Care for some Japanese Tea? Cha-An.

I know in the U.K. there is this lovely ritual in the afternoon where people enjoy a cup of tea with some sandwiches and scones which is referred to as the famous "afternoon tea." As an afternoon tea lover myself, I LOVE teas, and it's not just one kind of teas, I love all kinds of teas, from England to China, India, Taiwan, but among the teas that I love the most is the matcha green tea from Japan.

Japan has it's own unique ritual like England, but instead of eating sandwiches, we have a tea ceremony where we have matcha green tea with traditional Japanese sweets. Usually, a tea ceremony is held at a special tea room (chashitsu), but it can be held anywhere as long as you have the utensils to make the tea.

Well, in Manhattan, there is a place where you can actually try the tea at a chashitsu. In East Village, there is a place called Cha-An, where they serve various types of tea and Japanese inspired desserts. The include items like green teal roll cake with sake ice cream, or the black sesame cream brûlée. The tea selections is huge, but I would recommend to try the traditional Matcha, just because it's the specialty. There are regular tables but if you are there for a really special occasion, you can reserve the tea house too.

                                                                   
                                                                               (pictures taken by google images)

Just one note, Match tea is VERY VERY VERY bitter, so you would want to consider about ordering it if you are not a big fan of bitter tea. Also, this place is cash only so remember to bring some cash with you! 

Information on Cha-An
Location: 230 East 9th ST, 2nd floor (btw Stuyvesant & 3rd Ave)
Phone: (212) 228- 8030
Hours: Mon - Thu 2pm - 11 pm/ Fri- Sat 12pm- 12 am/ Sun 12pm- 10pm