More and more unique approaches and intriguing elements to independent tea rooms continue to appear in the wide universe of Camellia sinensis – bar counters with built-in chagama (茶釜), concepts that are on par with coffee roasters where tea is made fresh (from roasting hōjicha to making sencha from frozen fresh spring leaves), fine-dining restaurants including tea pairings, terraces on top of steep tea hills, and bars incorporating spectacular almost performance-like experiential cocktails with tea…
Since tea is tightly knit with cultural heritage and rich history, cherishing the century-old traditions never ceases to be important, nevertheless, out-of-the-box ideas enhance and allow tea to move forward simultaneously bringing refreshing creativity to the table. This article will review a few interesting tea places that I have visited in Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, and South Korea during the last year, where we can observe the fusion of tradition and modernity. While this article won’t provide an exhaustive list of tea places, it can serve as a sip of inspiration. As we plunge into a few fascinating contemporary designs and ideas, firstly let’s visit Baisa Nakamura in Uji, Japan – a tea room and a tea factory, 2 in 1...
