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On the eastern edge of the bustling
Wangfujing shopping district nestles a quiet Taiwanese
teahouse. On first glance it is easy to mistake it for
just another shopfront, with its large glass windows
and neon green placard. But a closer look in the window
reveals an unusual sight: a crowd of people drinking
tea, while leisurely playing on swings.
Entering the Xianzonglin Teahouse
(literally: 'Forest of the Immortal Footprint' Teahouse)
is like stepping into Alice's Wonderland. The decor
is simultaneously fantastical and kitsch. Both the trees
planted around the room and the plastic vines winding
up the walls are intended to impart the atmosphere of
a forest. The rabbit logo of the teahouse and the forest
furnishings all have something to do with a traditional
tale of a rabbit in a forest and its relationship to
a man growing tea, although none of the waitstaff can
elaborate on the fable.
Teahouse culture in Taiwan is more
popular than ever, and it is not uncommon to discover
four or five teahouses in one small neighborhood. But
like everything else traditional, teahouses - with their
long-established tea ceremony (pin cha) - are giving
way to radical modern counterparts. Abandoning stiff
etiquette, the Taipei teahouse is now a bright and lively
place where young urbanites can wile away the hours.
Not only have the interiors been revamped to suit a
younger clientele, but the tea served nowadays has adopted
a variety of new tastes and colors, mixing milks, syrups
and 'pearl sago' balls in a cocktail shaker to create
a frothy concoction that is a combination of tea and
milkshake. The majority of these teahouses stay open
from midday to midnight, and provide respite to a steady
stream of late-night customers.
Xianzonglin falls very much into
the post-modern teahouse category. It is a bustling
place which caters not only to weary shoppers in need
of quick refreshment, but in the evening it is full
of trendy young Chinese seemingly quite comfortable
in the plastic forest that surrounds them. Then again
it is easy to forgive the tree branches and plastic
bamboo chairs when you see the swings which hang over
a gravel area next to the large shop windows. Serving
as bench seats and placed on either side of a picnic
table, it is an easy way to spend a good hour or so
swinging while sipping tea.
Xianzonglin offers a wide selection
of reasonably priced, multi-colored teas ranging from
a simple Hot Black Tea (RMB14) to a large jade green
Galaxy Tea (RMB24) which arrives in a pint-sized cocktail
glass. The menu is divided into a number of categories
including the more conservative Tea With Milk Series,
the de rigueur Taiwanese Pearl Sago Series, and the
trendy Generation X Series. The variety of flavors and
colors is so overwhelming that it is easy to forget
you are drinking tea at all, and the waitstaff make
their contribution to national security by keeping the
ingredients top secret.
From the Salsa Series I try the Dreamy
Delight - Strawberry Flavor, a creamy tea milkshake
with a hint of fresh strawberry, and the Cantaloupe
Delight, a bouquet of fruit flavors underpinned by a
strong Cantaloupe essence. The Green Apple Green Tea
and a Passion Fruit Green Tea are featured in the Black/Green
Tea Series. The Apple tea arrives brilliant emerald
green in color and with a strong, but not too sweet,
apple zest that makes it thoroughly refreshing. Similarly,
the Passion Fruit Tea is fruity and tangy.
The real test of an authentic Taiwan
'tea-shake' is a selection from the Pearl Sago Series,
a creamy beverage with a handful of sago balls at the
bottom of the glass. 'Sago', a starch derived from a
tropical Asian palm included more for substance than
taste, has become a staple of Taiwan tea culture and
on this occasion I am not disappointed. On tasting the
coconut variety, I am transported back to the two-stroke
motorcycle whine of Taipei's busy streets.
The Generation X Series consists
of a variety of themed teas in a veritable rainbow of
hues. A turquoise-colored Blue Coral Reef is bright
and cheery and will enliven even the greyest Beijing
winter day. Unfortunately the vibrant color does not
make up for the intensely strong perfume flavor and
it is left virtually untouched. However the Lucky Dip,
a fragrant orange-flavored drink and the Pink Lady,
a tea-shake with a tangy strawberry zest, are slurped
to the last drop.
A small selection of entrees and
xiaochi (snacks) are available, including a range of
marinated delectables such as Taiwanese Marinated Chicken
Kidney and Taiwanese Marinated Egg, all at around RMB6.
Hash Browns, Fried Bean Curd and toast with a variety
of syrupy toppings are also offered. Although not the
strongest feature of the menu, they are a perfect accompaniment
to a glass of tea or for late night munchies.
The Xianzonglin is not the kind of
place you would go for dinner, but if you are looking
for light entertainment and tasty refreshments then
it makes a pleasant change from the multitude of Western-style
coffee shops that have sprung up around the city. And
of course, you get the additional fun and exercise of
going for a swing.
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