Hibiscus - Part II

I'm the type of person that needs to do things when I first want to do them, otherwise, those tasks, those places to go, those foods to eat don't usually get done, seen, or eaten.  There are always exceptions to this as my heart still holds onto certain loves and desires, but that's for another post.

Anyway, back to Hibiscus.  Part one of this post was a brief post on the iced matcha latte.  I really wanted to go back to try the salad & soup combo or the buckwheat crepes.  So, the first Sat I had a chance, I was there!

The place is small, so even arriving at about 2:45pm on a Saturday, we had to wait for a table.  I didn't mind the wait but it was obvious they were definitely short staffed!

What we ordered:

Soup of the Day:  Ginger Squash

Salad:  Mix of quinoa, lentils, squash, tofu, dried cranberries, mixed greens, broccoli, shredded carrots, seaweed*, seeds and nuts, and a raw cracker.

*The clear noodle like item was crunchy so I'm guessing it is a type of seaweed.

The soup was balanced and was simple but good.  The salad with all it's components made it interesting and all the ingredients were fresh.  Dressed with a vinegarette of some sort, it was light but I didn't mind.  Maybe to some it may have needed a little bit more flavour in the dressing. It's too bad they don't have a little more selection in terms of different salad options.

Crepe:  Mozarella, spinach, mushroom buckwheat crepe.

I was quite interested to try the buckwheat crepe as this would be a first.  It is a little harder than your traditional crepes but the texture was okay and the taste of buckwheat was light.  Decent amount of fillings in the crepe and you can't go wrong with the combination!  Cheese, mushrooms, and spinach, always a winner in my books!

Dessert:  Dairy-free ice cream.  Two decent sized scoops:  pistachio and an almond chocolate.  The black sesame was on the sparse side so we decided to choose something else, it also wasn't the typical dark black colour of really good black sesame ice cream.  Maybe, if it was darker in colour, I might have been swayed.

The ice cream was good but it definitely cannot replace traditional ice cream.  Lots of nuts were added which is a bonus if you like nuts and the flavours did come through.  Interestingly, I thought the almond chocolate tasted like rum cake to me...

I quite enjoyed the meal as the food was fresh, simple, and healthy.  It also helps that I had good company! I'd definitely return for the healthy eats and relaxed atmosphere, but because of the potential wait time for a seat , it might not be the best option when you're really hungry!

Hibiscus
238 Augusta Avenue, Toronto, ON M5T 2L7
Kensington Market
416-364-6183
Hours: 11am-6pm, Closed Tues

A Sweet Afternoon @ Ruelo Afternoon Tea

Afternoon tea - what is it about afternoon tea that makes me want to indulge in it more often then not?  Some might say it's the bite size sandwiches or the pretty little desserts or the tea, but I think more often it's a combination of the above, good company and the notion that afternoon tea is not meant to be rushed.   It's a chance to connect with friends, more specifically girlfriends as this typically is not something my male friends enjoy.  I love late night bubble teas or late night drinks as well, but afternoon tea is special.

Haven't had afternoon tea for a while and not being able to plan my own tea parties due to some personal issues, some girlfriends and I got together to try Ruelo Patisserie's afternoon tea set.

The space was nice, clean, and had a relaxed feel to it.  Service was polite.  We ordered the afternoon tea set and an extra chocolate dessert to share.

Afternoon tea comes with 3 different savory appetizers, 2 scones, 1 macaroon and 1 pastry per person, and of course your own pot of tea.  I was really expecting something great, but alas, it was "meh".  The savory appetizers were actually better than the sweet choices in our 3 tier afternoon tea set which is a surprise since Ruelo is a patisserie.

Kusmi tea is served and they do have a good selection of flavours, which is a plus since a lot of afternoon tea places don't really have too many choices.  Quality was ok, I ordered a strawberry green tea (love strawberry) which I enjoyed but would have liked the water to be a little hotter.  Coffee is also available which is a nice option.

Aside from the afternoon tea set, the chocolate pastry dessert we ordered in addition was really good!  I believe it was called the Ruelo.  (Sorry, no pic of the entire piece.)  The milk chocolate mousse was oh so light and creamy!  The praline added texture and the entire piece was not too sweet.

I'd definitely go back to try more of their cakes!!

Despite the underwhelming afternoon tea set, it was still a sweet afternoon since we got a chance to have our girl time, had a delicious chocolate dessert, and were not rushed to leave.  The server also offered us water knowing we were done eating but stayed to chat which was really nice.

