Té provides variety and spice

By Rachel Solnick     3/20/08 7:00pm

Often neglected by college students for having less caffeine than coffee, tea is a delight well worth discovering. The taste of tea avoids the burnt and acrid tinge to which mediocre coffee falls victim, just as its culture contrasts with the routine-confining, addiction-inducing lifestyle that plagues coffee drinkers. A good cup of tea is steeped in hospitality, relaxation, and simple elegance. To be a connoisseur of tea is to be a connoisseur of life's more delicate, nuanced pleasures, which is a worldly pursuit worth cultivating. Luckily, that pursuit is only a 15-minute bike ride from Rice.

Celebrating its second anniversary last weekend with a Japanese tea ceremony and lion dance, Té House of Tea offers an exciting array of exotic teas to tempt the more discerning palate. Students whose tea repertoires extend only as far as the nine flavors in the servery should leave behind their Lipton and try one of Té's black teas, green teas, white teas, tisanes, blooming teas, Oolong teas or Pouchong teas. With names like Snow White, Dolce Vita and Ottoman Empire, the choices can intimidate a person interested in exploring new flavors. Nevertheless, Té's employees can aid customers with recommendations based on different fruit flavors, earthiness or smokiness, descriptions not unlike that of fine wine.

The nutty and full-bodied mugicha tisane is beer reincarnated in tea form, made out of roasted barley and lacking both tea leaves and caffeine. Those looking for a fruitier taste can try an herbal tea like Eden's Garden, a refreshing deep red blend of dried apple and mango so sweet it needs no sugar. The Golden Tip Puerh has a stronger flavor, reminiscent of wood and leather.

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Teas are served in dainty white teapots or clay Yixing pots -- named after the Chinese city famous for them -- and can be enjoyed in Té's neutrally decorated but pleasing café seating area, which features large windows and a mix of chairs and comfy couches. It is a good place to study during the daytime, as evidenced by the moderate number of people typing away on laptops.

Té's food is less enthralling, but acceptable. Of their sweets, the English scone was enjoyable but replaced the signature dense texture of a scone with the buttery fluff of a Popeye's biscuit. The warm and soft ham and cheese cr?pe had the perfect consistency but was heavy on cheese. With its savory blend of roasted peppers, artichokes, tomatoes, mozzarella and pesto mayonnaise on herbed focaccia, the veggie Panini can satisfy even a meat-eater. The prices are fairly affordable, averaging five or six dollars for a single item.

Té also caters to cultural interests as well as culinary ones. Friday night from nine to midnight, wine-sipping or tea-drinking Argentine Tango dancers transform Té into a mini milonga as they twirl to classic Tango songs (fittingly, Té also offers the famous Argentinean tea Yerba Mate). Saturday is swing night and attracts a small crowd of good dancers who welcome beginners as well as people who simply desire to watch or chat with friends in a pleasant atmosphere.

House of Tea is one of those hidden gems that make living in the eclectic hodgepodge of Houston's urban sprawl worthwhile. Make sure not to miss this charming neighborhood café.

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