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The Weekly Eater
"HOW much time do you have?," Michele Henry asks guests at Tea at 1024, aware that the typical office drone crams a lunch "hour" into 30 minutes. 1024 Nuuanu serves
a cozy spot for tea"All the time in the world," my guests replied.
Some people are so lucky.
"Um, an hour here," I piped up.
Ah, but it was no use. Afternoon tea cries out for leisure. Every child knows this. Little girls instinctively know what to do when handed a toy teapot. Postures straighten, demeanors mature, voices sweeten. Pinky finger awareness deepens.
By some strange quirk in the cosmos at Tea at 1024, your motions too, become more deliberate. You carefully lift little pastries with mini tongs, when in any other situation, you would snatch them with your fingers. You take small sips, rather than swigs from dainty porcelain cups. You nibble at small sandwiches when, elsewhere, one gulp would finish them off.
All the while, you feel an hour has passed when in truth, time has held to its speedy course. In real time, you've just spent three hours living.
Food -- TEA AT 1024
Atmosphere --
Service --
Value --
Address: 1024 Nuuanu Ave.
It's Henry's intent -- not to prevent you from going back to work, you did that yourself while engrossed in conversation -- to encourage people to cultivate their relationships.
Henry, who opened shop three years ago to sell her Hawaiian, contemporary and vintage clothing designs, always wanted to incorporate afternoon tea into her business.
"It's people who are articulating my dream. They're the ones who are taking the idea and running with it, hosting parties where they exchange gifts, spending time with each other, which is what we don't do much in this day and age."
It is not so much the food here that is so special, but the experience of camaraderie that feels so decadent. Henry is a wonderful host, even though one can sense the stress of running a dual operation. Currently, there is room to seat 22. Larger parties can be accommodated with notice.
On the menu are four kinds of tea sandwiches, bowls of fresh-cut fruit ($4.95), clam chowder in a French bread bowl ($5.95), a delicious chicken Caesar salad ($6.95) and an assortment of pastries and scones, ranging from $1 for a lemon bar to $15 for a whole loaf of double chocolate macadamia nut bread.
Whole sandwiches -- one side white bread, one side wheat -- are made to order, neatly trimmed of their crusts and quartered. Two can conceivably share an order comprising two sandwiches and a pot of tea, for $6.95.
The most exotic sandwich is the chicken curry, diced chicken breast stirred with diced apples, a little mayo and dash of yellow curry. Less flavorful is the imitation crab and black olive with cream cheese and cucumbers on croissant.
The others are fairly pedestrian: one is egg salad made with a dash of Grey Poupon mustard, and the other combines tomatoes and cheddar.
Henry's humble choices reflect a love for simpler times. She said, "I do enjoy life in the present, but I long for things of the past and enjoy reflecting on them."
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Nadine Kam's restaurant reviews run on Thursdays. Reviews are conducted anonymously and paid for by the Star-Bulletin. Star ratings are based on comparisons of similar restaurants:
-- excellent;
To recommend a restaurant, write: The Weekly Eater, P.O. Box 3080, Honolulu, Hawaii 96802. Or send e-mail to features@starbulletin.com
