Spot #22 Revisit:

Tyme for Tea & Co.

37501 Niles Boulevard Fremont, CA 94536

tymefortea.com

At first I was like mad + annoyed at having to write this review…and now (after looking through all those old pics), I’m just sad.

Continuing the last bits of this Leg of the Tour and going to old adored Spots… OF COURSE, Tyme for Tea would be included. It’s where I hosted my first tea party, it was number 1 on my raTEAngs list for years (before I met Muir’s, but still remained a close 2nd), and a go-to spot not just because it’s so close to me but also cuz it was good. I was looking forward to it, it was like a no-brainer. This place would be as it’s always been: good tea, good food, good ambiance. It was also the first time we were going to have a ‘Couples Tea’ on the Tour! My husband + I invited new friends; she had been on the Tour already and her husband was a first-timer (to afternoon tea too yay!). Recipe for a great afternoon!

Then…

I went inside.

It was so gloomy in there. Almost gray. It was only minutes away from our seating time, and all I saw were bare pink tables. I thought- they better hurry up with all their doilies + flowers cuz we ready! But they weren’t. They weren’t setting ANYTHING up. They put some cups on the table and called it a day yall. Look.

Not long after we were seated, they just started bringing stuff. I hadn’t even had the chance to tell my friend’s husband he gets to pick his own pot of tea…and here came 2 teapots. Apparently, they have set tea now on the weekends. Their House Blend (which has always been this kiwi strawberry) and a Raspberry. They did say we could request decaf and (maybe because they saw the disbelief in my face) offered to make another tea if we desired. But we couldn’t even refuse these (if we didn’t want em), cuz they were already here!? We had em, and they were alright. I actually was pleasantly surprised about the Raspberry.

The other thing they brought was a plate with their scone and a tiny spoonful of each fixing. It was Lemon Blueberry today and so much THINNER than usual. There was no slicing it open, cuz it wasn’t wide enough for 2 slices! I didn’t even use my knife to spread any cream or preserves, because there wouldn’t be much leftover for the rest of my bites!? I just kinda dipped my joint in there haha. Yall think I’m playin, look!

I legit wanted to cry when the tier came out. “Step right up, hurry hurry, before the show begins… My friends… There’s got to be no sadder show to see!” (paraphrasing “Sideshow” by Blue Magic) Not even a freakin rose!! (excuse my language)

I did take individual shots of each item like I usually do, but I didn’t want to make this post sadder than it had to be. I’m just including a shot of all of em at once.

Cucumber – dry, tho I always like the radish they put in there

Chicken Pecan – much thinner, and DRIER!? Like they didn’t use enough mayo or put liver in it or something

Cheese Crostini – same, but drier

Pinwheel Pastry – good salty cheddar, like a cheez-it; asked the name again cuz I forgot, and the dood told me it was spinach!? I didn’t taste anything spinach about it or see anything green in there, ohhkaay…

Mushroom Tart – this one was good, very crispy phyllo, but like one mushroom only

I wasn’t happy with not allowing my guests to try teas that they WANTED, so I requested new pots. They chose a Cinnamon Orange and I picked Jackfruit Honey (that one sounded so different). The first was all cinnamon + heavily steeped, and the latter tasted like honey Halls (you know, the cough drop). The only good thing about that was those were my Daddy’s jam back in the day when he was sick, so I got a little nostalgia from it.

I knew the sweets were coming, but I almost didn’t even want to look at them. The travesty I was anticipating was real.

Cheesecake – tasted like it was made with cheap artificial vanilla extract

Petit Fours – cake was dry, outside coating tasted like plastic

Shortbread – very crunchy, that one was okay

If anything, at least the customer service was still good. Except the smell of Windex while finishing our meal wasn’t ideal. The Huz said “Did they always rush their patrons? At 2:45, are we cutting into your time?” (we had a 1:30p seating) They went downhill yall. I just kept saying how sad I was, like I was so disappointed. Thankfully my husband had lots to say, cuz I couldn’t form sentences. He was saying he gets it, you want to keep the same price point…but not to the detriment of your business model. And that it was so boring. One dimensional, no character. You return to something expecting to be wowed, but nothing is there.

Later he asked me what the saddest part for me was. I would have to say the scones. This was the first place I had scones the proper way: warmed and with all the fixings. On my podcast interview with Talk Tea To Me, I said they had the Best Scone of the entire Tour!! I’m now giving that award to Claremont.

It was really hard for me to write this review. I didn’t want to do it. I kept procrastinating on it. There’s so much history there!! I’ve hosted a good two-handfuls of tea parties here. When I had my old tea company, they hosted a Meet & Greet for our brand (since they wanted to start serving our teas there). They used to sell our teas as a matter of fact. But to my loyal Readers, what does this tell you? YOU WILL ALWAYS GET THE 100 REAL DEAL FROM ME. Even if I have to share some bad news about a place I loved. And if you know me well, you’ll know I love me a good receipt. I went through my archives and pulled some shots to show you what they used to be about…so you know I’m not just sayin stuff. I always come prepared with backup.

Exhibit A: warm atmosphere

Exhibit B: well decorated tablescape

Exhibit C: FULL helpings of scone fixings

Exhibit D: beautiful tier with FAT Chicken Pecan tea sandwich

Exhibit E + F: Our very successful Meet & Greet hosted by Tyme for Tea, we sold out!

Exhibit G: Low stock of our teas being sold at Tyme for Tea

I probably won’t be coming back to Tyme for Tea again. Unless I’m invited to a loved one’s bridal or baby shower or something. But even then, if I have to pay- I won’t be coming. And this is the first time in parTEA with me History that I will me moving a Spot down on my raTEAng. (I won’t say where, you’ll have to wait and see…but it’s bad, jus sayin) I am shattered about this. But I will always give you my brutal honesty. And I wouldn’t want you paying afternoon tea prices (which are not cheap) for less than mediocre tea + food. To our sweet guests + new friends, our sincerest apologies! My husband even told them that Tyme for Tea was my afternoon tea standard and what I base my reviews off of… We need a do-over yall!! We’ll do Tea again with you two soon enough. We still had an amazing time with you guys, laughing it up all afternoon and finding so many similarities! Readers/Followers/Donators- Thank you for appreciating my candor + transparency. I don’t want you to spend money on bad tea!! I really am a Nice Girl. (wink)

All Tyme for Tea & Co. related posts:

Spot #22 :: Tyme for Tea & Co. [LAST SPOT]

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Spot #10 Revisit:

Dartealing Lounge

470 Third Street San Francisco, CA 94107

www.dartealinglounge.com

I did a lot of dancing today. And I don’t dance.

Okay so- when we first came on the Tour, that was in April 2015. And in my Dartealing post, I ended it with and I quote: “I would come back for the sandwiches alone.” That’s exactly what we did. I had been back a few times before today, but this time was on official Tour business! 😉 I have been to Tea Spots where they had one really good standout tea sandwich…but this place, ohh this place. EVERY SINGLE ONE of their tea sandwiches is a banger!! (and I don’t even use that kind of today’s language) I’m just running out of descriptive words for something so inexplicably, ridiculously GOOD. (or at least, appealing to the modern generation hehe)

Another reason I love to come here is for their decor. I’ve mentioned it a couple times since my podcast interview with Talk Tea To Me Podcast, that one of the main reasons I fell in love with afternoon tea is because of my interest in interior design. When I visit new Tea Spots, I am also taking in all the little details in every corner of their tea room. I love the ones that are set in a home (like: the White Hart Tea Room, the Pardee Home, and Muir’s of course). And even tho they’ve closed, super eclectic like Satori and super shabby chic like the English Rose (ugh, that one still hurts). So when I step into Dartealing, I appreciate all the little stories in each seating area. Major vibes!! (I don’t know what’s happening to me in this blog post!? Another current day word)

It’s really nice, this time around we didn’t have to pre-order. They have a set menu now, and then you can add on some specials. But first, tea!

