Knife & Fork Store Review (July 2009)
Knife & Fork is an Atlanta restaurant review guide. It is available in print only and published in Atlanta. In their Volume 27, Number 6 issue, they reviewed ZenTea...Find of the Month: Zen Tea Room
In our mind we still carry a torch for the early days when intown businesses such as Tea Space and Mind Space introduced Atlanta to the concept of fine teas and fine brewing. The first thing we noticed about Zen Tea, a year old charmer in a thoroughly lovable century old building that used to be a town hall for the city of Chamblee, was the presence of two Japanese hot water dispensers and a digital timer.
When it comes to tea, we'll take serious over charming any time. That is Zen Tea is both is almost too good to be true. Add to the fact that what little food there is comes from Maison Robert, an Atlanta institution recently reopened to the public just around the corner in the same row of atmospheric stores, and you have something as unique as it is wonderful.
Owner Connie Miller (at left in the photo) calls her place "a Cheers-type tea bar with a touch of Zen." In addition to purchasing and blending some of the best teas from around the world and retailing them under her own label, she likes to concoct marvelous tea spritzers poured into wine glasses and shimmering stems and blends memorable iced matcha soy lattes of the most amazing green hue. She does some drinks that resemble cappuccinos and other that look like Rhine wine, while conducting a comprehensive tea tasting on the side and managing to keep track of the few wedges of quiche slowly warming up in a tiny Japanese toaster oven.
Everything about Zen Tea smacks of thoughtfulness and good taste. In every category (black, white, green, and oolong), numerous organic selections reflect Miller's philosophy of serving things that are good for the body. The quality of the brewing matches that of items such as premium matcha green tea powder (plan or mixed with green sencha and toasted rice), "competition quality" golden-tip pu-erhr, and first-flush Darjeeling from the slopes of the Himalayas.
If we had to criticize something about Zen Tea, it might be its huge number of flavored teas, even though they mostly feature delicious natural flavors such as dried mango, blackberry leaves, and sunflower petals rather than toxic chemicals. We were perfectly willing to be led down a garden path where crème brulèe is a tea and Grey de la Crème is more than a play on words.
Whether you want to relax informally on your own time or take a gentle yoga class, participate in a Reiki healing circle, or meditate is entirely up to you. Zen Tea can make things happen, and you should probably give it a chance to delight you with a high tea or a special event.