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Suited to a Tea
Tea-lovers take their cue
Recipes for cooking with tea
from the wine industry,
pairing flavors with foods
All dressed up for tea time By Stephanie Kendrick
Star-BulletinEverything old becomes new again. So what's the latest old-new thing (or is it new-old thing)? Tea, specifically tea and food pairing.
"It's actually a new area of the industry," said Byron Goo, owner of The Tea Chest in Kakaako. "This is cutting edge."
"Good food and great tea go hand in hand," said Goo. "We've incorporated tea and food pairing into our food-service trainings for about a year now."
Goo, whose 4-year-old company manufactures and distributes premium teas, works with local restaurants such as Padovani's Bistro & Wine Bar, A Pacific Cafe, 3660 on the Rise and Alan Wong's Pineapple Room.
Nationwide, tea afficionados have taken their cue from the wine industry and have begun to think about how the flavors of tea interact with the flavors of food.
Colorado-based Celestial Seasonings recently hosted its first tea and food pairing luncheon to launch a new line of green teas.
Asian foods particularly seem to pair well with tea, said Charlie Baden, Celestial's blendmaster.
Not coincidentally, the green tea launch took place at a Japanese restaurant in Washington D.C. The menu: Fluke Sashimi with Honey Lemon Ginseng Green Tea Emulsion, Grilled Main Lobster with Mandarin Orange Green Tea Reduction, Mint Green Tea and Panko-Crusted Arctic Char, and Green Tea Cake with Misty Jasmine Green Tea Ice Cream.
According to Goo, pairing food with tea is much like pairing food with wine.
Things to consider include body, flavor, acidity and texture. The tea and food can have similar characteristics, or complementary ones to make a good pairing.
For example, Goo recommends Sencha or Gen Mai Cha, both green teas, with poke. "The astringency and grassiness will clean the palate of fishy aftertaste," he said. As a bonus, both green and black teas have been found to kill some of the bacteria in raw foods.
Goo has been working with the staff of Alan Wong's Pineapple Room to pair teas with its menu.
"Great chefs develop a signature style in their cooking. Therefore, it's our job, when we meet with them, to recommend selections that marry well with their cuisine," said Goo.
His meetings with restaurant manager Mark Shishido, chef Steven Ariel and pastry chef Mark Okumura have produced an entire tea-time menu served every afternoon at the the Ala Moana eatery.
It's part of an effort to educate the public about quality teas.
"People look at the menu and see Earl Grey, but what they don't realize is that there are different levels," said Shishido.
"We were the Budweiser generation growing up and when we were first introduced to microbrews it was like -- wow -- people were complaining because they had too much flavor," he said. "We have to constantly talk about it so people are aware we do have options."
Okumura, who has created a plate of bite-sized wonders for the dessert portion of the menu, thinks patrons expect the restaurant to be on the cutting edge.
"Customers coming to an Alan Wong's, they expect that, they expect something different," he said.
With a tea selection including everything from Indian Darjeeling to Chinese Temple of Heaven to a local Mango decaf, the Pineapple Room is a good place to begin exploring tea and food, said Goo.
But then, so is your own kitchen.
Our modern diet lends itself to the flavors of tea, a good thing now that the health benefits of tea have generated new interest in the beverage.
"Things like seafood and chicken, your lighter dishes, seem to go well with tea," said Celestial Seasoning's Baden. "Fruity, berry-based and citrus-based (teas), are great for desserts."
And Goo likes tropical fruit teas such as Lavaberry, Mango or Lychee with the fusion dishes served at many Hawaii restaurants.
"The robust tropical flavors of these teas match the vibrant tastes of today's Hawaii Regional Cuisine," he said.
So if the wine craze has passed you by, or your tastebuds are just ready for something new, here's your chance.
The term teetotaler could evolve into a mark of sophistication.
Try these foods with these types of teas: A good match
Vegetables: Panfired teas such as Temple of Heaven or Formosa Panfired
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When tea
Star-Bulletin staff
becomes foodIf tea and food pairing is cutting edge, cooking with tea might be the rest of the blade. Tea can infuse a recipe with subtle, distinctive flavor. Chefs have used all sorts of teas in everything from appetizers to desserts. Below are two dishes to try -- a local recipe and a recipe that complements local cuisine.
More recipes are available at www.teachest.com and www.celestialseasonings.com
Jasmine Tea Steamed
Chef Russell Siu, 3660 On The Rise
Fillet of Opakapaka2 bags Jasmine teaSteep tea in hot water; strain and set aside.
3 cups water
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro (reserve stems)
4 opakapaka fillets (6-1/2 ounces each)
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon chopped ginger
1/8 cup white wine
1/8 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup heavy cream
8 ounces butter
1 bunch green unions, julienned
Grind bread crumbs in food processor till fine, then add grated ginger and cilantro. Season opakapaka with salt and pepper and top with seasoned bread crumbs. Place in the perforated pan of a double boiler. Put tea in pot and insert perforated pan. Cover and steam about 12 minutes, or until fish is done.
Remove from pan.