There were 4 of us- oh! I didn’t even tell you who I brought with me!? I had the OG’s in our party today. Gorgeous drive into the City together. It was like cloudy up high, but so so clear down low…like you could see all the bridges. It was strange, a little eerie, and beautiful all at the same time. I seriously wish I had gotten a picture, but I was being present and knew by the time I fumbled with my camera it would all be over. Anyway, here are the 4 choices we picked:

Mr. Carson’s Secret Stash (toffee notes, vanilla, subtle fruit notes, full body, organic blend) – Perfect choice for me! Needs a good deep steep, and then it’s like coffee’ish!

Cherry Blossom Bliss (Japanese sencha, morning rose petals, notes of cherries, bright finish) – Already smelled like spa! I love it.

Cabana Boy (strawberry, papaya, sweet fruit notes, fragrant medium body finish) – My girl said “love this one, ooh something hit me at the end… You could taste the green tea, and then the mango at the end…” It smelled so tropical, but then also a little spicy. The strawberry is unexpected in a tropical blend, but was nice.

#tajmahal (bergamot, cardamom, spices, organic, limited edition blend) – This was my 2nd choice, so I’m glad someone picked it. You can really taste the cardamom, which I love!

I love my OG’s cuz they been in this game with me since Day One. They know the drill, it’s comfy, it’s safe, it’s easy, it’s funny, it’s love, it’s crying (someone always cries)! Girlfriend was leaned over all the way to the right, whilst my hip was pretty much resting on her shoulder so I could get these shots of this tier without disturbing the party next to us and getting them in my shot!! (yall know I’m exaggerating)

Cucumber, Arugula & Shaved Radish – It’s always fun when they do something a little different with the cucumber. And they already had me at ‘arugula’. But this was sweeter!? Not usual in your typical cucumber tea sandwich. I danced.

Brie, Quince Jelly & Apple – So this one usually has sweet pepper jelly instead, but they ran out. We were sad, but the quince was still good! And you could tell this was a really good quality brie, YUM.

Ham, Gouda & Spicy Garlicky Aioli – My notes said ‘This tastes like I’m at a party!’ You know when you go to a party and they serve you some bomb-dot-com food!? Yeah, that’s what I felt like. I really danced!! And the spicy wasn’t too much. My girl said it was an “explosion of flavors!”

Because I’m a self-proclaimed certified Fat Girl (we’re honest here right??) (No disrespect to anyone, including myself- this is a legit term of endearment in my house!! Get on board and no need to “school” me on PC ways to write, we are BODY POSITIVE around here and I am allowed to call myself what I want), I wanted to order BOTH Tea Sandwich Specials!! LOL. And thankfully, my girls wanted in too. I mean, we came here for the sandwiches right?!

Salmon Dill Honey Mustard – It’s really hard to come up with words to explain these sandwiches, because they are really just so good- there aren’t any English words to explain these flavors!? For such little bites (I think it takes 3 for me), there are entire FULL experiences!! You just have to come here and try. I’m serious. The mustard in this one was soooo gooooood!! (I’m whining)

Fish n’ Chips – This is the precise sandwich I came back for. It wasn’t here for our initial visit, but I had had it when I came back one of the other times. And- I wanna cry. When you order it, it comes freshly made + warm and in 4 servings. I LEGIT wanted to order another 4 just for myself!! Haha, mad greedy huh!? The flavors are incredible, and there’s a crunch from the ‘chip’ part. (SIGH) If anything, come to Dartealing Lounge just for this sandwich okay?? Did you hear me?!

Savory Tea Hors D’oeuvre (Black Bean Empanada) – The girls loved this one! The pastry was well done, the beans were not dry, and the toppings complimented it stunningly.

English-Style Pork Sausage Roll – You could taste each individual ingredient + spice these were made with. So good.

Strawberry Rose Scone – “I wanna sing!” my girl exclaimed, as she was enjoying her scone. Crispy edges (check), fluffy insides (check). The cream + preserves made it so decadent. And the rose was just slight, didn’t taste like perfume. Yum, just yum.

Assortment of Petit Tea Sweets (Raspberry Streusel) – A nice good chunky chewy bite!

Assortment of Petit Tea Sweets (Cheesecake) – A lot of “MMMM” and whining and dancing for one little bite of cheesecake. I could have had a whole tin to myself. (see, F– Girl!)

Seasonal Shortbread Cookie (Red Velvet) – Good sturdy cookie, not too sweet at all.

So what made this visit really special… Aside from the spectacular sandwiches, the amazing decor, and my comfy girlfriends… The owner came out to meet with us. In conversation I had mentioned to our sweet server that we were part of the Tour, and shortly after the gorgeous genius of this all came out herself! It was so kind of her to allow us to have a peek inside her head, on the inspo to her tea house. This was mid-meal. But AFTER the meal, she came back again. That’s when you know a genuine connection was made. And for my girls, that was really special to them. Doing this for as long as I have + as often as I get to, I have had the opportunity to meet some awesome human beings behind operations of some brilliant tea rooms + restaurants. So I was grateful that the girls got to experience that part too. Customer service here is top notch as well. My lovely Readers + Followers, if you haven’t already- treat yourself to a fantastic tea service at Dartealing. Tell them I sent you! (kissy face emojis) Maybe you’ll see me there…behind the pile of fish + chip sandwiches!! Hahah!

All Dartealing Lounge related posts:

Spot #10 :: Dartealing Lounge

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With the exception of Muir’s last spring, the end of our 3rd Leg is full of Revisits to Tea Spots from the start of the Tour almost 10 years ago!! I’ve given them their own Superlatives too, so be in expectation of Best Sandwiches, Best Everything, Best Experience, and Best Venue coming very soon! But for now, let’s focus on Best Tea…

Spot #18 Revisit:

Lovey’s Tea Shoppe

4430 Coast Highway Pacifica, CA 94044

www.loveysteashoppe.com

Different trim, different sign, and a few new galvanized tub planters in the front… Still the cutest random building along the highway! We often passed by Lovey’s on the way to our beach for Beach Days, and every single time- I would point to it and say aloud in the car ‘See YOU later!’, like the cool mom that I am. (shrugs) Hahah!

The inside looks a lot different than before. Right when you walk in, there’s a gorgeous curio cabinet filled with all the cup + saucer sets you could ever want…their teas, and different trinkets + jewelry to shop. To the left, maybe like 4 tables for guests. And then the right side is their like office space. Uuuultra intimate!! And we LOVED it. We had the place all to ourselves for a bit.

I took 2 of my darling friends. When my family moved to our new city 2 years ago, we quickly connected. Which we all kind of laugh at, cuz we don’t just do that with people. But as I always say, “Real recognize Real.” So, we felt that familial bond early in. They are fleshly sisters and are both caregivers as well. Hardworking + giving women. *Shout Out* to all the Caregivers out there!! And to all the ones accepting the caretaking too, I see you.

I loved this table. I was trying to measure it with my eyes, cuz we are on the market for a new dining table at home hehe. It was the perfect size, and we had so much space for just the 3 of us.

LOTS of teas to choose from…hold on. [I counted] 50 teas PLUS like 4 or 5 featured teas of the month. Now usually, that would overwhelm me. But since I came to this place especially for the tea- I was game! I’m just gonna list all the ones I was interested in ordering cuuuz I want to!!

Black Vanilla w/ Lavender

Black Vanilla

Black Currant

CHESTNUT

Chocolate Raspberry

White Peach

Lychee Rose Green

Vanilla Rooibos

Vanilla Rooibos Chai

Pacifica Blue

Now you know what you can look forward to when you come!

