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COMPASS MAGAZINE, November 2006

	Tea Time in Taichung
	ROSE HOUSE 7, Lane 39, YiShu (Art) St., LongJing Xiang, Taichung County (04) 2632-1212 Hours: 11 am-11 pm (open to 12 midnight holidays) tea time 2-5 pm 10% service charge. Sitting inside and soaking up the rose fragrance in this shop made me feel like I was back in England, particularly when they brought me traditional English tea on a wooden tray. Especially tasty was the authentic scone, which had a light, salty butter taste mixed with blueberry and rose jam flavors. Crunchy rose pedal-shaped cookies and tasty cheese cakes all taste as smooth as the rose pedals scattered on the tray. Fruit tarts and roast chicken sandwiches are all freshly made, too. Scottish Whisky Tea fills up the place with the mixture of tea and whisky fragrances and a sip totally relaxes your body and soul. The afternoon tea sets (NT$250/weekdays, NT$280/holidays) include any order from the drink list for under NT$140. All the drinks here go from NT$130 to NT$180, and the Rose Water (NT$130) is a big hit, thanks to its charming 15 varieties of rose fragrances. Other flaming-hot or freezing-cold drinks as well as pancakes are on the must-try list here as well.
	FLORENCE & VERA   Florence: 14, Lane 38, YiShu (Art) St., LongJing Xiang, Taichung County (04) 2633-0857 Vera: 3, Lane 38, YiShu (Art) St., LongJing Xiang, Taichung County (04) 2633-0808 Hours: 11 am-12 am (opens 10:30 am holidays) ea times 2-5 pm Minimum NT$100/person charge. 10% service charge.   Florence & Vera are two Italian-style restaurants. The owner enrolled herself in a cooking course in Italy, picked up the local ingredients there and opened not one but two restaurants. The European Afternoon Tea Set Menu (NT$220) comes with three handmade cookies, with six different flavors to choose from, warm cheese, and thick chocolate or fragrant milk. The menu also includes a tea dessert with three choices--Tea Jelly, Strawberry Cheese or Caramel Pudding. And, of course, cheese cakes are essential when it comes to a Western afternoon tea. Seven flavors are available here, including original flavor, rose white wine, blueberry and Provence Lavender. All of cheese cakes are made with top-quality European cheese to ensure a natural, smooth taste. Order yourself a pot of Qingjing Flower Tea and enjoy the soothing sensation flowing through your body as you drink it. Only a limited number of Tiramisu desserts are served here daily and feature a taste so yummy that even Italian guests can't stop complimenting them. These two shops are close to each other and welcome you to experience and enjoy a true Italian ambiance.
	HAKKA FOOD 118, GongYi Rd., Sec. 2 (04) 2329-2929 Hours: 11:30 am-10 pm tea time 2-5 pm 10% service charge.   Hakka Food restaurant's main features include its courtyard and old photos. When stepping inside this place, you'll notice the round wooden stools, Hakka condiments laying around on the tables and a noodle stall on the other side. There, a hallway takes you to the brightly-lit main seating area. The Hakka-style afternoon tea set goes for NT$158 and includes a pancake, tea jelly and drink. Pancakes come in six flavors, such as original, honey, fruit and Hakka tea. Tea Jelly comes with three choices-- green tea, coffee and "luo sen" flower (a Chinese herb reputed to reduce "heat" in the body). The tea set allows you to order menu drinks under NT$120. Traditional Hakka drinks include Plum Juice, Hakka Ground Tea, LuoSen Flower Honey and Mulberry Juice. Set meals for two cost NT$258 and there is special price for a single-person set meal, which comes with a choice from eight tea snacks; Hakka Sticky Rice desserts, Pickled Turnip Sticky Rice and Golden Crispy Chinese Herb Sticky Rice are some of the special ones. Coffee served here also has a Hakka traditional ground tea flavor.