stories

More and more unique approaches and intriguing elements to independent tea rooms continue to appear in the wide universe of Camellia sinensis - bar counters with built-in chagama (茶釜), concepts that are on par with coffee roasters where tea is made fresh (from roasting hōjicha to making sencha from frozen fresh spring leaves), fine-dining restaurants including tea pairings, terraces on top of steep tea hills, and bars incorporating spectacular almost performance-like experiential cocktails with tea… Since tea is tightly knit with cultural heritage and rich history, cherishing the century-old traditions never ceases to be important, nevertheless, out-of-the-box ideas enhance and allow tea to move forward simultaneously bringing refreshing creativity to the table. This article will review a few interesting tea places that I have visited in Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, and South Korea during the last year, where we can observe the fusion of tradition and modernity.