Okay so, we didn’t get those. HAHA. 2 of us ordered from their Specials, and 1 of us ordered a different one on the menu.

Earl’s Chocolate Cream (special) – This was explained as a ‘chocolate earl grey’. You all know I love me a creamy earl grey…but, I’ve never had a chocolate one. So intriguing right?! So glad my friend chose this one, cuz I wanted to try it too! Her first sip, she said “MMM!” It really was the creamiest.

Chocolate Cherry Bliss (special) – This one was my choice. Not usually a chocolate tea-lover, not usually a cherry tea-lover either. But these two together?? Bring it on sister! You could tell right away it was chocolate AND cherry, no question about it. Choc up front then cherry in the back, and ooh it was good!

Chocolate Truffle (regular menu) – She said you didn’t need anything with it. And that my friends, is how you can tell a good quality cuppa. When there’s no need for sugar or cream or honey or lemon to “doctor up” your cup, that is high quality tea. What was fascinating about this one- it didn’t smell like my chocolate [tea]. It smelled like a legit truffle!! There was a noticeable difference and this one was indeed Chocolate TRUFFLE tea.

Adorable wallpapered background for this tier shot!

Cucumber with Dill Cream Cheese – These were thicker cuts of cucumber we were dealing with here, and I liked it!! Nice crunch, and the dill was faint.

Coronation (Curried) Chicken Salad – The curry in this chicken salad was the perfect amount. My favorite sandwich from the bunch!

Ham with Marionberry Jam & Market Greens – I didn’t even know how to describe this one…!? It was complex, but a good complex. And the bread was so soft!

By this time, we were all gulping our teas. “I’m gulping!” my girl says.

Sliced Green Apple with Cheddar and Pub Mustard – This one had really fun textures together.

My friend wanted to try another tea. I love when tea rooms allow this! I mean, when you offer so many, you can’t fault your guests for wanting to try more than the one pot that comes with their tea service. This is a TEA party right? So for me, it speaks volumes when a Spot allows you to switch out or try more than one. Big points!

Peach Bellini – She said “I like this, I like this, I like this!” That it kept tasting different after every sip. I thought it smelled so delightful, I wanted a perfume of it!! Hehe. She loved it so much, she even bought some!

They let you choose your scones here! It was either Honey Pecan or Lemon Ginger today. Two of us got the pecan, and my other friend is a ginger-girl so that was a no-brainer choice for her.

Honey Pecan – It was so fluffy, almost cake like. Loved the crunchy pecans.

Lemon Ginger – My girl “Loved” hers! Her sister even liked it better than ours. They bought some of those too!

Crumpet – Aren’t those tiny butter hearts just the cutest!? Are you gonna say it with me this time? All together now: “I love when they serve crumpets!!” These were the chewiest. And they really like the lemon curd!

At the end of your tea service, they come around with their Sweets Tray! Today’s had: 2 different types of petit fours, a big cookie, and 2 different types of truffles. You get to pick one. (But I really wish we could have chosen TWO hehe!)

Tiramisu Truffle – I chose this one cuz it was the most different aand cuz it’s my husband’s favorite. (smiley face) I knew I would only take a bite and take the rest of it home to him. Creamy texture, yum!

I didn’t notice this the last time… But, they have the sweetest outdoor set up!

I’m so happy we got to revisit Lovey’s. Even tho we pass it often, I haven’t been back to have tea since February 2016!! (I didn’t realize I had scheduled this visit in the same month!? How neat) What I had written about in my initial review still stands true- beautiful customer service. I wish I could go into detail for exactly how they accommodated our party, but I’ll leave that between us. (wink) Just know that they took GOOD CARE of our Caregivers, and my girls loved this place! “Superb” pick, is what one of them told me. Always makes me feel good to know that I chose a good spot for my tea-loving friends too!

If you are looking for an afternoon tea with really high quality tea, this is your place.

A bonus for me is it’s by the water. I grew up fishing with my Daddy at Pacifica Pier, so making the walk down to the ocean is my biggest treat after having tea there. The waves were feisty and we got a good fix of some Salt Water Therapy!! Ugh, I could have stood there all day…

All Lovey’s Tea Shoppe related posts:

Spot #18 :: Lovey’s Tea Shoppe

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Our 41st Spot:

Chelokababi Persian Cuisine

1236 S Wolfe Road Sunnyvale, CA 94086

www.chelokababi.com

It was cute cuz I got a few tags + messages about this place…but I already had reservations! I’m a Detective, I’m tellin you! Doesn’t look like much outside, but when you go inside- (open mouth emoji) you really can’t tell a book by its cover. It was busy tho, so I took a few pics at the end of our visit when people started clearing out… You’ll see those at the end.

I’ve never had a “Persian” Tea before. I always get excited to try new themes of tea. We do have a Persian friend who used to love to cook for us, and his food was always good! So if it was anything like that, we were in for a really good meal!

Another treat to this Tea was that we had a visitor all the way from England able to come!! So we got to listen to that sweet accent the whole afternoon hehe. Also a first: a co-ed Tea! Here’s how that went… Since this was a squeezed in Spot (they just starting serving Afternoon Tea this past September) (and you know we do our best to get in as soon as possible), I hadn’t the faintest idea who to take with me and who would be interested in Persian Tea. I put a question sticker on my IG Stories, asking who liked Persian food. One of my friends responded, so I thought of taking her + her bestie (also a friend of mine). When I told the Huz I was going to try a Persian Tea, he said he was interested in going to that one! Ay-yay-yay! Fine, let’s all go!! The girls happen to have their friend from England visiting at the time, so it was an honor to have her join the Tour! Our original girlfriend ended up not being able to make it (missed you babe)…so it was just Mrs. Mamoa, England love, the Huz and me!

[Disclaimer: These photos coming up will not do this place and their food any justice. There was a beautiful ambiance and breathtaking environment. However, the yellowy spotlight directly over my head, created a terrible shadow of my growing baby hairs over each shot. So, I had to take my photos so far so as to not highlight my hair growth, lol. I also decided too late to just use my iPhone instead of fuss with my DSLR settings, so I’ll throw the few of those I took in there too.]

I’m usually not a fan of small amount of tea options. BUT- they have such amazing choices for the 6 that they offer, there was no complaint from me at all! Since there were 4 of us, we each chose a different one so we could try lots.

Persian Tea (An elegant rich blend of Earl Grey, Ceylon, and oil of Bergamot) – So glad my girl chose this one, cuz (well first, how do you go to a Persian Tea without ordering their Persian tea??) this one ended up being my favorite from the table. A really delicious earl grey.

Flora Green (Luxury flowering infusion of Premium Green Tea, Jasmine, and Rose) – My choice. If I can remember back (gosh, from over 40 Teas!), I wanna say this is the first we’ve been served a flowering tea!? So pretty! This one was faint in flavor, but still good.

Saffron Tea (Organically grown Saffron, Rose bud, Jasmin blossoms and Osmanthus) – The most intriguing of the batch for sure. My notes said “light, beautiful, so good.”

Holiday Basket (Black tea with Rose buds, Peppermint, Safflower, dried orange, and cranberries) – This one smelled so minty! It was minty but also creamy. I love me a creamy tea! Made me think of sweet mint gum…in a good way.

So, a tier came out… And I was so happy (a little confused, but mostly happy), that there was more than one each per person!!?! That was so fun to see!! Wasn’t quite 2 for each of us, but at least you can have more than 1 of an item. I loved that. We made sure we all had at least one each to try, then divvied up the rest. (Again, this is the best pic I got. So imagine what the others looked like!? I have better video of this tier…make sure you’re following us on Instagram!)

