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Japanese Cherry White Tea

WHEN YOU STEP into Michi, there is a particular scent in the air, like mimosa and leather and iris. It is yet to be established whether the scent is intentional ambiance or the result of the new leather furniture in this spanking new café: Michi Waffle and Espresso Bar is a Japanese dessert and beverages cafe that opened on Robson less than 3 months ago, in March 2010. Besides espresso and waffles, they also offer a nice selection of small desserts (Madeleines, tuiles, and the most amazing matcha shortbread I have ever tasted in my life), plus fascinating Japanese smoothies such as matcha with red bean, and fresh taro root. I only discovered it now and it instantly became a favourite spot for neither espresso nor waffles (which I am yet to try), but… tea!

And to be more precise, their organic Japanese cherry white tea. I picked that tea first for a reason - I thought it could serve as a good indicator of the quality of teas overall in that location. Cherry flavours (and cherry-flavoured teas are no exception) are usually very artificial-tasting with a fierce bitter-almond aroma that I’m not fond of at all. I was hoping the fact that it is labeled as “organic” makes for a high probability that there will be none of the artificial flavouring. Thankfully, I was not only spared the bitterness, but also pleasantly surprised: As it turns out, this particular tea is stunning!

The white tea leaves are lightly infused with the light aroma of cherry blossoms: a delicate floral aroma that is a little hard to describe, but has a transparent, floral-nutty and soft texture. There is no bitterness from either the tea leaf or the cherry blossoms. It’s exceptionally beautiful and I only wish I have discovered it earlier, as it would have made a wonderful way to celebrate the sakura season while it still lasted. Oh well, there is always next year!

The other teas at Michi all seem rather promising, or at least decent, including organic jasmine green tea, English Breakfast, Assam, Earl Gray, a few Rooibos flavours and a selection of herbal teas that includes the more obscure rose petals and osmanthus blossom. All teas are served in individual glass teapots that are re-steeped upon request up to several times (and must, because the tea becomes too strong after a while – so be sure to request for more water or remove the strainer before it gets to that point). In fact, I think that a teapot might be better for sharing with another person. Which is really how all teas should be served in, rather than a paper cup with a tea bag.

And there is something to be said about the atmosphere at this place –the décor is sleek and minimalist with dark leather furniture and hardwood floors, an whole spread of fashion magazine in English and Japanese, and a nice lounge by the front windows with couches that would make for a perfect spot for catching up with a few friends. And if you come here alone the staff is as friendly and helpful as you could ever hope for.

Michi is located on 1319 Robson Street, corner with Jervis. Tel. (604) 568-8750

P.s. this article was originally posted June 3rd but was accidentally deleted due to Blogger tech issues today. I have recovered it and posted it again.

Hanami Tea Party


It's all in the details..., originally uploaded by Ayala Moriel.

This weekend was dedicated to the Vernal Equinox and welcoming spring with a flower-viewing tea party aka Hanami. Hanami is the Japanese flower-viewing parties, taken place under blooming trees in nature as well as urban Japanese gardens everywhere during the sakura peak blooming season.

From a very young age, I had high regard to Japanese culture and everything Japanese seems to possess such refinement and poise. My mental vision of hanami comprised of geishas and samurai (or just modern day people dressed up in kimono and obi) writing haiku poetry on rice paper under the cherry trees, playing the koto and performing chado ceremonies. I could not have been more far than the truth: Hanami is for the most part a picnic under the cherry trees, where everyone gets completely drunk with sake. An outdoors happy hour of sorts. The most popular spots for Hanami get packed pretty quickly, so companies and offices send their rookie employees to go early in the day and reserve a good spot while the more senior staff keep getting work done till the end of the day. By than, I heard, the rookies are quite thoroughly drunk and can be easily made fun of for the rest of the evening…


Spontaneous Hanami Picnic on Bute street, originally uploaded by Ayala Moriel.

The custom of drinking sake under the cherry trees originates in Shinto (the native religion of Japan) tradition of making a sake offering to the spirit of the trees during the sakura blossom season.


The weather was a fickle spring day, not nice enough to do a picnic (which is how a hanami should be celebrated!). And in any case, drinking outdoors is illegal in Vancouver and I did not want to get into trouble with the authorities so I would have felt really guilty if it was a beautiful picnic day and had to keep everyone indoors for my tea brewing and perfume sniffing!

Ambiance

In my Japanese sachet..., originally uploaded by Ayala Moriel.

I love creating ambiance with small details, which sometime I can get carried away with. The napkins, for example, were almost too pretty to use (they are made of pearlescent paper!). I also burnt a Japanese ume incense before the guests arrived, and they could even smell it from the hallways. Another part of the ambiance was flowers, and lots of them. Including a giant bouquet of hyacinth which ended up in the guest bathroom because otherwise no one would have been able to smell the perfume or taste their teas and food without thinking about hyacinths! They are so strong.

