One cold, crisp, blue skied February morning, Jass, Binita and I ventured out for a Sunday breakfast at Greenberry Cafe. Despite the weather warnings of snow, it was a beautiful (rare!) sunny day in London.
We all went for the cooked breakfast, with a few changes to mine ..of course! I opted for the veggie option; homemade baked beans and avocado hass instead of the sausages and bacon. Along with a couple of poached eggs and field mushrooms on a slice of sourdough toast, it was the perfect breakfast fuel needed for our day ahead.
I topped it all off with a delicious rose petal hot chocolate made by The Chocolatier which, let’s be honest, not having much of a sweet tooth, it was the rose petals that sold me! ..Not that I normally eat flowers on a regular basis!
As expected, the hot chocolate was a bit too rich for me, topped with flakes of chocolate and rose petals, the delicate rose infusion really shone through, and was a lovely end to a hearty breakfast.
We trudged up Primrose Hill in an attempt to walk off the big breakfast, and build up an appetite again for our next stop of the day!
It was a lovely walk up the hill, and the view breathtaking!
I particularly loved the beautiful pastel coloured buildings on the way back down!
In an effort to try and stay away from our usual haunts and try something a little different, we’d made a reservation at Teanamu Chaya Teahouse.This quaint little hideaway is tucked away within a quiet house in Notting Hill, away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
We were welcomed into Pei Wang’s living room (literally!) ..that has been converted into a modest sanctuary for tea lovers, with a tranquil atmosphere. From the moment you enter, you’re encouraged to leave your worries at the door..
Pei’s personal table is on display at the front. He brought this to London with him when he moved, and likes to sit at to drink his tea every day.
There’s an extensive tea and tisane menu, all colour co-ordinated with black, red, green, fruit and oolong tea and tisane. This is served with a choice of two afternoon tea cuisines..
Although we hadn’t quite recovered from breakfast, we all went for the ichi-go ichi-e afternoon tea! If you’re going to do it, do it properly right?
The tea cards were somewhat of a confusion.. none of us being particular tea lovers, we didn’t really know what to go for, yet wanted the full experience! An in-depth discussion with Pei, and within ten minutes, he’d suggested a tea for each of us, based on our mood, likes and dislikes. We were more than happy to let the Tea Artisan make the decision for us.
What this man doesn’t know about tea, just isn’t worth knowing!
As if that wasn’t enough, we even gained some knowledge on how to brew, pour and drink Chinese tea.
Once the tea has been brewing for the set amount of time (each tea varies), it’s then poured into a decanter so stop it from brewing and becoming too strong. From there, it’s poured into the small teacup.
Oh dear! Then came all the food..
Dim sum.. the lotus leaf rice parcel was the highlight of the meal for me! Sticky rice, slightly sweet, with a hint of satay sauce and a couple of peanuts.. Heavenly!
Wakame seawead open bread sandwiches.. the egg mayo wasn’t anything special, however, the ginger and korean plum preserve with cheese really hit the spot!
Just when I thought I couldn’t possibly eat any more, out came the desserts..
An enormous platter of honeycomb, truffles, marzipan (bleugh!), cake and a warm scone with clotted cream and rose petal jam!
We spent just over two hours at the teahouse, in a calm and peaceful environment, where the tea kept flowing, and we were able to relax and take our time.
Pei was a fabulous host, and although we still have a long way to go before we officially become tea snobs, it’s definitely an experience. I don’t think there is anything like it in London!
If you decide to pay a visit, booking is essential as they are only open at the weekends and offer a choice of three time slots per day.
When questioned why they only open at the weekends, we were warned that it may cause offence, as it takes Pei all week to prepare the food by hand. He has great attention to detail, and it really shone through. Simply amazing!
I personally wouldn’t rush back (once you’ve done it, you’ve done it) and it was a really fun way to spend a Sunday afternoon.
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