Smoked Salmon Bites – These weren’t like your traditional smoked salmon you get at usual afternoon tea spots. It was like a ‘moussed’ salmon! ”Very dilly”, says England love. The carrot was super crunchy (P.S. I love heirloom carrots.) and bread was chewy.

[iPhone shot]

Kalbas (Mortadella lavash rolls with petite Persian pickles and tomato aioli) – Didn’t realize why I loved this one so much til just now, typing the description from their menu. I love Mortadella!! (my Italian roots are clapping!) But this one was a bit different. I knew there was some sort of cold cut or sliced meat, but couldn’t put my finger on which exactly. But the picklessss (I’m whining) MADE this for me. There was also a little heat in the back, which I appreciated. The flavors + textures just all worked so well together in this one. I wasn’t shy about saying I wanted a 2nd piece!! Hehe.

2nd course!! (three clapping emojis)

[iPhone shot]

Spinach Filo (Filo pastry filled with spinach and feta cheese served with cucumber yogurt) – How cute is it that we got a 2nd course of Savories!? This pastry was soo comforting!! Warm + crispy. Who doesn’t love spinach filling? And that yogurt sauce, completed this so nicely.

Our 3rd course! This is so so fun.

Raspberry Scone (served with apricot and cherry jams) – My famous saying: “I could drink that stuff with a straw!!” Their cherry preserves mannn! You’ll see. You’ll see…in the background…I’ll have my own 2nd helping of it, while I’m taking pictures of other stuff haha! But wait- the scone was a GOOD scone too, tho. Sliced nicely, so all their gorgeous jams could sit on top no prob. Ugh, I LOVED this course!!

What happened next was something that doesn’t happen at ALL Afternoon Tea’s, but what I appreciate So. Much. . . . They gave us new plates yall. (about to cry emoji) I looooved that they did this!!! It’s an extra step, sure. But, it makes all the difference in the world! In my opinion anyway. I had a nice clean (and stunning too, might I add) plate for the next sweets. ESPECIALLY, for a (air quotes) Content Creator like myself. The next items had a beautiful background for their photo shoot, tada!

2nd tier/4th course.

[iPhone shot]

House Made Persian Love Cake (Cake Yazdi) – Never had a Love Cake before…but I’m so happy I did. Cardamom rose yall, car-da-mom ROSE! A classic combination. Soo soo good, I wish I had one in front of me right now!!

Noon Chai (Fluffy and lightly sweet roll with chocolate, and fresh strawberries) – This little sandwich was so refreshing! I could’ve eaten about 10 of those!

Mini Apple (not marzipan! Lol) – I’m still including my picture of the cutest, tiniest apple because it had its full dedicated photo shoot!! Haha. Kind of an inside joke, but at one point we thought it was a marzipan apple!! Hahah…

Here were the Huz’s remarks: “…desserts were not decadent, I liked that. It was a simply laid out Tea. Reflected the cuisine of the culture well. Not complicated at all. Simplicity and quality. Well done.”

And finally, here are some shots of the interior…

Absolutely attractive right!? I was already thinking of what kind of intimate party I can have back there and who I’m inviting!! I loved so much that there was a dedicated section of the restaurant for their Afternoon Tea. It made it so special! The interior is something out of a storybook, and I admired every little detail- down to the vases they served our water in! And every table got a different vessel.

This is a family owned business and Tea is the mastermind of their Aunt! She did an amazing job selecting every piece to this very special tea service. I will let her tell you all about it when you come in! The customer service here was unmatched. I think that’s a good part of why we can’t wait to come back so much. Food was extraordinary for sure. But the treatment we got was so good, it made it hard to leave. That’s another thing- IT WAS A FULL TEA EXPERIENCE. I can’t remember the last time I had a service that was 3 hours long!!?! And that used to be my favorite part!! It was a slow and steady process of enjoying each item presented to you. That’s the reason I got to know Mrs. Mamoa and England love better! We were given TIME!!! Some of these Afternoon Tea Spots (i.e. here) will start kicking you out after an hour and a half these days! I loved the leisure Chelokababi gifted us. It was a welcome time away from our day-to-day and we enjoyed every single minute. Thank you, Chelokababi, thank you!! (Btw- I already placed you on my raTEAng, and yall are pretty high up on that list already. Wink wink!)

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Our 40th Spot:

Claremont Hotel

41 Tunnel Road Berkeley, CA 94705

claremontresortandclub.com

Have you ever been driving around the East Bay and notice this big beautiful white building in the hills?! Being from Richmond, we would see it all the time. I would hear about it all the time too. My bio mom worked for this really generous boss and she would get sent on weekend retreats there for spa treatments. She would come back telling us all about the food and the glamour of being there. So, I always viewed it as this ‘untouchable’ place that I would never have any business stepping foot in.

Well, that place is the Claremont. And, I had business to tend to in there!

Check out this view, too!

Yes, this was a new Spot I squished in on the Tour again! Tho the Claremont has been serving afternoon tea for decades, this is the first since the Pandemic that they’ve opened their doors for their seasonal offering. I booked the soonest day we had available. Because we were so starstruck just being INSIDE, we wanted to make sure we looked like we knew what we were doing and were important enough to have a reason to be there!! LOL. We passed by an area we thought Tea would be at, but there was a sign on an easel in the front that said “PRIVATE EVENT”. Yeah, that’s not us! So we kept on walking…

Still walking…and nothing. I approached the Concierge to ask where Afternoon Tea was being held, and she directed us to where that sign was. I reiterated- where it says Private Event?? She responds, “You are the Private Event!” (about to cry emoji) THE SWEETEST!!

Just look-

So luxurious right?! Are you excited?? I’m excited to tell you!

Organic Bella Coola Punch (A warming sip for cold winter nights with notes of creamy orange & pineapple) – Very tart, with a slight cream undertone…a punch for sure!

Ontario Icewine (Smooth and silky with light Riesling and berry notes) – I’ve had an icewine before that I really liked. But what caught my attention was the Riesling part! I used to love me some Riesling. My favorites were Pacific Rim and Chateau Ste Michelle… Anyway, I chose good!

There were too many good shots of this tier, I couldn’t choose just one! So enjoy all three!

Our server beautifully explained each carefully prepared piece. Everything was made in-house. From the bread, to that amazing honey. From the looks alone, you could tell attention to detail was important to them. The bottom tier of sweets had desserts themed from all over the world! I loved that part.

Sweet Potato Cheddar Biscuit (Apple Spiced Butter, Claremont Gold Honey) – I’m not really a fan of cheddar, but I had an open mind when trying this one. I put it all together with its designated fixings. Man oh man!! That thing was incredible! The combination was so complex, I didn’t even know how to describe it!? It became my favorite, fast. And I think it was all because of that honey!!

Cranberry Orange Scone (Blood Orange Preserve, Devonshire Cream) – Ugh, the crispiest edges! Again with the complex. The texture was on point sure, but the flavors were so so good together.

Truffled Egg Salad (Chive, Pain au Lait) – Speechless. I’m learning I really like egg and truffle together!

Honeynut Squash Tartine (Whipped Burrata, Toasted Hazelnuts, Smoked Honey) – There was quite a bite to the squash that was unexpected…thought it was gonna be more mushy, but I welcomed it! The herby flavor gave it much depth.

Smoked Mary’s Chicken Salad (Blistered Grapes, Compressed Celery, Croissant) – That meat was so tender!! Love the grapes, and lots of celery yay! It’s kinda like the chicken salad I make for the kids at home, but a much elevated version of course haha. Just saying that I loved the simplicity of it…especially because it’s like the version I like! Didn’t realize til I was typing it out now, that that was croissant bread!? Um, yum! When I got to the crust part of it, I was so happy about the bread! It’s a good bread.