Ruelo Patisserie

4-6 Erskine Ave.  (Yonge & Eglinton)

Toronto, ON

M4P 1Y2

P / 416.486.1800
E/ INFO@RUELO.COM

http://www.ruelo.com/index.html

 

The other location is in Richmond Hill, Times Square Plaza.

Hibiscus - Part I

After reading about Hibiscus in Kensington Market on Yelp, I knew I had to try this place.  It seemed like it would be a really chill place and would be a great little place for lunch that was healthy, tasty, and affortable.

1st impression:  loved it!

This is only a brief post as I didn't have time for a meal, but really wanted to check out their dairy free ice cream.  So, I went one sunny day and in the end, I didn't get any ice cream!  There was a sign for iced matcha latte, YUM!  My attention always gets diverted when I see anything matcha green tea...so, the ice cream would have to wait.  Picked a gluten-free cookie to go with it - a strawberry pistaschio cookie made from brown rice flour and was egg and dairy-free.

What an awesome place!  Atmosphere was really laid back, service was attentive but not pushy and everything looked really fresh and yummy (well, as I peered over at the table next to me).

The iced matcha was quite good, good matcha flavour and not too sweet.  Cookies were self serve which was different.  Because they aren't made with your traditional ingredients, the cookies are crispy and somewhat crumbly.  No aftertaste which was good.  Quite yummy and I did enjoy the dried strawberries in the cookie!

Self-serve cookie jars.

What's interesting is there was no bill.  You go up to the cash and let them know what you ordered.  Then, you pay at the cash.  Maybe they only do this during slower times.

Sakura Hanami in High Park

What a beautiful weekend!  Perfect for viewing the annual blossoming of cherry trees (Sakura Hanami) in High Park.  Living in Toronto almost all my life, I had never gone.  It might not be something you have to see, but it was beautiful.  The blossoms only last for a week or two so I can understand why so many people go - fleeting beauty as they say.

Families made a day of it, friends gathered to have picnics, the photographers had a ball, and lovers strolled through the trees or lay cuddling amongst the beauty.

One unfortunate thing did happen though; a tree branch was broken.  The fairly large branch was snapped, still attached to the trunk but laying horizontal to the ground , it blocked the pathway.  We did see people climb up into the trees to take photos, not many but a few.  Was it little by little the extra weight that wore it down or just one large person that snapped it?  Such beauty, but what was thought to be strong and sturdy was actually not (insert sigh). Like everything in life, nothing can be taken for granted.

Savory Cream Oolong Tea - An Interesting Combo

Over the last year or 2 there have been numerous tea shops that have opened up downtown.  This is definitely good news for those living and/or working in downtown Toronto and need a bubble tea fix!

Latte Mei is one of those tea shops that opened sometime in 2012 and boasts a new type of tea combination, savory cream teas.  Hmmm, interesting was my first reaction..."ugh!" was the reaction of my bubble tea companion!

Having had salty coffee in Taiwan from their famous 85°C cafes, which was not bad at all, I was eager to try this savory cream tea.

Tip:  Savory Cream Teas should be drank without a straw.

Ordered the Savory Cream Oolong, cold, with half ice, 75% sugar (modifying your ice and sugar level is also a bonus IMO).  First things first, you don't drink this with a straw as you need to allow the salty cream to mingle with the tea as you take a sip.  Second, you should take small sips, otherwise you'll be very overwhelmed by the saltiness of the cream.

Verdict:  1st sip was overwhelmingly salty.  2nd sip, not bad as I got used to the savory cream.  3rd sip, I think I like it.  By the end, I felt I'd like it more if I ordered the tea hot instead of cold.  Not sure if cold tea suited it, but it definitely was interesting to try. 

If I were to comment on the tea itself, aside from the savory cream, I think the tea was quite flavourful.  A more heavily oxidized tea was used which is understandable and it tasted a bit roasted.

The evening we went, there was a 2 for 1 special, buy one savory cream green oolong tea and get one free.  So, if you're looking for a different tea experience, try it out with a friend!  Word of caution:  I can see some people really disliking the savory cream as most people do enjoy sweet beverages.

Besides these savory cream teas, this small tea shop also offers some of the usual bubble tea flavours, white gourd teas, a few yakult (yogurt drink) teas, some coffee drinks (even a savory cream coffee) and Belgium waffles.  A few savory snacks like curry fish balls or Taiwanese popcorn chicken are also available.

