84

delicious! first off, the name is endearing….so unapologetic about what it is, but you know what? it’s helpful, because that ‘chinese restaurant’ or even ‘japanese restaurant’ flavor tea is something i enjoy & sometimes actively seek out. i find it very comforting. plus, i think there is something to be said for the fact that it has earned a spot in the hearts of restaurant-goers. anyway..

when i saw this today at Fairway, next to the Yamamotoyama Jasmine tea & Brown Rice green teas, i sincerely wanted to try it. i don’t know that i’ve had distinctly or even ‘stereotypically-tasting’ Chinese tea, so i was almost worried about this one. but worry not. it is a soothing & surprisingly, refreshing! blend of oolong and green tea scented with jasmine. yes, the jasmine is refreshing! no, it does not overpower the taste. this is not what i’d call a ‘floral tea’ per se.

come to think of it, this is actually the second jasmine-scented tea i’ve tried and thoroughly enjoyed. the first was Teavana’s Jasmine Silver Needle, which, much like this tea, seemed like more of an oolong than a white in terms of body & flavor. also, like this tea, there was that slight ‘nutty’ quality with a rice note.

as for this, oft picked upon ‘generic’ Chinese Restaurant infusion, this smells more like white rice than it does brown. steamed white rice (perhaps on the verge of being toasted), with a definite oolong quality moreso than green & might i add the jasmine is lovely! and i’m so surprised i’m saying that! i appreciate that its scent is present, but not overpowering. it is fresh, young, tender jasmine whose fragrance sits lightly over the ‘steamed rice’ toasted-ness. and here’s the even stranger part (at least to me): it tastes great! not perfumey, soapy or bitter; it is what it is but it’s good.

i’m giving a bagged restaurant tea a serious review. i’m a charlatan!

i regret nothing.

PS- definitely great with food, as someone else has said. it’s subtle, soothing and light. i had mine with lunch. it complements whatever you’re eating (IMO). i’m sure this would be great after a meal too, as i was craving another cup!

boychik

Well you are right. So many times my kids ask if they can have Chinese restaurant tea.

pyarkaaloo

ahahah, do they really? i think they’re onto something ;)

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boychik

Well you are right. So many times my kids ask if they can have Chinese restaurant tea.

pyarkaaloo

ahahah, do they really? i think they’re onto something ;)

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love tea in every form- from bagged to loose leaf..commercial to niche. i am intrigued by it all & want to learn as much as i can through my 5 senses (tho with tea i’ll presumably be using 3)..am a very sensorial person. love music, perfume, poetry, graphic design, India, Malaysia, Moorish architecture, oh….and tea!

apparently i’m really out of the loop here since i appear to be among the only ones who have not yet tried Golden Moon, Butiki, 52teas, Mandala, Teavivre or Della Terra. i mean REALLY. i need to start lifting this rock up over my head y’all. from the looks of things, i’ve been reenacting Groundhog’s Day every hour on the hour with my uniformed choices. i seek to be anointed!

also, don’t take my numbers too literally; they can’t possibly speak to the actual quality of the tea, much less to the constancy of my own perceptions! what i may feel to be an 88 one day, could very well be a 91 the next, or even 100, depending on my taste buds, blood sugar levels, neuronal firings or planetary alignment ;)

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