Lobster Roll (Fermented Chili, Shaved Fennel, Brioche) – Loooved the crunch of that fennel so much! There was a little tiny aftertaste of spice from the lobster, that was nice. It was a little too much bread for me. I would’ve liked more lobster filling for a better ratio.

Shaved Prime Rib (Horseradish Aioli, Mizuna, Chive Parker House Roll) – With all that green poking out, I already knew I was gonna like this one. Didn’t know it was mizuna, but it so closely resembled arugula and the arugula-lover that I am appreciated that so much! The rib was so thinly sliced, rare, and buttery. Made for an easy bite, score points.

There was so much to try in this tea service, and everything was so hearty! It was a nice + welcome change from some services that have the tiniest mouthfuls of things. I took another bite or two of my sandwiches before I moved on to the sweets.

Citrus Cheesecake – Subtle cheese flavor, nice crust, the rind was fun to chew.

Matcha Cake – Very moist cake. That jello center was an interesting surprise. The matcha flavor was really mild.

Chocolate Hazelnut Financier – Sooo chewy! For the bottom and corners of this, think of brownie texture. I loved that part of this sweet so much. And it wasn’t rich at all.

Vanilla Panna Cotta – Since panna cotta is my all-time favorite kind of dessert, I always get excited when I see it on a menu. I wish I would’ve gotten to this sooner, cuz it was melty by the time I had it. Still good flavor, and the raspberry made it better.

Macarons – Our server didn’t know what flavors these were… My best guess would be pistachio and birthday cake. Either way, they were very good! I said I coulda had the whole bottom tier just be these macarons and woulda been fine with that!

The service here was very noteworthy. Everyone treated us with so much kindness. Our server had been in the hospitality industry for some time and you could tell. He was informative about the building and history of the hotel and had a nice conversation with us at the end of our meal. That alone will change my whole tone of my review. If you serve me a step above mediocre food BUT THEN show me some genuine personal interest on top of that, you just raised my experience.

I’m so glad we got to have tea here. Being able to say I went inside the Claremont was worth it alone! The amount of food they present is definitely the value for what you’re paying. As high class of an establishment, no one makes you feel like you don’t belong there. At the end of our party, we were met with the most STUNNING Bay Area sunset. I kinda went crazy with my shots between the DSLR and iPhone! Here’s just a couple… Enjoy!

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Our 38th Spot:

Crown & Crumpet

22 Ross Common Ross, CA 94957

crownandcrumpet.com

If this tea room’s name looks familiar, it’s cuz we’ve visited them before…but in the City! Crown & Crumpet has been around for a long time!! Their first location was in Ghirardelli, that’s when my love affair with them started. Who remembers the story about the facebook pictures and my bedridden pregnancy!? Ahh, huh, ah-ha! So, our very first Spot on the Tour in 2014 was their next location (btw the Ghirardelli one closed) in Japantown. That’s when I met their cheeky owner, love her. Read about that visit here. When I opened the Tour again and started our 3rd Leg, she invited us to visit their Ross location. Of course we would!

Now it’s got its own Spot Number and Review, because they’re different! Just like Lovey’s is different from Lovejoy’s…

I didn’t get too much of the interior (1) cuz there were people eating in there, and (2) cuz I was already busy talking with the owner when we got there! But here’s a pic or two…

We had a bit of a drive to get there…a little over an hour. And it was such a rainy day. But we were still thrilled to have this adventure scheduled! In April of this year, I was so honored to be invited to a friend’s first time to C&C’s place in San Francisco. She had always wanted to go, and I had the privilege of attending with her. Since C&C was her JAM, I invited her to this tea party too! We took another cutie friend, and the 2 coolest gramma’s you will ever meet!! (too young to be my gramma’s, but happy to have them as friends!) I felt so flattered that they agreed to spend the afternoon with me. Just the ride over was already fantastic! Nothing like passing San Quentin and being in Pac’s hometown of Marin hehe. So. Many. Inside jokes… Such a cute little town, Ross is. We woulda loved to spend more time perusing the boutique shops around their main street feel!

When she walked us to the back to our table and it was OUTSIDE- (the ‘I can’t handle this’ emoji) let’s all say it together: “I love eating outside!!!” Since I don’t look at social media or websites too much before visits, I either didn’t know or had forgotten that they had an outdoor option. Even their tents were so cute with window details! They helped us feel so comfy back there. We had cozy blankets, heaters on (that later we even turned off), and even (guys) purse holders were offered! This elevated the experience for me already.

After we got settled in, we all took turns selecting our teas. Here’s what we ordered at our table: Alice Drink Me Tea (raspberry, white peach, strawberry black), Pretty in Pink (strawberry vanilla herbal), Earl Grey (bergamot black), Swamp Water (tropical rooibos), and my pick Lychee Congou (special reserve black). Everyone absolutely loved their choices! Especially my friend who ordered their Alice blend, she even purchased some on our way out. My Lychee was soo good (yall know I love me a lychee tea), it was like lychee but also creamy!? Happy they were happy!!

We’re sitting there enjoying our teas and the rain really starts pouring. Ugh, it was BEAUTUFUL. Hearing the pitter-patter of each of those chunky raindrops hit the canopy we were under… While sipping our hot drinks… I could’ve stayed under there forever. I JUST LOVED IT!!

I’m always saying this but I never do it… I need to record them when they’re explaining what’s on the tiers, especially when each item isn’t listed in detail on their menus! I legit got quiet when they were sharing with the table next to us, and told all my friends to ear hustle so we could get the deats again! Haha! I have some official names aand some I made up…hehe.

I always go for my Crumpet first. And they bring it out warm, so come on! Theirs is perfect, lemme just say that right here. It might not look like much in the picture…but I can assure you, each of those crannies are filled with buttery goodness. The edges are crispy, the middle is chewy. And their fixings aren’t pictured here, but they lovingly gave us EACH our own to use and (ugh I wanna cry) their clotted cream and house-made lemon curd + jam = gold standard, period.

Cucumber Sandwich – Okay so, their cucumber is a bit soggy. Yes, I admit. However. I love me some chewy soggy bread thooo!! This one almost melts in your mouth AND they put something a little different in theirs!? Like, I kinda tasted dill…but…it could be something different, I don’t know. It’s one of those tastes that make you go hmm.

Egg Salad on Croissant – You can see it in there, I know you can. There’s a big chunck of GREEN ONION. Right there! There! (whiny emoji) If you’re a longtime reader of this blog (thanks for still being here, love ya for that), you’ll know I hate me some green onions. (green nauseated emoji) Can’t stand em, won’t eat em, can’t do em. When I’m watching a cooking show with the Huz and they add that scallion business on anything, I have to obnoxiously + verbally take my stand on my hatred. BUT. I don’t know if I was feeling brave or didn’t wanna bother with the removal project… (takes a deep breath) I just freely took my bites out that sandwich. And you know what. I loved it. There, I said it.

Coronation Chicken Sandwich (lightly curried chicken with apricots, almonds, green onions & mango chutney) – Their menu says “lightly” but that didn’t taste ‘lightly’ to me. That joint was FULL of curry flavor. I’ve had a number of curry chicken sandwiches on this Tour in the last almost 10 years, and my friends, that is one SLAMMIN chicken curry sandwich!! (three clapping emojis) I couldn’t get enough. I woulda eaten a whole loaf mmkay, of those things!

Sausage Savory – This may not look like much (I know I said that already about something else huh), but don’t let this tiny bite fool you. It packs a smoky punch boyy!

Brie Tart – That’s a sturdy pastry!! Made this savory so much more fun, that crumbly crunch. The brie and jelly were a match made for each other! So yum.

Chocolate Dipped Strawberry – Always a happy-maker. I could eat these all day!

Cinnamon Cake – Dense bread, subtle spice.