Latte Mei

201 Dundas St. W (just east of University Ave.)

Toronto, ON  M5G 1C8

416-260-8887

Hrs:  M-F 11am-11pm, Sat-Sun 11am-midnight (not as late as uptown tea shops but there is minimal seating so understandable.)

 

Apparently, there is also a Markham location at the South Unionville Square.

Lambie Bubble Tea House (? ? ? ? ? ?)

For some time now, I've wanted to try out Lambie Bubble Tea House.  From the window you can see the sofa area which caught my eye the first time I passed by the tea house.  It was just the 2 of us so alas, it was unlikely the sofa would be given to us when a table was available.

It's a small tea house which I LIKE, giving it a cozy feel to it, much like the Green Grotto.  A mix of seating, some booths, tables, and 2 sofa areas for larger groups.  Board games and a small selection of magazines line the back wall, a mosaic of photos lines another, and right by the door, there is a wall of post-it notes for customers to post any comments or drawings.  Pretty CUTE.  Since my Chinese is quite poor, I didn't know what the Chinese name of the teahouse meant until I looked it up.  The meaning is something like "I have nothing to do anyways" or  "Idle, there is nothing to do" which is quite fitting since we often go to teahouses to relax, hang out with friends, or for some, to kill time.

(I didn't have my camera with me so pics were taken with the HTC Desire.)

Had dinner before going to Lambie so only ordered some drinks.  The menu is actually quite extensive and they do offer some unique options.  Besides the usually tapioca/jelly additions, they also had Kanten which is Japanese agar agar that is algae based.  I've only had it in Taiwan and it was quite popular in Japan many years ago.  This red type algae is said to be nutritious and provide a more satiating feeling due to the high fibre content.  So, of course I added that to my drink.

Ordered the guava green tea with kanten.  Pretty basic tea drink, not overly sweet which is good.  The kanten doesn't have much flavour but the texture is enjoyable.

One thing to note is the service, although nice, it was a bit slow.  We wanted to order but because of people getting take out (arriving after us), they were taken care of first.

Next time, I'll try the food.

Lambie Bubble Tea House

3235 Highway 7 East

Unionville, Ontario L3R3P3

Hours:  3:00 pm - 3:00 am

Tel:  (647) 729-2417

http://www.lambiebubbletea.ca

Wifi:  YES

Taiwan GABA Black Tea

I recently received some wonderful GABA Black Tea produced in Taiwan. GABA tea is not well known in North America but was first produced by the Japanese about 20 plus years ago. GABA or gamma-aminobutyric acid is an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system and has been studied for it's effects on lowering blood pressure and as an anti-stress or relaxing agent. GABA is also naturally present in tea and some other foods but the amount is enhanced when the tea is grown in a nitrogen rich environment.

Taiwan has been producing GABA tea for the Japanese and local market for many years. Here are some pics the GABA Black Tea, picked from Alishan mountain:

The leaves are a bit bulky, not all tightly rolled, black with some golden buds.

Amber/caramel liquor.
Aroma was sweet, like stone-fruit and also notes of longan fruit.
Taste was very nice, full body, a caramel like sweetness, notes of cinnamon, lingering aftertaste.

After 2 steeps, the leaves were still pretty tightly rolled.

I pulled some leaves out and most are a bud and 2 leaves and very long stems. They were quite beautiful and thick.

This tea delivered on taste and a nice relaxing feeling. But, I wasn't able to access many studies on GABA tea and health, so for now, I'll just enjoy the taste!

Sunday Afternoon Tea Series - #1

I love afternoon tea!

Last Sunday I hosted a Sunday Afternoon Tea event, focusing on green tea. It was a great way to share with my friends a little bit about green tea and have afternoon tea.

I showcased 5 green teas. As you can see, I used a glass tea pot to showcase the tea leaves while they brewed. To brew green tea, the most important thing to remember is to use water that is around 70-80 degrees Celcius or 160 - 175 degrees Fahrenheit. There are some green teas that may be best brewed outside this range but this is a general range for most. If you don't have a thermometer, I usually let the water sit for 4-5 mins, pour it into another vessel before pouring onto the tea, or adding a little bit of cold water to the tea leaves before pouring in the water.

So, onto the teas!

Tea #1: Japanese Sencha

Sencha is Japanese green tea which is steamed after harvesting giving it a grassy and slightly sweet taste to it. Some were able to taste a "umami" flavour (savory-like brothiness) to the tea. I had some feta cheese and crackers that really went well with the tea.

