
Alice's Tea Cup (I always cringe at the cutesy decor but their teas aren't bad)
Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (Dare I return after my bad experience?)

So, any places to add? Or do you feel strongly about one on the list?

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Buttery Tea


Last night I had a new taste adventure. We visited a Himalayan restaurant, an outing organized by Yosh O.. The food was interesting, but the thing that captured my attention was the Butter Tea. This is a Tibetan style beverage that contains butter as well as tea, and milk. Someone at our table ordered one, and we passed it around to try. It looked more like a cup of milky coffee. It basically tasted like salty warm liquid butter. With a very faint hint of milky black tea. Mostly salt and butter though. I was expecting Yak butter, but the it tasted like regular cow's milk butter to me. But I've never had Yak butter so it could have a similar flavor. We passed the tea around the table, and everyone had a sip. I loved watching the reactions. Every single diner that tried the tea had the same initial response- their face puckered. I think we were expecting something buttery, but not quite as intensely salty. One of my fellow diners said 'This should be Paula Deen's favorite tea'!

This site gives an easy recipe to make the tea at home, if you are interested. It appears to use regular butter and not Yak. I can't say that this is a tea that I enjoyed, but I was happy to taste it. I'd probably order it again at a different Himalayan restaurant, just to see if it tastes any differently. It certainly added an extra conversation piece to our festive evening.

Friday, January 6, 2012

The Tiniest Tea Books

A few friends and I have created a new tradition, where we exchange holiday gifts that must be purchased at Housing Works, a wonderful organization that runs a chain of local thrift stores where  the proceeds help the homeless and those living with HIV/AIDS.

For this year's exchange, one of the gifts I received was a set of tea bags...or what I thought were tea bags...


...until I opened one...


and found a little book!!


A bizarre set of books...


Strange but adorable. Has anyone encountered these tiny little tea books masquerading as teabags? I've never seen these anywhere before. They all say 'The Fairies Rest' on the back and also appear to be in an Asian language (Japanese?).  I love the silhouette illustrations. What a fun gift!


Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Franchia Vegan Cafe


Walking back to work through the frigid wind after my yearly physical, I noticed Franchia, a Korean cafe on my list of places to try. They specialize not only in vegan Korean cuisine, but also tout their tea menu. After discussing the state of my health, a vegan restaurant seemed a natural choice for lunch. Add in a tea menu and kimchi dumplings, and I'm ready to tuck in.


I've read a bit about Franchia and knew it was a tea-centric place. So before looking at the food menu, I perused the tea offerings. They have a small selection of green, white, black, and oolong teas, as well as flavored and tisanes. I decided to try a Korean green tea, since I'm not familiar with them. I'm not a huge fan of very light green teas, so I decided to try the 'Korean Wild Green Tea 3rd Picked', because it mentioned a stronger taste. I usually like second or third flushes when it comes to Darjeeling, so I was hoping it would be the same for green. 

When I was ready to order I had to press a small button on the table to summon the waitstaff. It felt as if I was sitting on an airplane. I didn't see how this related to a serene tea-house, but I placed my order and eagerly waited. Perhaps they don't want to bother you unless you really need something? The tea arrived steeped in a small cup, with the leaves in a strainer on the side. A flask of hot water accompanied the cup. It was nice to get the flask, so I could re-steep the leaves when I was ready for more, instead of pushing the weird button to get the waiter to refill my cup. 
The tea was quite mild, with a nice gentle vegetal flavor. But did not have the 'stronger taste' I was expecting. It could just be that I'm not familiar with Korean green teas. They may be on the lighter side, as Chinese green teas tend to be. But still, I was expecting a little more than a light green.

Since this is a tea focused blog I won't comment much on the food, but I will say the dumplings were a bit cold. The dining room is comfortable, with earth tones and lots of wood. The tables are situated on three tiers which makes it feel a little cozier, but I felt bad for the waiters that kept running up and down the stairs to get to diners on the various levels. The ceiling is quite pretty though, which gives a nice pop of color in the muted dining room.

It was comforting to escape the cold with a reviving cup of green tea. I don't think I'll rush back here, but if you are looking for a place on the east side that offers healthy vegan fare and a descent tea selection, Franchia is a good choice.