Lavendar Rosemary Shortbread – Crispy cookie, light flavor, the sugar crystals gave exciting texture!

Apricot Bar – I wanted a whole 9 by 13 of this!! I savored every morsel. Not too sweet, great textures (with the crunchy bottom, gooey center + crumbly topping). Absolutely delicious!

Cranberry (I think) Scone – And last but not least! Just a really good standard scone. Fluffy, nice flavor. Couldn’t say anything bad about it if I tried!

Honestly, I breezed through my pictures + notes! Even forgot to post on Threads for my ‘Real Time Thoughts’ hahah. (I mean, I did post…but not as well as I could’ve) I was just thoroughly enjoying myself with my guests, I wanted to join in on all that laughter that was being had!! The owner of C&C (as I’m sure I’ve mentioned in previous blog posts + social media) is just such a riot, she always hosts us to such a good time. And as I told her verbatim, “I could never say anything bad about this place.” They know what they’re doing with tea and they do an exceptional job with it all. We browsed around their shop next door, met their sweet Shop Girl! Used the bathroom one last time before our long drive home, and took photos with their Queen cut-out on the wall hehe. Can’t wait to come back here! If yall find yourselves out that way, please stop by and have some Tea at the Crown & Crumpet. You won’t be sorry you did!

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Our 39th Spot:

Croissante

2908 El Camino Real Santa Clara, CA 95051

www.croissantebakery.com

(clears throat) Okay, let me explain about the out of order numbers again… The Tea Spot that was scheduled to be visited in October was actually visited in August (Jade Chocolates) becauuuse I didn’t want to miss their Hawaiian-themed tea service (and they change themes often). Then, I was supposed to take a month off in October just to have a breather…which turned out to be timely, since my Mom passed away end of Sept. HOWeverr, this Spot just started offering Afternoon Tea AND I like to try it out as early as possible for you guys sooo- here we are! Squeezed this one in on the Tour before our 38th to-be-visited Spot scheduled for November, which is WHY it’s our 39th. (exhale)

If I can go back to my roots for a moment and be extremely Bay Area– it was HELLA loud in there. This was our first time in that bakery. It had been bookmarked in my Yelp to try, just never made it yet. So I was excited to kill two birds with one stone, and check this off while trying their tea service. But yeah, the sheer level of volume initially turned me off. Tho, I remained optimistic!

So- they offer loose AND bag. One pot to share, and they brought it to us not ready yet. (rolling eyes emoji) We chose their Jardin Bleu. No descriptions on the menu, they just told us “vanilla”. Ohhkaay… Thankfully, of the minimal choices on their menu, we both were interested in that one. We like a dark steep, so we let a good amount of time go before our first pours. But even then, it was still light. The vanilla was there, and maybe a berry aftertaste…? In the middle of our service, anticipating that it was gonna be better (having over-steeped by now), it was still just okay. And you are not allowed to change your tea blend.

Our tier came and as he was explaining everything, I already off the bat didn’t like that there’s not 2 of everything and you have to share some tiny items.

Plain Scones with jam and clotted cream – nice flavor but too crispy for me, more like a biscuit, you cut it and it crumbles; menu says “clotted cream” but I don’t know what that was

Egg Sandwich – it was good, could use salt, I like the soft boil, almost like a cold wet scramble

Prosciutto Sandwich – grill is nice, not every bite has prosciutto, I don’t know what else to say; the Huz said “it’s a decent grilled cheese”

Lemon Mint Pot de Creme – the mint made it taste dirty, “earthy”, very very faint lemon flavor, I do like the custard consistency a lot; thankfully my date was who I married, cuz we were forced to share this pot if we both wanted to try it

Chocolate Pot de Creme – this one taste worse, not creamy, almost eggy, curdled! I changed my mind! (when I saw there were one each of the pots, I said he could have the lemon cuz I’m not a lemon dessert person); he says “…and don’t serve it to me in plastic!” Hahah! Said it had a jell-o shot feel

Mini Madeleine dipped in Chocolate – honestly forgot to make a note… these were so cute + little, but nothing special, they are as big as your kid’s pinky finger and YES we cut each in half so we could both try

Matcha Tiramisu – tastes like shampoo

Matcha Truffle – I got a big dose of powder to tongue! I had made a sour face just as our server came to check on us!

Dark Chocolate Truffle – very nice, but nothing fantastic about it, reminded me of Trader Joe’s one (in that square red box)

Strawberry Pistachio Choux – here’s how our conversation went about this one…

Me: “What does that taste like, DIRT?”

Him: “Yeah.”

“Like they didn’t clean the pistachio.”

(3 crying laughing emjois)

It was way too much filling, tho I liked the pastry a lot

Rose Mousse – how do you eat it, you can’t pick it up, I had to bite down on the paper it was sitting on and scrape it off with my teeth, not cute, I thought that clear disc was hard candy but it was like chicken cartilage!!

Special Tart – I’m sure there was an official name for this one, but I didn’t hear him. I know for sure it was lilikoi. After setting down our tier and saying there was something else he was bringing out for us “to share”… After seeing all those sweets, I was hoping it was gonna be like a huge ham sandwich!! I usually like passion fruit stuff, but I didn’t like this. Didn’t like the coconut, and I don’t know why it reminded me of baby food.

Listen, the staff was very nice. Good service, sure. But this WASN’T IT for me guys!! I didn’t like that it was 500 sweet things to only TWO savories. The atmosphere wasn’t tea party vibes! The Huz goes: “I’m still trying to understand the aesthetic of how this fits into afternoon tea.” He was saying it would have been nice for a Bakery to put out more baked goods; “use your storefront to catapult this,” he says. And I agree! I think the focus was too much on the shock factor and what it looked like…as opposed to taste and flavor. We left there HUNGRY. Didn’t take the leftovers either. No joke- we stopped by McDonald’s on the way home and enjoyed some double-double’s!! And I wouldn’t normally nitpick on this, but there was just too much not to say something- if you want us to take you seriously as an Afternoon Tea Spot, REPRINT YOUR MENUS. I counted way too many typos. It’s not “darjeenling” for goodness sake!

You know how people say “Not everyone needs to have a podcast”? Well, not everyone needs to offer Afternoon Tea.

This was the first of 5 Tea things we have coming in the next 4 weeks!! EXCITING! So if you’re not already, please take a moment to enter your email below to subscribe so you can get all Blog Posts we share. Follow us on Threads too, cuz we post real time thoughts from all our Tea Adventures! We appreciate any donations that you are moved to contribute as well. See you here soon!

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Our 36th Spot:

Alexander’s Patisserie

209 Castro Street Mountain View, CA 94041

www.alexanderspatisserie.com

I’m gonna say it right now: “The Patisserie’s are where it’s at!” (100 emoji) I believe this is the 3rd one we’ve visited on the Tour… I haven’t even started with the review, and I’m already thinking about when I can go back!

Cute little spot in a cute little area. Stunning table setting. Welcomed with warmth!

I went with a girlfriend I wanted to get to know and a new friend who’s been with me to Tea before. We were so cute, the 3 of us! One 20’s, one 40’s, and one full of wisdom. We bonded over afternoon tea! They had an EXCELLENT selection of teas, if I do say so myself. It was hard for me to choose one, which is saying a lot! Thankfully, the 3 of us were on the same wavelength so it wasn’t complicated to select our choices.

