New Openings: Tea Garden

For a restaurant serving Japanese fusion and designed by a Really Famous Artist, Tea Garden is surprisingly sparse. Designer Huang Rui has let the courtyard remain mostly undisturbed, eschewing flashiness for subtlety.

Beaded curtains (exhibited in UCCA’s Dior show), Rong Rong’s melancholy photographs and a fountain create a contemplative setting for delicate cups of organic tea. The food, too, is organic, and tastes delightfully honest and fresh. Our set (RMB 78, by reservation only) began with a quartet of appetizers, including creamy oysters draped over avocado and light tempura.

The highlight was ochazuke, or rice steeped in green tea, topped with a slab of salmon grilled with aromatic shiso herbs. Even our condiments were artfully selected: green, black and gray Japanese salt for dipping and zingy homemade pickles.

Tea Garden
Daily 11am-8pm. 18 Banchang Hutong, Nanluogu Xiang, Dongcheng District
(6406 0918)
十八茶院, 东城区南锣鼓巷板厂胡同18号

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