Author: Michelle

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Tea Experience: Neverland Tea Salon

Neverland Tea Salon
Kitsilano, Vancouver, BC
A Grande Adventure High Tea – $38 each

When my friend Suzanne suggested that we go for tea at Neverland Tea Salon in the Kitsilano neighbourhood of Vancouver, of course I said yes! This tea salon is easy to get to via transit as it’s located along a major road with plenty of bus traffic (and some free street parking nearby as well!). And look at that adorable sign to signal when you’ve reached the front door.

We opted for the A Grande Adventure High Tea, which is $38 per person and includes “never-ending pots of tea”. For those not wanting to switch out teas, there is the Demi Tea ($30 per person). Neverland Tea Salon also features a Take Me To Neverland Bubbly High Tea (features the never-ending pots of tea, along with one sparkling wine, rosè, or mimosa) at $48 per person, and a Tinkerbell’s High Tea for children, at $24 each. Continue reading “Tea Experience: Neverland Tea Salon”

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Dessert by Deb’s Orange Ginger Shortbread

Orange Ginger Shortbread by Dessert by Deb
Rooibos / Flavoured
$9.00 for 50g

First Impressions

I made a purchase with Dessert by Deb, and received Orange Ginger Shortbread as a free sample as part of my loose leaf tea order. So while Deb did not ask me to review this rooibos blend, I couldn’t help but decide to share my thoughts on it.

The sample of Orange Ginger Shortbread came in a clear sealed, resealable bag. The ingredients all easily visible through the packaging, which I do like. The aroma is very strongly of orange and vanilla – which is great because I’m not a fan of rooibos. I can smell a touch of rooibos in the background, but it isn’t enough to bother me too much. Orange Ginger Shortbread consists of certified organic ingredients: fair trade rooibos, vanilla, oranges, orange peel, ginger, maple and brown sugar.

Preparation

There were no steeping instructions on the packaging or the product page online, but I treat rooibos blends the same as herbal tisanes – I steeped Orange Ginger Shortbread in 100°C (212°F) water for 5 minutes.

First Taste

Orange Ginger Shortbread steeps to a deep orange colour. I can smell the orange with a hint of ginger. For the taste, I found that the rooibos was very much in the background – which I did appreciate. I can taste orange, ginger, and vanilla. It really does remind me of the namesake of the tea, since vanilla always reminds me of baked goods. There’s a nice sweetness to the blend, and I only found a little bit of an aftertaste from the rooibos blend (just a hint of medicinal flavour).

A Second Cup?

I resteeped Orange Ginger Shortbread once, but found that the orange, ginger, and vanilla notes were considerably less compared to the initial steep and I could taste more of the rooibos. So if you’re a fan of rooibos, I’d recommend resteeping it – but if you’re not, I’d leave it to one steep only.

My Overall Impression

I liked Dessert by Deb’s Orange Ginger Shortbread. I really loved how well the rooibos blend was created, the flavours were on point with the name/inspiration. I do wish that it had a heavier ginger flavour, because I do think that would have really put it over the top. I enjoyed the orange and vanilla notes, and think that it really did remind me of shortbread with the creamy vanilla notes. For those rooibos fans, I would suggest a second steep to get more of the rooibos flavour.

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Masters Teas’s Shi Feng Long Jing

Shi Feng Long Jing by Masters Teas
Green Tea / Straight
$29.00USD for 1.5oz

Masters Teas has provided me with Shi Feng Long Jing for the purposes of writing an honest review.

First Impressions

Shi Feng Long Jing came to me in a sealed printed, resealable pouch. There’s information regarding the origin and tasting notes, which I always appreciate. I found the steeping instructions for this Chinese green tea on the Masters Teas website on the product page for this specific tea. The leaves are flat and green – ranging from light to medium greens in colour. It’s a very familiar tea, since I’m a fan of long jing (dragonwell). There are some light grassy and floral notes from the dry leaf – I don’t sell any chestnuts despite it being referenced in the description.

Shi Feng Long Jing was harvested April of 2019, by farmer Guo Ya Ling in Zhejiang, China. This tea was harvested at 500m elevation. I always appreciate finding out more information about my teas, I think it’s great to be able to trace the tea back to its origin.

Preparation

Masters Teas recommends steeping Shi Feng Long Jing in 170°F (77°C) for 2 to 3 minutes. I opted to do an initial steep in 175°F (79°C) water that I allowed to cool for 5 minutes prior to steeping, and steeped the tea leaves for 2 minutes.

First Taste

Shi Feng Long Jing steeps to a light yellow colour. I found the aroma to be a mix of grassy and floral, while the flavour had some sweetness to balance out the grassy notes, as well as some nutty notes that remind me of cashews. It makes for pleasant cup of tea and I wouldn’t add anything to it.

A Second Cup?

Masters Teas suggests that Shi Feng Long Jing can be steeped 7 times, so I opted to do 6 resteeps of the same leaves – I added an additional 30 seconds for each subsequent steep. I found that the tea became more golden yellow and developed more of a nutty flavour in the later steeps, and lost some of that floral sweetness.

My Overall Impression

I loved Masters Teas’s Shi Feng Long Jing. I found that the flavours of this green tea to be well-balanced. I was curious about where the chestnut notes might be at the beginning, but found them after having steeped the tea. I really enjoyed each resteep, especially as the flavour profile shifted from sweet to more savoury, it made for a great tea experience and I would recommend resteeping this tea.

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