Paris For Her (floral Parisian green tea blended with rose, raspberry & lychee) – I’ve been to quite a few tea spots that offer a “Paris” tea. It always reminds me of my favorite Harney & Sons Paris tea, and I make the mistake of ordering it only for it to taste so similar. So even tho I saw my beloved ‘lychee’ flavor profile, I tried looking elsewhere on the menu. I saw so many good ones! Thankfully my girls wanted this one too, so I got to have some! So glad I did, cuz this was my favorite of the 3!! Very florally fragrant AND it translated in taste as well! (three clapping emojis) Also, NOT like all the other Parises…

French Garden (a delicate organic tea blend of pear, apple and blackberry leaves) – My OG’s on here know I am all about a pear tea. So glad the ladies were into trying this one too yay! You could smell the pear AND taste the pear! We are 2 for 3 yall.

Tea of Dreams (a delicious oolong tea with flowers and exotic fruits) – So fruity! If you love a fruity tea, this one is for you. So proud + impressed with Miss 20’s cuz there was a point where we mixed up our teapots (there weren’t any labels to distinguish which one was which), but she could tell apart the blends by the color of the pour!? Woah! And she always takes the best pics and was even guiding me on my angles!! LOVE HER. I’m about to hire her as my apprentice! Hehe.

I love how the 3 of us actively got up and moved so we could get our shots of this tier!! Haha! Mrs. Wisdom even moved the sugar packets to another table so they weren’t in the way! (I’m laughing with you Talk Tea To Me Pod!) Everything was neatly arranged so that we each took a column of treats. I hurriedly took my photos and notes cuz these 2 were just so much fun, and I wanted to visit and enjoy!

Quiche – Don’t ask me what kind. They said but I didn’t write it down and it wasn’t written anywhere. My friend suggested I ask, but I was too preoccupied with having the best time that I forgot. I do know that it was good and the pastry was crunchy.

Turkey – So smokey! This one caught me off guard, cuz I wasn’t expecting how good it would be. It was a grilled sandwich, but didn’t scratch your mouth. Bonus points from me.

Crab – That was a dense bread! Not my favorite one. But it tasted so expensive!! Haha.

Egg + Truffle – I wanna cry just looking at this again, cuz I want one right now!! When the tier came, all you could smell was the cloud trail of truffle that followed it. I was afraid my mouth would only be truffle-flavored (you know how it could overpower), so that’s why I saved this one to try at the end of my savories. I learned soon that what I was really doing was saving the best for last!! After my first bite, like- I don’t even know what happened to me!? Could I be so bold as to say this is THEE BEST TEA SANDWICH I have had from the entire Tour!!?! (open mouth shocked emojis) The truffle wasn’t overpowering at all. There was dill or dijon in there or something, that just pulled it all together. But…BUT- that toasted mini lobster roll sandwich bread. UGH. (I can’t emoji) The crunch on it and subsequent melt in your mouth, was just (sigh)…I don’t know, fill-in-blank, cuz I can’t even think of a good enough word to describe it.

Scones – There was a plain aaand (?) another with a kind of fruit…!? (LOL, I know I’m so bad…what kind of Reviewer am I?) I don’t know what my deal is, but I’ve not really been into trying the scones! (cheese smile emoji) I took a bite of each. For YOU GUYS okayyy! Yes, I’m doing my job!! Flakey, not dry.

Panna Cotta with Blood Orange – (happy, I remembered this one!) Of course I was thrilled to try this one. (raises hand) “Hi, I’m Olyve Rose and I am a Panna Cotta-Lover.” A bit more coconutty for me than I like, but still a good one. And that blood orange was a nice touch. Oh but that grape (Well, my friend + I couldn’t decide… She thought it was a cherry, cuz it does look like a cherry. Tho I tasted grape, and thought maybe it was an infused grape… I don’t know!) made it special.

Yellow Sweet (LOL!) – First of all, this photo doesn’t do it justice cuz it was almost like a neon yellow!! Another welcome surprise. The lemon was mild (good cuz I’m not that big of a lemon dessert fan), and it was so light! But, that custard inside. Boyyy!? AMAZING.

Dark Chocolate Sweet – Not too rich. Delicate pastry bottom. Always nice to have some sort of chocolate on the tier!

Cake – We asked them twice what this was called. Couldn’t repeat it, it was in French! I already heard this one was just okay, so by the time I got to it I wasn’t really excited to try it. Wasn’t bad, nice vanilla (I think haha) cake. Moist. (thumbs up)

Macarons – These were Rose Lychee, Lemon, and Passion Fruit. Who can guess which one was my favorite?! Leave your guess in the comments!

Service was very good here. Everyone was so sweet and took care of us well. Even the to-go box that was made for me was beautiful. Like I mentioned on the onset, I already can’t wait to go back. The Huz definitely is interested, so maybe we’ll be back soon! Thank you to the 2 Beauties I had the privilege of hanging out with this afternoon. And our After Party at World Market!! Until our trip to New York! (wink wink)

Yall- I’ve been to FOUR Teas, in the past 3 weeks!! We did our scheduled August Tea on the 19th, fit in our October Tea on the 25th, came here on the 1st, then had a leisure Off-Tour Tea with my brothers on the 2nd. [For anyone checking me on dates… These blog posts are dated on the day I went (so I can remember for future reference). However, it takes me a couple of days after to finish these reviews. So yes, this will be dated on ‘Sept 1’…tho I’m probably gonna publish on the 3rd. Just in case you were confused about me talking about Tea with my brothers on the 2nd… Ay-yay-yay!] There are so many of my friends + fam interested in trying these new places, and I am doing my best to make myself available to take them! Tho it gets pricey, if you can imagine. So I thank my Donators so so so soooo much for helping out!! You make this so much easier on me, and I have so much fun writing for you all! Thank you thank you thank you thank you!!! (The donating form is below for those moved to contribute.)

Took the Boys to Malaya btw. Accompanied with the Huz (I love that he loves to go to Tea with me). Of the 30+ places we’ve been, they handpicked Malaya Tea Room in Alameda. They love trying out new foods, and wanted to come see what Afternoon Tea was about with their sister! I was also able to finally meet the owner there. My Brothers thoroughly enjoyed themselves, trying all the sandwiches and teas!! Before I could finish asking them if they’d ever come back, they both agreed! So cute. Even took a box of scones home. The owner took real good care of us. We even got to try 2 other sandwiches that didn’t come with our tea service. Their Sardine and Marmalade sandwiches quickly became favorites for the Huz! I’m tellin yall- visit Malaya if you haven’t already!!

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Our 37th Spot:

Jade Chocolates

607 Grant Avenue San Francisco, CA 94108

www.jadechocolates.com

“I didn’t even know there are that many places to have Afternoon Tea in the Bay Area!?”

“How do you find all these Spots??”

“Don’t worry about it.”

When I heard there was Afternoon Tea being served in a chocolate shop, you better believe I was intrigued!! Now let me back up and explain (especially for our new followers): Our official Spots are numbered, but our raTEAngs include all official Spots AND unofficial Tea Room visits. So if you’re noticing that our numbers are kinda off, this is why. But to complicate things even more for you (tada!), this Spot we were supposed to visit in October. HOWEVER, while looking up how to make reservations, I accidentally saw something that caught my eye and I couldn’t unsee…and didn’t want to unsee haha!

The word was: Hawaiian.

Really really quick Story Time: My maternal grandmother is Hawaiian. But when I was growing up, I was never allowed to claim my Hawaiian roots as my abusive bio mom never wanted me to have any extra attention. I am in fact Hawaiian, my DNA says so. When I entered trauma recovery at the end of 2018, while doing my inner child work, I finally got to embrace my heritage and immerse myself + my family in it. It was poi + lomi salmon all day err day. I decorated my bedroom walls with pieces from local Hawaiian artists like: Colleen Wilcox, Mayan Llanera, Kat Reeder, Aloha de Mele, and Punky Aloha. And a whole lot more stuff that I’m not gonna get into here.