Tea #2: Chinese Longjing Dragonwell

Longjing or dragonwell green tea is a famous Chinese tea and was once known as a "tribute" tea, specially made for the imperial palace. Today it can be enjoyed by many. My friends thought it was quite interesting how the shape was flat and that it is made by pan-frying on a wok by hand. This is what I especially appreciate about this tea, that there is a level of skill required to processing this tea and that it is hand-processed, requiring a sensory knowledge to achieve the final product. The tea gives a vegetal yet slightly buttery taste which is nice.

weighing out 3g of tea (my pot was just under a cup in volume)

dry dragon well tea leaves

I had some fresh strawberries, dried pineapple slices, cashews, and salted edamame as snacks that might go well with the tea. Cashews went well with the tea and unfortunately I should have realized to provide a little more tea for my friends so they can sample more of the pairings!

Tea #3: Japanese Gyokuro

My friend had given me some dark emerald green Gyokuro tea. This tea is special in that it is grown under shade, possibly 14-30 days before harvesting. This results in a larger number of chlorophyll production by the leaves and thus a unique flavour profile. This tea tastes grassy and has strong notes of seaweed flavour to it.

To go with this tea, I made some tuna, fish roe, and cucumber sandwich rolls. I must say that I found the bread to be a little on the moist side. When making sandwiches I would recommend letting the bread dry out more before making.

Tea #4: Jasmine Tea Shaped into a Star

These tea leaves are wrapped by hand into a star shape with large buds. A beautiful jasmine aroma as expected was enjoyed; the taste was light, sweet and delicious. Traditionally, jasmine flowers are used to scent the leaves, done in multiple layers and over a series of drying periods. As the leaves dry, it picks up the aroma of the jasmine flower. High quality jasmine tea undergoes this lengthy processing and thus it is unlikely to find much of this kind due to the effort that goes into making this tea. In most cases, you won't see actual jasmine petals mixed in with the tea leaves because all the aroma has already gone into the leaves.

beautiful

Tea #5: Chinese Xin Yang Mao Jian "Hairy Tips" Green Tea

These tea leaves were very fine needle-like dark green leaves. If you look closely, you can see the small "hairy" white tips of the buds. The dry leaves had a strong aroma, somewhat salty and seaweed like. However, when brewed this tea had quite a strong vegetal taste to it, some bitterness to the tea also was apparent, but there was a lingering aftertaste. The liquor was also a cloudy yellow-green colour - similar to Sencha in the cloudiness but unlike the bright green of Sencha, it was duller.

Here are some other foods served at my afternoon tea. In some cases, if the tea is quite strong or bitter, the sweetness of the dessert balanced the flavour of the tea. In other cases where the taste of the tea was a little more mild, the sweetness of the dessert over-powered the tea.

Daifuku mochi (or mochi filled with red bean and strawberry)

Chestnut cream tart

Dark chocolate tart (on the right)

So, some additional notes about having a tea tasting that I think worked well:

1. Offer 5 different teas. I found this to be a good number that also gives a good variety without overwhelming.
2. Re-steep the tea or increase volume of tea made to allow your friends to have at 2-3 small cups of tea or one regular sized tea cup. Especially when food is served. This also allows for examining the taste of the teas more.
3. If offering food, offer savory and sweet snacks - 5 different snacks is also a good number.
4. Showing the leaf before and after the steep was appreciated.
5. If doing a tea tasting for those that are unfamiliar with tea, providing helpful hints on how to make the tea (especially loose leaf teas) is important.
6. Most importantly, enjoy the experience!!

Chrysanthemum Tea Jelly

Yesterday was an extremely hot and humid day in Toronto! I decided to make a chrysanthemum tea jelly with goji berries (also called wolfberries) since one, I was on vacation, and two, chrysanthemum tea is supposed to be "cooling" which makes it perfect for such a day. This is a traditional Chinese dessert where chrysanthemum and goji berries are often brewed into a tea.

Goji berries are also used in traditional soups but they have become popular because of the purposed health benefits associated with the antioxidants. But, the amount I used here won't supply very much. One interesting fact I found out about the goji berry is that the propagation of the plant in Ningxia, China (this area has been growing the plant for over 600 years) helps to turn desert areas into arable land and prevent the spread of desertification that would make the land useless. Check out this article in the Beijing Review.

Set in a jelly mold with different flower and leaf shapes.

