Cha Li, Fresh Tea- Thai Milk Tea, Stow OH

Wednesday Wanderings brough me to the Stow area.  I googled tea in the are and found this fun boba tea place.

                                837 Graham Rd, Stow, OH 44224

https://www.chali-teashop.com/

They have lots of options...

Nice clean work area and the staff was really friendly and helpful.

Look at these incredible desserts!  They look delicious.

This is what I want to try next time...if I spilt it with someone, lol.

I ordered the Thai Milk Tea with Brulee.  

When I was in Malaysia I had a bubble tea with creme brulee and they literally bruleed the top with a culinary torch.  That is what I was expecting with this one, but it was even better.   They put that amazing brulee creme in with the Thai milk tea.

This was one of the best tasting bubble teas I have ever had!  The Thai milk tea was spot on and delicious in and of itself, but than to add the creme brulee to it was over the top.

The prices were good.  The staff was friendly and the place was very clean.  I give them 5 tea cups.

Very fun and cute bubble tea shop.

Seoul Korean Garden, Barley Tea

Headed to Cuyahoga Falls for my Wednesday Wanderings.  My friend is a teacher and had the day off for spring break, so we headed out to a place I had been once and loved and she had never been...Korean.

2559 State Rd, Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44223-1602

The barley tea comes free with the meal.  I have to say I really liked it!!

It has a toasted, nutty flavor.

It reminds me a bit of an oolong tea.  It is herbal- meaning there is no actual tea in this drink.

Barley tea gets 5 teacups for me!  First, it was free. lol, so the price was right. But, the flavor is fun and it went well with our meal.  The staff was friendly and helpful.  I was a fan.

Some of the food options....

This is my second time here and it was just as delicious as I remembered.

They bring you what we in the US would think of as a "salad".  These are free with the entree (it is in the black dish on the table).  And you can get as many refills as you like.  They are super delicious.

Kimchi cabbage, potatoes (My favorite), Kimchi  zucchini,

Kimchi cucumber, Fish cakes, and Kimchi Radish

I ordered more potatoes and cucumber.

I messaged my friend who I went with the first time, what she suggested I get.  She is currently out of the country, but was still able to help me order!!  Technology is fantastic!!!

I ordered the Douk-Mandoogook- which is the rice cake and dumpling soup with sliced rice cakes and beef dumpling sin a beef based soup.  My friend got the Bibimbob.

I also got us green onion pancake to share.

Very responsible price for all we got and I was able to have 2 meals out of it.

I recommend this place if you are looking for something new and fun to try or you like Korean food.  There were several Asian people eating here when we were here, which I always think as a good sign!

 

Springtime Matcha at Front Porch Cafe in Hartville

My friend, her husband, and I hit up an estate sale in Akron.

We had so much fun!!  The last day of the estate sale, everything is half off.  I was thrilled to get these Nestle cups I have been trying to collect.  They were $1 each.  I purchased 23 cups, in three different styles.  I also got the creamer and sugar which I did not have...and then the tea pot for $7.50.  My day was made!

I use this company to find estate sales- https://www.estatesales.net/

But, the fun was just beginning.  We then headed to Hartville and hit up a few more fun antique shops and businesses.   And we had a great lunch at Front Porch Cafe!  We may or may not have stopped in again before we headed home for another drink :) 

https://www.frontporchcafehartville.com/

Kristie and I got the Springtime Matcha which was incredible!!  And her husband, Dave got the German Chocolate Cake drink.  He said the second one that he got that was cold was even better than the hot one he had the first time.

Kristie and I got extra blackberry foam on our second one, it was the best cold foam!

Front Porch Cafe gets 5 tea cups from me!!  The food, the drink, the service was all great.  The bathrooms and tables were clean.  The staff were friendly and helpful.   They had Christian music playing that I loved hearing.

Overall it was a great experience and the prices were good too.

We went to Modern Vintage  https://www.facebook.com/TRWModernVintage/

The Hartville Antique Mall  https://hartvilleantiquemall.com/

The Hartville Mercantile  649 Sunnyside St SW, Hartville, OH 44632

Angeliques Vintiques  1122 W Maple St, Hartville, OH 44632

Hartville Thrift Shop 938 W Maple St, Hartville, OH 44632

One Vintage Lane,  1138 W Maple St, Hartville, OH 44632

That is where I got this fantastic tea set for $10!!!

Boy, has Hartville changed and grown since I was there last.  It has probably been 10 years since I shopped in Hartville.  It is a really cute town with lots to see.

 

Do you know that a tea plucking basket is called?

Tea Picking Baskets have several names.  They can be called hampers, tea plucking baskets, Kitarau, Biku- if in Japan, Tukuris- if in India.

Often made of wicker, bamboo, or a of a natural fiber woven together.

In my new book, the ABCs of Tea, I have Kitarau for "K".  You can find my book on Amazon.   I tried to share lots of tea words with everyone...and include photos I have taken re: those items.  There are over 140 definitions in the book.

I purchased the small basket on Amazon, to have to take to show at tea parties.  The larger basket (in the picture above)  is an antique from Thailand and I don't have to be taking it out and about.

https://www.amazon.com/KOMBIUDA-gathering-backpack-container-Organizer/dp/B0CHSKRRZP

                                                    They are less than $10 on Amazon.

Description

It can serve you for a long time without being easily damaged. . It is made of excellent, safe and natural materials, safe and durable. It is an excellent outdoor tea leaves picking basket, which can bring you convenience and make you have a more comfortable experience 

Features

-Color: As Shown 
-Material: Wood 
-Size: Approx. 14.00X12.00X10.00cm / 5.50X4.72X3.93in 
- Specially designed for picking or storing the tea leaves or flower teas, can be used as considerate gift to friends who like tea.
- With beautiful weaving structure, it can be used as a basket or decoration.

- Suitable for home room table or tea house desktop decoration due to its novel modeling. 
- You can easily buy this practical woven tea basket at an .
- Crafted from durable natural bamboo, free from dyes and chemicals. 
gathering basket rattan

Stock photos from on line:

A bucket list of mine is to do this in India sometime!!!

MUD/WTR Masala Chai and Balance Turmeric

I am not sure if you have noticed all these adds about mushroom teas and coffees, but I have been seeing them everywhere.

I thought I would try it since it was natural ingredients and it sounded good.  After watching and reading reviews about three of these top brands that were out there, I went with MUD/WTR/

I did a 30 day trial.  I tried the chai and the turmeric and both came with a hand frother.  I was able to cancel my subscription any time.

https://mudwtr.com/products/30-servings-tin?view=og-sub-only

I read up on the four mushrooms (Lion's Mane, Cordyceps, Chaga, and Reishi) and they all have great benefits!!

I add a scoop into my mixer cup with some hot water. 

*on a side note, I love my mixer cup!!!  I got it on Amazon and you can charge it with a USB.  It has a magnet in the bottom of the cup that spins and mixes your drink for you.  I use it for this tea and for matcha.  

I let it get dissolved and then I add oat milk.

Once the oat milk is mixed in I drink it cold.  I am not sure it is indented to be drunk cold with oat milk, but that is the way I like it.

I have to say I have not notices any difference, but I really enjoy both drinks.  I have the chai every morning at work... it was been at least 3 weeks now.

I think that the taste is really good.  I like that there are only 20 calories and 0 sugars.  If the price stayed at $29- which is about a $1 a cup I would keep doing the drink.  But, after the introductory offer ends it goes to $40 a container and I just can't justify that since I don't feel like it is making me fell better.  But, I am a fan of the taste and I think it is a very nice drink.