Needless to say, when I saw that word related to Afternoon Tea, it was all over! I was going. Then I read further, and found out it was only being offered til September 4th!? AAHHHH!! But I have to gooo! My schedule was packed as it is…I already had a Tea Spot scheduled for August AND a leisure Tea with my brothers the weekend before the 4th. (WHINE) I made it happen and I was going to go before they stopped offering the Hawaiian Tea. YAYYY!!!

So back to those questions in the beginning of this post… I’ve heard them both plenty of times. And no, I’m not going to share my secrets! (sticking out tongue emoji) All you need to know is I AM A DETECTIVE. (wink wink) And if you haven’t subscribed yet, keep following cuz you are in for mooorrrrreeee!!

It was cute + quaint. (I don’t know, “quaint” is the first word that came to mind so I’m going with it). There was one gentleman in there and he took us to our table. Fuuun, we got the window seat and were able to check out the City’s sights + people-watch. (apparently, I’m gonna whine this entire blog post) Because it was an impromptu squeeze-in Tour visit, after asking a few chocolate-lovers I knew but couldn’t make it, my husband made mention that he was interested. “I should just go with you to all the rest of them,” he says! Haha. Seems this one had such a good time at Maison, he wanted to accompany me for the rest of the Tour! What a cutie guy. So this would be our 3rd time at Tea, just the two of us! He is my biggest cheerleader.

Funny- I was trying so hard to get pics of our table without people in the background, but ended up using this one anyway! It’s just so real!!

Shortly after we were seated, our server brought out their Coconut Paradise Green Tea. If you remember, I don’t read anything (if I can help it) about Tea Spots before I go. I don’t follow them on socials, I don’t peruse their website. So this was a nice + welcome surprise: that we didn’t have to pick a tea today. One (for now) was selected for us. Oh man it smelled so creamy!! Yall know, I love me a creamy tea. Creamy coconut guys, creamy coconut. Can you just imagine!? I took my first sip, and it was good! Oh. It had sweetener in it. Not my favorite. As a tea maker/creator/gourmet tea boutique drinker, I prefer the highest quality of teas and never doctor up my cuppa’s. But that’s my preference… Still, we enjoyed our tea and the perfect music that was playing and so on-theme!!

The tier came with the owner. I only knew her name, thanks to one of my Foodie friends on IG who had recently visited (Hi Tim!). She said our server would be right back. And after the tier was set down, he started. He had a full-on history lesson on the Hawaiian Paniolo (Cowboy) themed tea!! SO COOL. He really got into it and knew his stuff. Excellent entertainment for tourists that visit Chinatown (which is where this place is located).

After his story, he explained what each item was on the tier. Thankfully we didn’t have to memorize everything this time, as there was a menu with it all listed left on the table. I’m admitting it- I was totally judging everything I was looking at. “I don’t like this.” “I don’t like that.” “I’m not gonna eat this.” I’m not a fan of salads on tea services. I was looking at these sandwiches, and there was nothing cutesy about it. (sigh) I brought down the plate of salad and started taking my pictures…

Parker Ranch Salad (mango, papaya, kale, & edamame in a spicy sesame vinaigrette, cassava chip topper) – (sigh) At least I like papaya… I took my first bite. (chewing on the hard kale) I don’t even like kale that much… Then, I found myself taking more + more bites. Oh man. This is really good! (I was being such a brat huh?!) The dressing wasn’t too spicy, it just brought a nice mild kick. The fruits were the juiciest fruits! I loved the texture from the soy beans. And that cassava chip, just went perfect with everything. The only negative was the size of the plate. I had to actively hold each leaf from falling off every time I forked it. But no biggie.

Vaqueros Vegetarian Chile Verde Chili – I can’t say I’ve ever had chili on a tea service. But since I was so wrong about the salad, I was getting excited now! I’m not even supposed to have beans…but, I tried it anyway. (see the things I do for you guys!) Ugh, again, so so good! We love quinoa in the house, so that was a familiar bite. It was so fun and such a nice surprise addition!

Grilled Cheese with Caramelized Sweet Onions – I was on a roll now, bring it on sister! Again, not supposed to have yellow cheese nor onions. (hahah!) That sandwich was GRILLED TO PERFECTION. Excellent combo. Simple but done right. (oh man, I wish I had one right now)

King’s Hawaiian Bread with BBQ Beef Brisket – Okay so, I grew up with King’s. My gramma would get the round loaf that came in like a pie tin, and we would just grab handfuls when we wanted some! (haha, funny thinking about that now) I don’t know what their chef does with these, but I only now noticed that it said “King’s” on their menu while reading for this part of the post. That joint tasted homemade boyyy! Oh and the meat. They used fattie hearty pieces of meat. Had to get a good bite in there, but still was so good.

Paniolo Pineapple Cornbread, Honey Butter – The last thing to try on this tier was their cornbread. Super moist, not too dense, perfect consistency.

And after having all this gorgeous food, I understood why the coconut green was sweetened. It matched good with the savory profiles. Which by the way, the Huz finished the pot!

Paniolo Palate Cleanser (passion fruit, orange, guava shooter) – I wanna say this is only the 2nd tea service we’ve had with a palate cleanser. The one I can remember was from Linde Lane in Dixon. Maybe the hotels might’ve had one… Anyhow, this was so good! Of course, I could be partial cuz this is my absolute favorite flavor of juice. When I was a kid, I would collect the plastic half cups of them (you know, with the foil pull-back lid) from the plane rides! My favorite Hawaiian Sun? Pass-O-Guava, what else?! This was like a slushie version of that, plus just a little more tartness. Oh, personal annoyance (to whoever’s listening): please oh please don’t call it POG!!

Before the next tier (we get 2 tiers!? Yayyy), they brought out their 2nd pairing of tea: a Lychee Guava White. Um, YUM. I was already excited just hearing the name! I love me a lychee tea!! It was very fragrant, didn’t seem like this one was sweetened, and full of flavor. I was a big fan.

With the delivery of the Sweets Tier (I gasped btw, so pretty), came the conclusion of the history experience. He did such a good job! (clapping emoji)

Liliko’i Marshmallow S’more – I didn’t read the menu before I put this in my mouth. Looks like a s’more, must be a s’more right? Just so we’re all clear: I am a LILIKOI FREAK. I love Lilikoi anything! All-time favorite dessert: La Costanera‘s lilikoi panna cotta. Favorite sweet: Cookie Corner’s lilikoi fruit bar. Favorite art piece by Punky Aloha (that I have an 18×24 of in my living room): Lilikoi. I think you guys get it. So when I tasted it and then subsequently confirmed it on the menu- I clapped my hands and did a happy dance! You guys (the I can’t even emoji), it was so good I wanna cryyyyy!! And the first time chocolate was in the tea service!? Amazing, perfectly roasted marshmallow, excellent chocolate, crunchy not soggy cracker.

Caramelized Tropical Fruit Skewer (pineapple, strawberry, sweet potato) – This was so much fun!! I loved crunching the bruleed sugar! That sweet potato was a nice addition.

Macadamia Brown Butter Blondie – This was nice + light. Strawberries on the side were refreshing.

Okay yall- I was pleasantly surprised at this Tea. It wasn’t even all chocolate-infused! My sincere apologies to the owner + chef that I ever doubted what was being served. Yall know what you’re doing over there. From the music to the tea pairings to the…banana leaf that the skewer was served on!! From my understanding, themes change often. So I am looking forward to coming back fo sho! Readers/Followers, please go and visit them!! You will not be sorry, I promise. A Hawaiian-themed tea service, are you kidding me!!?! I am sooo HAPPY I finagled fitting it on the Tour!! If anyone is out there doing an Italian-themed Tea, hit me up! (haha, my paternal grandfather was Italian)

I ate my leftovers at home and was so sad I had no lilikoi marshmallow to wash it all down, wahh…

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