Yumchaa

PalAtTable

Tea Total 1st March 2009

2 found this helpful

As a big fan of tea, it's often hard to find a good place to visit for a pot of brew to help wind down, and I'm too often bitterly disappointed with the bog standard English Breakfast tea in most cafés. Help is at hand though if you favour loose tea leaves with a taste that packs a punch, in the form of a little tea shop called Yumchaa - yum cha simply meaning 'drink tea' in Cantonese. There's a branch in Camden, however there's another quaint dwelling on the corner of Berwick Street/Noel Street, where I happened to pass and promptly enter!

On first entering the shop I was taken by the displays of hearty cakes and muffins, until I gave a sharp double take when I caught a glimpse of the rows of teas on offer inside tiny-tiny milk jugs. But what's more is you can sample the tea options before you decide on what to drink, with nowt but your nose. At £2 a pot it's more than good value, with various infusions of black, green and fruit teas. I've enjoyed both the Regent's Park fruit tea and the Earl Grey Blue Star, but whichever takes your fancy you're equipped with a one cup teapot (though it generously gives 2), strainer and mini milk jug if you require it.

The decor is homely and calm but at the same time quite vintage with white-washed cabinets and heavy wooden tables, plus they always seem to be playing great music to fit the tone - Al Green and Otis Redding on my last visit. The staff are friendly and helpful if you're struggling with which tea to try, the Regent's Park tea was a recommendation of which was spot on. I'm yet to have tea with someone else at Yumchaa, but so far have enjoyed the experience of going on my own that I might find it a little less special to share. That may be selfish, but it's hard to find a great place to unwind with a book or paper.

mazphd at 03/03/09

best title for a review ever nomination. there should be 'tp awards' you know...

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bellaphon

Tea Haven 30th January 2009

2 found this helpful

For all those mountain goats (or the mildly out of touch) yum cha is Cantonese for ‘drink tea’. Like several places I’ve been to now for the first time, Yumchaa was ‘stumbled’. Stumbled upon on my way to Flat White on Berwick Street; so coffee was put on hold this afternoon in favour of tea.

The interior belongs to the school of shabby chic like Fernandez & Wells, but possibly more half baked. Unlike cafés that specialise in coffees, Yumchaa lacks the tingling of the nasal passages that one gets from roasted coffee beans. An interesting thing to note, ladies far outnumber gents as customers (not that I’m complaining!). As per usual with discerning cafés of late, posh sandwiches and serious cakes are on full display to impress and make total mockery of that word, diet. A daunting display of teas (from green to white) is displayed in cute little milk jugs for one to sniff and peruse.

The friendly young lady who served me suggested that I try her favourite of Blueberry Hill. This tea was floral and bewitchingly fragrant, it was an absolute delight to drink. My qualm with drinking this sort of concocted brew is that I start to possess a certain complex. I mean this blueberry thing is the antithesis of my other fave of the builder’s brew; it’s all too girly and the frivolity of it all seemed to be at odds with my masculine disposition. Thankfully this kind of blind panic was short lived, the tea was a perfect brew for the rather wondrous lemon drizzle cake. Sky’s the limit as far as the stomach is concerned when consumption of this wonderful tasting cake is unrestricted. Unfortunately the same couldn’t be said for the Chocolate Cake, the first slice was hopelessly dried out and hard; methinks stale. The young lady replaced it without fuss, I think on hindsight alone she knew she shouldn’t have served that in the first place. Naughty. The replacement slice whilst fresh, was ok and not exactly mind blowing. Maybe the stale slice put a damper on the rest of my afternoon here. Badly kept cake aside, I’m coming back for the teas (30 at last count) and the civility of the whole place.

Yumchaa is a near oasis of calm compared to Flat White. If one tires of the boisterousness of the latter Yumchaa is decidedly heaven sent. The following analogy might be weak but it spells true- canines head to F-W but felines prefer Yumchaa.