You'll notice the chrysanthemum flowers in the picture are very small. You may also find larger blossoms sold in an Asian supermarket (I actually used larger yellow ones in the recipe as they are less expensive). Chrysanthemums were first cultivated in China and have been prized for their beauty since ancient times. There are many varieties of Chrysanthemum flowers, but the ones used in making tea are usually white or yellow blossoms.

Enjoy the jelly alone or with some Long Jing Dragonwell green tea. The chrysanthemum taste went well with the green tea grassy taste but the sweetness of the jelly also accented the slight bitterness in the tea.

For those interested in the recipe:

Ingredients:
5g agar-agar (strips)
20g dried chrysanthemum flowers (i like my flavour to be strong so you can use less if you prefer a more mild taste)
1.5 cups boiling water
700ml of water
1/2c of granulated sugar

Instructions:
1. Soak the agar-agar strips in water for 1 hour and cut into tiny pieces.
2. Steep the chrysanthemum flowers in the boiling water for 30 mins. (Steep time may be reduced as desired.)
3. Bring the 700ml of water to a boil and add the agar-agar. Reduce the heat to medium, put the lid back on but slightly ajar, ensure the water is still lightly boiling.
4. Dissolve the agar-agar in the water mixture, stirring occasionally. It will take 10-15 mins to dissolve.
5. Add the sugar to the agar-agar water. You can adjust the sugar amount to your liking. I have made this with just under a 1/2 cup of sugar and it still tastes great.
6. Turn off the heat. Drain the chrysanthemum flowers, add the resulting tea to the agar-agar water.
7. Pour the liquid into a pan or mold and let sit. The jelly will set at room temperature but you can put into the fridge once cooled.

Torta Frangipane with Fujian BaiLin Black Tea

I recently came across this Italian cookbook titled "Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well" by Pellegrino Artusi. It was first published in 1891 in Italian and later translated into English. As I looked through the books at a used book store, this book caught my interest as it was an old cookbook and focused on Italian cooking and baking. I was looking for some desserts that are not too sweet (like a number of Asian desserts) that would pair with tea and not overpower it. Desserts that were light on sweetness but still very satisfying.

As I flipped through the dessert section, I realized that it was very bare on instructions. No mention of how long it would take to bake or temperature of the oven. Sometimes ingredients would also be missing. But, despite this, I decided to go with a "Torta Frangipane" recipe that was also missing the quantity of butter that is required in the recipe. I also later found out that most "frangipane" recipes include ground almonds or almond meal.

It turned out to be a dense cake and somewhat like a cheesecake without the cheese. Not too sweet but I think I may just add a bit more butter the next time. The recipe also called for potato flour but I used regular all purpose flour as potato flour isn't very common. I'm going to try the recipe again with a few more modifications.

I added lemon curd to it for added flavour.

I paired this cake with a Fujian Bai Lin Black Tea. This black tea did not have many golden tips that are characteristic of a higher grade Bai Lin, it was more basic for everyday. The flavour of the tea was still quite nice, a delicate tea with some maltiness and sweet fruit and caramel notes to it. It went well with the "Torta" as it wasn't too sweet so the flavours of the tea were still noticeable. Also, the hint of lemon could still be tasted in the cake as the tea wasn't too strong as to overpower it which makes for a great pairing!


Higher quality Bai Lin tea is usually called Bai Lin Gong Fu Black Tea which indicates that it is well made or made with much effort. It is made from a white tea varietal and is hand processed. Besides caramel notes, I have read that hints of dark chocolate could also be present.

Iced Baozhong/Pouchong Tea

After living in Taiwan for a year and having easy access to really flavourful iced teas, I find myself trying to make them often.

One of my favourite iced teas is using Baozhong or Pouchong Tea. It is light, floral, and sweet. I used almost 8g of tea for about 1 cup of iced tea as I was going to add ice which would dilute the tea. However, it can be brewed a few times to yield more cups of tea.

The tea leaves, these were machine reaped from the Wenshan area in Taiwan.

I also made some basil syrup water. Dissolved equal parts water with sugar and infused fresh basil leaves approximately 3 stems in 1/2cup (125ml) of sugar water.

Brewed the tea hot, then added ice to cool it down (3 cubes), added the syrup, and shook it in a cocktail shaker.

Halfway through drinking, I thought it needed something else. Decided to added sliced strawberries which really went well with the basil and tea. Refreshing and more balanced. Next time I'll add at the start!