All day TeaDay, Saturday, 3/01/08

[Chip]

All day TeaDay, Saturday, 3/01/08

by Chip » Mar 1st, '08, 04:08

Welcome to TeaDay all day Saturday. I hope you can stop by often and share what is in your cup, see what everyone else is sipping and of course TeaChat. So, post what is in your cup throughout the day.

Remember, all are welcome to TeaDay, so newbies, this is a great spot to get to know fellow TeaChatters and for us to get to know you.

Today's TeaPoll and discussion topic. You are given a limited choice at a pretty swanky restuarant...do you choose Assam, Darjeeling, Keemun, non descript Chinese Oolong, Dragon Well, Sencha, Matcha blended with Kukicha...or do you ask the server to bring you water because you BYOT?

So, what do you do when you go out to eat...rely on house teas...or are you obsessed enough to bring your own leaf and ask for hot water?

Have a great TeaDay everyone...stop by often.

[omegapd]

by omegapd » Mar 1st, '08, 05:50

I don't go out to eat much. With two young kids, it's kind of a pain in the neck.

If I do, my favorite type of food is Chinese, so I'd get the house Oolong or whatever they serve.

[olivierco]

by olivierco » Mar 1st, '08, 07:40

I ask the sommelier (wine waiter ?) some indications about the tea and to see the leaves. If I am not convinced with his answers, I don't drink any tea.
I don't go very often to the restaurant anyway.

But if I take my breakfast at an hotel, I always take my own leaves and ask for hot water and a teapot.

This morning Yunnan golden tips for breakfast and now houjicha for my lunch.

[Sydney]

by Sydney » Mar 1st, '08, 08:20

I voted dragonwell, because even a mediocre dragonwell is pretty good.

However, I almost chose "BMOT" because I'm reaching that point quickly enough.

[caradrake]

by caradrake » Mar 1st, '08, 09:51

I voted for oolong, because of the 3 chinese restaurants I've ordered tea in, 2 of them had good oolongs. One was a jasmine, the other was 'dragon eye oolong.' The dragon eye was spectacular.

Then I was probably pretty idiotic and asked for hot tea at a chinese buffet. BAD IDEA!!! I was brought a black tea bag (assam?) in a teapot. They hadn't even steeped it, I had to pour the tea back into the pot and let it steep.

So the lesson that I learned: At buffets, stick with soda. I don't even trust the water enough to brew my own.

[Selaphiel]

by Selaphiel » Mar 1st, '08, 10:02

Seems like I`m coming down with something, a cold/fever or something. Had a bowl of Matcha earlier, that did some good temporarily at least, warmed me up.
Guess I`ll make another bowl later.

If I had to choose any of those teas in a restaurant, I would choose Long Jing/Dragon Well since that is harder to mess up

[TimeforTea]

by TimeforTea » Mar 1st, '08, 11:01

Interesting question.

I chose sencha, only because the last time I went out to eat they had sencha on the menu and it was so good! However, if I'm at an Asian restaurant, I would probably just go with the house tea.

We don't go out to eat too often, but I've noticed now that if my husband mentions a restaurant, I might say, "But they don't serve tea!" So I could also see myself bringing my own tea bags and asking for hot water.

This morning we are drinking Harney & Sons sencha.

[Ladytiger]

by Ladytiger » Mar 1st, '08, 11:18

I choose bring me hot water because if it's a certian kind of tea they served and I have never had it before wouldn't want to have a bad experiance with it and not want to touch it later.

Umm..right now I'm having a pre-made diet Green Tea with mango iced tea....

[witches brew]

by witches brew » Mar 1st, '08, 12:04

I chose the dragonwell because I know I don't like a lot of the teas listed on the menu. I'm going to assume that because it is a good restaurant, they will know how to make and serve the tea properly. If not, somebody would have mentioned it in Zagat and I would have been prepared to do without tea.

Which raises a question. My favorite Thai restaurant doesn't make tea very well. The last time my BF and I dined there, we shared a pot of tea, which was served in a tetsubin. The leaves weren't in an infuser, and by the time we had our second cups, they were stewed and the tea was bitter. The question is, should we have asked the waiter to make us a second half-pot since the second cups were undrinkable? Would you?

Rooibos jasmine in my cup this morning.

[tseirPsaduJ]

by tseirPsaduJ » Mar 1st, '08, 13:03

I love all oolong. So that was the obvious choice for me. But I did hesitate and consider the "bring your own tea" option. BUT, really, all of this is sort of like the "what if.." game because I don't EVER eat out. And if we are in the process of pretending I'd be caught dead in a restaurant, then why not pretend the Oolong is brewed tasty and perfect aswell. I do bring my own tea when I travel. It's kind of a pain to bring so many breakables and different kinds of tea with me...I'm considering buying some powdered sencha or something similar.

As for what I am drinking: An unknown bagged japanese green my friend brought to me the night before last. It reminds me of over-cooked asparagus. It actually leaves a weird ball-like feeling in my mouth. I am not sure how else to explain it. Whatever it is, it's very strange, but interesting. I probably would not buy it, but it makes a change for sure. I might just call and find out what it is for curiosity's sake...

[Chip]

by Chip » Mar 1st, '08, 15:41

Having my Premium Sencha right now...messed with perfection by brewing it a couple degrees lower to see if it would be sweeter...mistake. I honestly do not know how anybody brews sencha to perfection w/o a thermometer...and all the modern tools of the trade?????? It came out too soft for my liking.

If I plan ahead, I will have prefilled bags with something easy to brew. If not...I will try to find something drinkable, in this case, Dragon Well would likely be my choice.

[Victoria]

by Victoria » Mar 1st, '08, 15:41

Well there are too many variables for me to make a clear decision. Like what time of day is it and what type of restaurant is it? Putting those aside, my first inclination would be the house oolong. So I guess I will vote for that. I always have my backup BYOT, if it doesn't work out.

Still enjoying my Assam morning blend, 2nd steep.

Have a nice day everyone!

[olivierco]

by olivierco » Mar 1st, '08, 15:53

Matcha Kaoru Supreme (O-cha) this afternoon.

Jasmine pearls right now after dinner.

Maybe a sencha (Ippodo Kaboku or O-cha Hatsumi, both packages are open) for the next tea.

[tenuki]

by tenuki » Mar 1st, '08, 16:04

tky - whatever, I've decided once again that I just don't like tkys

li shan 'da yu ling' - now that's what I'm talking about!

Last edited by tenuki on Mar 1st, '08, 16:30, edited 2 times in total.

[CynTEAa]

by CynTEAa » Mar 1st, '08, 16:08

Yunnan Gold this morning and just finished a cup of Adagio's Irish. It is a really weird weather day so I maybe heading for something that reminds me of spring. Maybe a nice sencha.

Usually have BYOT on me just in case -- 'packing heat' as Michael once said. hehe