The Flowers


Camellias, originally uploaded by Ayala Moriel.

Did you know that Camelias are from the same family as tea?

The flower arrangements, like the incense, create an ambiance. I didn't think I will be able to get the flowers I need in a flower shop, so I just picked them up myself all over the West End. I even got scolded once by a passer-by's "you're not suppose to". But I felt that since I was doing this for my guests, it's still part of sharing the community's flowers and I didn't really feel guilty at all (I don't normally roam around the neighbourhood picking up flowers after all, the most I would do normally is steal their soul by taking a photo).

I tried to keep it all quite minimalistic, a-la-ikebana, which I no very little about and was happy with the result. It was my modern and personal interpretation of the season and I also incorporated some botanical symbolism into it (more about that later though!).


Early B-Day Gift, originally uploaded by Ayala Moriel.

One of the tea party guests was so thoughtful and sweet: she noticed on FB that my b-day is only two days away and got me a bouquet of my favourite flowers: freesias!


Magnolias, so fragrant and surprisingly spicy. Unfortunately they wilted a little faster than I hoped (the same evening as picking...).


Hyacinths, originally uploaded by Ayala Moriel.

The Menue


Tea Tray, originally uploaded by Ayala Moriel.

1st Tier: Sushi & Savouries

Ume-Shiso Sushi, originally uploaded by Ayala Moriel.


Tea Tray, originally uploaded by Ayala Moriel.

Ume-Shiso Sushi
Avocado & Japanese Pickled Ginger Tea Sandwiches
Ginger-Carrot Tea Sandwiches
Cucumber-Wasabi Tea sandwiches
Kosho (Hot Green Pepper & Yuzu paste) Tea Sandwiches

The ume-shiso sushi was something I tried last summer at the sushi bar in K-Mart (the Korean market on Robson street, which is also where I get the perfect bread for the tea sandwiches). I wanted to order from them a bunch for the party, but they stopped making them (it is not exactly shiso season yet, so that's understandable). Thankfully, the konbiniya (aka Japanese convenience store on Robson) had some fresh shiso leaves, so I was able to try to mimic what the restaurant did (total failure, because I always put too much rice in my rolls, and also the seaweed would have gotten too soggy by the time the guests arrives; so I stopped myself after one roll). Instead, I invented these little nigiris, using the rice molds in Tamya's sushi kit. I filled them with some ume paste and black sesame seeds, and wrapped them in shiso leaf, which remained fresh and pretty for hours.

As for the sandwhiches - the avocado is drizzled with yuzu juice to prevent it from discolouring. I've really enjoyed the tea-time-meet-Japanese cuisine adventure!

2nd Tier: Scones
Buckwheat Scones & Povidel (Eastern European Prune butter)

Buckwheat scones, originally uploaded by Ayala Moriel.

I tested these prior to the party with three different condiments/jams - ume (sour plum) paste (see above) and cherry & carnation jam, and povidel (prune preserve). The last choice seems to complement the buckwheat the best so that's how they were served in the end.

3rd Tier: Sweets

Tea Tray, originally uploaded by Ayala Moriel.

Sakuramochi (Cherry Blossom pastries)
Charisma Truffles - with matcha, spearmint and jasmine
Hanami Truffles - with ground tonka bean, lotus, tuberose and magnolia
Black Sesame Shortbread Cookies
Torti di Grano Saraceno (Northern Italian buckwheat and almond torte with raspberry filling).

The Teas


DSC09930, originally uploaded by Ayala Moriel.

First guests at the tea party are experiencing the white tea blend.

Sake and a fine selection of teas were served, including white, green, oolong and black teas.
More about the teas in the following post about the spring-welcoming tea ceremony.

Mental Note: Green Powder Addiction


sencha in blue, originally uploaded by pzed.


I am willing to admit of having one addiction.
Matcha.
Perhaps the only thing I drink (almost) every day.

Today's mental note is for the scent of green tea. There are many types and grades. But I'm particularly smitten with the ones grown in Japan. The other day, my friend Junichi gave me a couple of tea bags that are a non-traditional alternative (shall I say sacrilege? But since it was given to him by his mother, who is Japanese through and through I think it can be trusted) for a loose-leaf brewed tea. It's a blend of sencha leaves and matcha powder. I couldn't help but deelpy inhale this green goodness (only to find some suspicious green powder residue up my nostrils a bit later...). What a way to start the day.
The brand I believe to be Kirkland and it is quite good actually. I particularly like the fact that the tea bag is not made of paper but of some kind of sheer fabric of sorts, through which the appearance and aroma of the leaves and the matcha powder comes across quite invitingly.

And throughout the day I was sipping not matcha, but my own (first) tea invention: jasmine tea with lemon verbena leaves (the latter are organically grown at my mother's garden, harvested, dried and packed with plenty of love which makes it taste all the more magnificent).

Today was an ode to tea. Of the green kind.
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