Each cup of tea represents an imaginary voyage.
~Author Catherine Douzel
Coffeehouses have long been an ideal location for meetings, dates and entertainment. And they’ve typically always included coffee’s caffeinated counterpart – tea – on their menus.
But as of late, the popularity of tea has far exceeded its longtime backseat position at java hot spots and now sustains an autonomous market. Tea sales have increased 165 percent since the early 1990s and, in the same time, the teahouse business has gone up 15 percent. Tea isn’t just for bridal showers or Red Hat society luncheons anymore.
In Columbus, there are teahouses that emulate traditional English gatherings and others that import a vast variety of Oriental blends. Some focus mostly on trendy bubble (boba) brands. Still others simply provide a casual place to sit down and relax with a few sips of “liquid wisdom.”
ZenCha Tea Salon
982 N. High St., 614-421-2140, http://zen-cha.com
ZenCha opened in 2002 in the heart of the Short North with an extensive menu of tea drinks and many specialty lines. Owner I-Cheng Huang’s mission is to promote art, specialty tea products and various cultural activities, and to make sure drinking tea is “an experience that begins the moment you walk in.”
ZenCha’s atmosphere – complemented by warm wooden interiors and soft music – promotes relaxation. Fresh desserts and salads, as well as vegetarian sandwiches and sushi are included on the menu, and all dishes are infused with tea. The salon boasts three separate menus for lunch (11 a.m.-2 p.m.), afternoon (2-5:30 p.m.) and dinner (5:30-9 p.m.).
But perhaps what stands out most at ZenCha is the vast variety of tea selections – from bubble and rose milk to mango green tea chai to the Arabic series. ZenCha sells imported tea leaves from Asia, Africa and Europe, and more than 100 varieties are offered daily.
Bubbles Tea & Juice Company
59 Spruce St. (North Market), 614-280-1400, www.bubblesteacompany.com
Opened in 2005, this North Market vendor serves mostly bubble tea, a concoction containing gelatin-like tapioca pearls. Bubble tea was created in the 1980s in Taiwan and spread to the West Coast before making its way to the heartland.
When Owner Eric Ling moved to Columbus, he thought the city lacked a health-centered tea/juice/smoothie shop and decided to give it a try.
“At the North Market, people are willing to try different stuff. It has that effect. So we have a benefit of our location,” Ling says. “We have more of a health focus than tea focus. Living a healthier lifestyle is our angle.”
Bubbles also serves 65 loose leaf teas (and sells them by the gram), iced tea, tea bags, smoothies with real fruit (not powder), shots of wheatgrass, pomegranate seeds, fruit salads, yogurts, homemade protein bars and more. The biggest-selling loose tea is the blood orange herbal blend.
Kelton House Museum and Garden
586 E. Town St., 614-464-2022, www.keltonhouse.com
The historical integrity of this 19th century home is still largely intact, with many treasures from the Victorian period displayed in the connected museum. The Kelton House’s dedication to this time period makes its specialty teas throughout the year all the more enlightening. They are complemented by a variety of savories and sweets reminiscent of the era. Menus change based on each tea, but each event comes accompanied by a pot of traditional Earl Gray. Additionally, there is always an educational program reflecting the season or an object from the museum.
Upcoming teas are March 11, St. Patrick’s Day Tea; April 15, April Showers Tea; May 13, April Showers Tea; and June 17, Summer Social Tea. Each tea begins at 12:30 p.m. Reservations are required.
Fantasia Tea Café
808 Bethel Rd., 614-273-0588
This Taiwanese-style, stand alone tea room features loose leaf, bubble, iced teas, chai and more in a relaxed atmosphere. It has been open for about 10 years, and was recently taken over by Owner Sungbok Sohn. The menu features mostly Japanese food, such as Udon, Ramen and spring rolls.
“We have many different kinds of tea and many different flavors,” Sohn says. “Our most popular is green tea with added fruit flavor such as strawberry, mango and kiwi.”
Pochi Tea Station
2060 N. High St., OSU Campus, 614-299-9460
Pochi benefits from its location across from the Ohio State University campus, and serves a wide variety of customers accordingly. It opened in 2001, and Manager Viktor Tucay believes it was the first shop in Ohio to focus mainly on bubble tea.
Because of Pochi’s focus on bubble teas, it does not serve loose leaf teas.
“Bubble teas are very different from traditional teas. It’s a fun experience if you’ve never tried it,” Tucay says. Pochi also offers Asian “snack” items such as potstickers and wontons.