Place coriander seeds, chopped ginger, white wine, rice vinegar and cilantro stems in a pan and reduce by half. Add cream and reduce by half. Add butter a tablespoon at a time, stirring constantly over low heat. If heat is too high, sauce will separate. Strain. Season with salt and pepper.
Place 2 ounces of sauce on plate and place fish in the center. Garnish with vegetables of your choice and green onions.
Approximate nutritional information per serving without added salt: 700 calories, 55 g fat, 33 g saturated fat, 210 mg cholesterol, 660 mg sodium.*
Green Tea Marinated Cucumbers
Celestial Seasonings Inc.3 small cucumbers, slicedTo make tea, pour hot (not boiling) water over teabags (1 for every cup of water) and steep 5 minutes. Whisk together with remaining vinaigrette ingredients.
1 cup strong Celestial Seasonings Authentic green tea
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
1 teaspoon shredded, dried seaweed, if available, OR 1 dash hot pepper sauce
Toss cucumbers in vinaigrette. Cover and marinate at least 2 hours. Serves 2-4. Serve with hot rice and grilled beef or tofu.
Approximate nutritional information per serving: 50 calories, 3.5 g fat, 0.5 g saturated fat, no cholesterol, 160 mg sodium.*
Dressed up
for tea timeYouthful silliness merges
By Stephanie Kendrick
with grown-up eleganceStar-Bulletin
ALL the grown-up girls who come to Lisa Rose Doll House and Tea Room have the same comment -- "We want to play too!"
In September, Rose Lee began offering dress-up tea parties for girls 4 to 12 through a company named for herself and her daughter and business partner, Lisa Zakar. Zakar lives in California, but is moving home with her family this year.
The parties begin with the dress-up phase, which finds the girls choosing outfits and having their hair, makeup and nails done by Lee and an assistant. Lee has 70 costumes in stock, complete with accessories. Some items were donated, others were bought at mainland costume shops, local thrift shops or swap meets. "I know all the swap meets and thrift shops in town," said Lee.
Most customers tend to go for the princess look, but these are modern princesses.
In the midst of the dress-up phase for Emily Bogden's 10th birthday party, two princesses passed the time engaged in a battle armed with plastic Roman swords and shields from the prop closet.Joining in the battle was Bogden's 11-year-old brother George, who claimed to regret tagging along for the party, but seemed to be having a pretty good time.
Dress-up culminates in a fashion show, which parents are welcome to photograph. And Helen Petrovitch, Emily's mom, does just that.
The girls attend Le Jardin Academy and most have known each other since pre-kindergarten. Petrovitch plans to show the party pictures at their high school graduation party -- in 2007.
Bogden and her seven guests (not including George, who didn't choose a costume) show off their dangling earings, feather boas and other finery as they are announced as Princess Emily, etc.
The fun is contagious.
"I think adult women would love to come down here and get dressed up," says Petrovitch, sporting the purple-lace dress Emily insisted she try on. It fits perfectly. Mother-daughter events might be fun too, she suggests.
The adults, if they choose to stick around, retire to a back room as the girls sit down to their meal. That way, it really is a kids party, says Lee.
The three-course meal begins with veggies and dip, cheese, fruit, crackers and lemonade served in tea pots. The second course comprises mini pizzas; turkey, tuna, and peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches; and hot dogs.
"We also provide a decorated birthday cake, but we usually don't cut into it because the kids are pretty full," said Lee. Instead, the cake goes home and cookies are served for dessert.
"It's what we call kid-friendly food," says Lee. Her five grandchildren served as menu consultants.
The meal is set out on a long, elegant table with linen, china and high-backed chairs. The room boasts pale pink walls, flowered wallpaper, wicker and iron garden furniture, shelves full of dolls, lace and sheer curtains, and flowered throw rugs. Lee and Zakar did all the decorating. "It's very elegant for them," says Lee.
As the guest of honor, Princess Emily is given a ceramic bell with which to demand service. Copious giggles break out at the idea of being able to summon grownups to cater to their needs.
"I hope she doesn't try to bring that home," says Petrovitch.
Bell ringing aside, Lee is concerned with teaching good habits. The girls get a refresher course in napkin use and are taught to sit at the edges of their chairs during picture-taking.
Zakar is working on the curriculum for future etiquette classes.
The noise level in the other room suggests the party is a success. Princess Emily leads the group in a couple of songs, one plotting the death of a certain purple dinosaur and the other a strange version of the classic work anthem from "Snow White."
Petrovitch is happy as well.
"It's totally relaxing for the parents, you don't have to do anything," she says. "It's expensive, but you really get a lot for your money."
The parties cost $275 for a party of seven and $25 for each additional guest. That includes the dress-up session, food, birthday cake, a photo and gift for each guest and other touches designed to make the party "hassle free." Lee even prepares a gift list as presents are opened so the parent has a record of the loot.
Though Lee does little advertising and has only been open eight months, word is getting around.
"Everybody's talking about it. The place has got to be booked solid," says Petrovitch who heard about it from a colleague at the Pacific Health Research Institute.
She has been busy, says Lee, but that's the way she wants it. "We have as much fun as the kids do."
And that's saying a lot.
Princess Simone delivers the ultimate testament to Lee's success: "This is such a fun birthday. It's better than the water park!"
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