A Shui Teahouse 10, Wenhsin Rd., Sec.3 (04)2316-1185, 2314-3235 Hours: 24hrs

By Victoria Augustine Translated by Rita Lin

If you're in the market for a teahouse with good tea, Taichung is definitely the place to be. There are viable options on nearly every corner. But for a teahouse with good food you might be in trouble. Most tea and coffee houses spend so much energy on their drink menu that they've forgotten about their food Not A Shui Teahouse.

Don't let their name fool you. This teahouse is definitely a place to go any time of the day or night for lunch, dinner, midnight snacks, oh...or tea. It's not often that a teahouse makes it onto the Restaurant Feature page, but A Shui is in a class all its own. It's not a teahouse, not a restaurant, and not a place to be missed!

A Shui can be found at two locations on Hankou Road and a new place on Wen Shin Road that opened in January. Both locations are unique and different crowds. The Hankou store is surrounded by bars, KTVs, and other late night establishments making A Shui a happening place late at night. The Wen Shin location, sees its biggest crowds, in the early evenings and on weekends and holidays.

Families flock to the Wen Shin location since kids seem to enjoy the 'temple motif'. Lukang-area artists were sought out to complete the unique decorations. From the two lions he door to the 3-D dragon hanging over a goldfish pond inside, the designers left an impression. University students and younger workers can be found here enjoying a hand of poker or one of  various board games available.

Inside, customers can sit at wooden tables that seat 4-6 people or in one of the eight private party rooms upstairs. There are small rooms that require a minimum purchase of NT$200/per person; one larger room for 10 or more people (NT$2000), and the largest room, accommodating 20-30 people for NT$3000. Personnel manager Miss Jong suggests that reservations for private rooms be made, especially on weekends and holidays.

The newer location has all the standard selections: green/black cold teas, hot teas, milk teas, high mountain teas for brewing, fruit juices, alcoholic beverages, etc. Little red stars next to the most popular drinks help first-timers make a wise drink choice., There are three teas worth noting. First is the Ginseng Tea (yang shen ren shen cha), one of the healthiest teas available. The second is good for your throat; Pong Da Hai Tea that many KTVs serve to warm up those vocal cords. Third is the Guei Yuen Hong Dzao Cha, another healthy, yet tasty offering popular in the winter months.

Beyond the tea, there are stars everywhere! The menu is divided into six sections: special meals (NT$600), toasts (NT$50-60), spicy hotpots (NT$100-150), side dishes and snacks (NT$30-90), rice meals (NT$199), noodles and rice gruel meals (NT$80-120). In each section, numerous food items have stars beside them. Administrator Joyce Shih insists each item is so popular that they have to include a star. To make things easier, try some of the double-starred items first.

Must-trys include A Shui's Fried Tofu. This is not your typical run-of-the-mill white soy-based Tofu. A Shui makes their Tofu with eggs, so the inside is yellow, the outside a golden brown, and the result delicious! A Shui's special French Fries. are crispy on the outside, soft in the middle, and much better than the mere two stars they were given! Next, straight from Penghu, are squid balls--similar to the pork variety--but seemingly fresher, more tender, and tastier. Finally, there are (huge!) handmade dumplings that come in very-filling servings of seven.

The Wen Shin location has Tea Time Monday through Friday from 2-5pm.when all NT$90/120 teas cost a mere NT$49, and come with a free dessert! For those who find Tea Time too early in the day, head over to A Shui Monday through Friday from 5-8pm, and everything is 25% off. As for the Hankou Road location, their current promotion offers a small pearl milk tea for just NT$9.

Both locations are open 24 hours, and parking is plentiful. So head on over to A Shui today and eat!