Mozart’s Bakery & Café
2885 N. High St., 614-268-3687, www.mozartscafe.com
This Old World-style European café opened in Clintonville in 1995 before expanding to the North Market (2001) and Bexley (2007). It’s more bakery than teahouse, but Mozart’s menu and atmosphere are based on European culture, with afternoon teas held Monday through Sundays from 2-4 p.m.
Anand Saha, who owns Mozart’s with his wife Doris, believes his store is the only place in the Midwest that offers an afternoon tea every day. Since the Sahas opened the Clintonville store, their tea sales have increased “at least 40 percent.” The biggest sellers are apricot, mango, rose, Earl Gray and chamomile. With the increase in tea sales has come a change in the menu, including the addition of scones and Devonshire cream and “other appropriate items that go well with tea.”
Mozart’s frequently features live musical entertainment and celebrates Amadeus Mozart’s birthday each January. It also hosts Red Hat Society meetings.
“That’s the best endorsement possible,” Saha says. “The Red Hat members know their tea.”
Tea Zone Bakery & Café
5025 Olentangy River Rd., 614-326-0489, www.teazonebakery.com
This Korean-style teahouse, opened by Seung Choi about three years ago, features Asian themes and food and a casual atmosphere. It also includes 25 kinds of bubble tea, with top sellers including mango, honeydew and coconut flavors.
Traditional tea is imported from China, Korea and Japan and is sold both loose and by the bag. Oolong and jasmine are the most requested.
“We have a very cozy and comfortable atmosphere for sipping tea,” Choi says.
The menu has everything, from baked spaghetti and Udon to traditional Korean dishes such as Bulgogi.
Two for Tea
The Franklin Park Suites, 2045 Polaris Pkwy.; and the Short North B & B, 50 E. Lincoln, 614-237-4134, www.shoptwofortea.com
Two for Tea entails the entire tea experience, selling loose leaf teas from places such as Sri Lanka or Japan, books on the beverage’s history, teapots, accessories and gift baskets.
You can also buy biscuits, clotted creams, jams and honey sticks. Enjoy a cup of tea with a friend or throw a larger tea party. Afternoon times are available and both locations are by reservation only.
Ying’s Tea House and Yum Yum
4312 N. High St., 614-262-7587
Ying’s serves authentic Chinese food, including classic dumplings, alongside loose leaf or bubble teas. Owner Ying Liu opened the teahouse about a year and a half ago and plans to expand the space this summer. Ying’s is open seven days a week and also offers an extensive dinner menu.
Herbal tea is the mainstay – flowers, leaves, and all real fruit dried (no powders) combined with the tea. Ying’s also sells bubble teas, including mango, peach and strawberry.
“Tea is so good for you and people realize that now more than ever. My customers know more about it than I do,” Ying says. “Tea is beautiful.”
Biddie’s Coach House
76 S. High St., Dublin, 614-764-9359, www.biddies.com
Since 1982, this 1830s brick house in the heart of Historic Dublin has served afternoon teas and private tea parties accompanied by quaint, traditional details, such as quilted tablecloths and exposed beams. High teas are available and served with cream of broccoli soup (Biddie’s signature, made with real cream), fruits, tiny sandwiches (including the Mister Biddie Sandwich with slow cooked, shredded beef), desserts, scones, jams, cream and more.
Diane and Dick Hammons took over ownership in July from the retiring original owner Mary Marsalka.
“We were customers for a long time. We used to bring our daughter here when she was younger, and now we bring our granddaughter here,” Diane says. “We bought it because we were basically afraid someone would buy it and change it.”
Not much has changed at Biddie’s since its opening, and that is the secret behind its longevity, according to Diane. There are tea cups and saucers on every table, homemade food and friendly staff. Top sellers of late include the spiced orange herbal tea and Chai tea.
“Here it is more about the tea culture than about the tea itself. There is no place like it,” Diane says. “If we served the same tea and food in a different, more modern setting, it wouldn’t be the same. It wouldn’t be Biddie’s.”
Alicia Kelso is editor of CityScene.
BONUS:
While you’re in the mood for tea, check out the Ohio Craft Museum’s exhibit The Infinite Teapot, on display through March 29 at 1665 W. Fifth Ave. The exhibit features functional teapots and nonfunctional teapot forms by contemporary artists from across the country working in clay, glass, metal and fiber. Visit www.ohiocraft.org for more information.