HKG: Specialty Brews at Hong Kong's Teahouses

Article by Kiki Elijandy | for HK Magazine dated April 18, 2013

A recent wave of trendy tea shops in even trendier locales has got us ditching our java for a groovy cuppa chai instead. Whether you’re partial to pu-erh or eager for Earl Grey, there’s a cafe in this list that will—excuse the pun—be just your cup of tea.

FORMOSA FLAVORS...

Harbour Pearl is a cool new tea cafe on up-and-coming Sai Street in Sheung Wan. Taiwanese-native Ini Tsai established the brand last year to introduce high quality teas to the local crowd. Claiming to be the city’s first organic Taiwanese tea retailer, Harbour Pearl’s menu includes a distinct selection of varieties like organic Taiwan premium green tea, oolong tea and the unusual ruby black tea, which is a hybrid species of the native Taiwanese mountain tea and Burmese Assam plant. Together, the two combine to make a rich, hearty tea with a dose of cinnamon and mint flavors. Tsai recommends accompanying it with Harbour Pearl’s weekend exclusive and an Austrian specialty: the sachertorte (a type of chocolate cake). Served in deluxe Royal Albert teaware, each pot comes with a lavish $80 price tag. For doting connoisseurs, the teas are also sold in limited-edition gift boxes on the ground floor.
HABOUR PEARL, 38 Sai St., Sheung Wan, 2851-2886.

THE GREAT ESCAPE...

The Eslite Tea Room, smack in the middle of the namesake book shop at Hysan Place, is a welcome retreat from the hustle and bustle of CWB. The first of Eslite’s self-branded restaurants to be established outside of Taiwan, TETR boasts an extensive list of teas for those looking for authentic Taiwanese flavors, or a cup of classic western brew. Eslite’s Taiwan high-mountain oolong tea is definitely a must-try. We were told that this tea is grown in a low-temperature region with less access to sunlight, which gives it a uniquely sweet scent and rich flavor. Hediard Tea, meanwhile, is the soul of Eslite’s western brews. The brand has been serving tea at Place de la Madeleine in Paris since the 19th century, with their premium offerings endorsed by society elites and royal families alike.
ESLITE, 9/F, Hysan Place, 500 Hennessy Rd., Causeway Bay, 3419-6770.

PURE INDULGENCE...

Singaporean tea brand TWG (short for The Wellness Group—bet you didn’t know that) launched the 1,800 square foot TWG Tea Salon & Boutique at the IFC mall a bit more than a year ago. As Asia’s first international luxury tea brand, TWG prides itself on having the largest tea list in the world, with 800 different single estate harvests as well as exclusive blends. From distinctive matured teas like the Chinese pu-erh to unusual blue teas like the royal orchid variety, the group sources from every tea-producing country imaginable, including more exotic countries like Turkey and Georgia. This season, TWG was able to release the 2013 harvest of a rare yinzhen (or “silver needle” in Mandarin) white tea blended with fragrant flowers. Yinzhen tea leaves are grown in Fujian Province in China and are generally very highly prized by connoisseurs—which makes this product a no-brainer for TWG.

TWG, 1/F, IFC Mall, Shop 1022-1023, 8 Finance St., Central, 2796-2828.

BACK TO BASICS...

If you are looking for a place to learn about tea, definitely drop by Teavers (short for Tea Lovers, duh). Teavers’ tea ambassadors believe in the importance of drinking the right type of tea at the right time. For example, in the morning you might want to start off with a brew of steaming black tea to keep the energy levels high. In the late afternoon, a cup of green tea might just do the trick of keeping you refreshed. Then a dose of low-caffeine pu-erh after dinner can help with digestion. Teavers also organizes tea classes and regular tea farm visits. Before you choose which teas to taste, you’ll be offered a tray of leaves encased in glass test tubes, for you to sniff through all the different aromas. Once you choose your tea, it’ll be served in a special perforated metal foil tube that’s supposed to give the drinker a satisfying loose-leaf tea experience, but with all the convenience of a tea bag.
TEAVERS, Shop GB22, Site B, Lei King Wan, 45 Tai Hong St., Sai Wan Ho, 2350-3828.

SEEING GREEN...

With prior experience running a teahouse in London and a general passion for tea, Sinmei finally invested all of her love and knowledge into her first eponymously named tea café in Hong Kong, just over a year ago. Located around the corner from the Western Market, the café is spacious, with natural light that beams in through a floor-to-ceiling window. Sinmei sources only green teas grown mostly in Taiwan, China and Japan, and we especially recommend the Matcha Soul, one of the shop’s best sellers. Sinmei makes this green cup of joy with organic soymilk and tops it with dribbles of honey, almond slices, sweetened sultanas and crushed cinnamon flowers. Sinmei happens to be a pescetarian (a vegetarian who’s allowed to eat seafood, or something like that), so the menu here is vegetarian/vegan by default. The lady recommends matching a cup of Matcha Soul with an Australian shortbread-textured pastry called the yo-yo—essentially a cookie with lots of filling (green tea and white chocolate, in this case). Also be sure to say hi to Mithu, the resident cat, on your way in.
SINMEI, 5/F, CS Tower, 50 Wing Lok St., Sheung Wan, 3690-8238.

COOL CHAI...

You might have caught the buzz on Teakha when it first opened early last year. Good news is, the tiny little teahouse remains a big player on the scene. Owner Nana Chan picked hipster-friendly Tai Ping Shan Street to set up shop specifically for its laid-back, relaxed, neighborhood vibe. “It’s funny because it feels so un-Hong Kong and yet uniquely Hong Kong at the same time,” she says. Sourcing teas mainly from within Asia, Teakha serves organic tea using traditional and artisanal methods. Teakha’s extensive menu stretches from Chinese and Japanese teas to more exotic herbal teas, as well as different types of milk teas. Teakha’s bestseller? The masala chai, by far. Remember to get a taste of this lovingly brewed black tea with aromatic Indian herbs and spices the next time you drop by.
TEAKHA, Shop B, 18 Tai Ping Shan St., Sheung Wan, 2858-9185.

DO TRY TEAS @HOME...want to continue the tea journey in the comfort of your own home? Check out these top tea brands.

MING CHA
Take a chance with the brand’s award–winners, such as the jasmine blossoms or the phoenix osmanthus oolong.
Room D, 12/F, 8 Shipyard Lane, Quarry Bay, 2520-2116.

MARIAGE FRèRES
This French tea company is known for its unique and sophisticated brews. MF was also the exclusive tea merchant to King Louis XIV, giving the brand some serious seventeenth-century street cred.
Available at Lane Crawford Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty, 2118-2288.

FAUCHON
Fauchon’s mint green tea and rose & lychee combo are a definite must.
B2/F, Hysan Place, 500 Hennessy Rd., Causeway Bay, 2795-3198.

LADURéELadurée’s best-seller, the Marie Antoinette, is a Chinese black tea mixed with rose petals, citrus fruits and honey.
Shop 3224, Level 3, Gateway Arcade, Harbour City, 3-27 Canton Rd., Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong, 2175-5028.