Chrysanthemum Tea

Chrysanthemum Tea

This maybe the easiest recipe that I have ever posted, but it is too good not to be shared with you. I grew up drinking this tea. My mom always made it for my sister and I during hot summer days. When we came home from school, it was really nice to have a cup of cold sweet tea.

Chrysanthemum tea is made with dried Chrysanthemum flowers, water and sugar. It is sweet with an amazing floral scent. Light and refreshing. It is a very common and popular tea within Chinese. It is said that the tea aids in the recovery from cold and flu. It is also a cooling herb which can reduce the body temperature, which is perfect for summer time. I don’t know if Chrysanthemum tea really have any medical benefits, but it sure is a nice tea to enjoy.

One interesting side story: When I first saw the word “Chrysanthemum”, I just didn’t know how to pronounce it. Bryan repeated the word again and again, but I still couldn’t remember it. Out of nowhere, I came to realize the word “Chrysanthemum” sounds a lot like “Chris and his mom”. When you say “Chris and his mom” really fast, it would sound like “Chrysanthemum”. Ever since then, I can pronounce this word perfectly. 🙂

Last but not least, I will be taking a break and traveling, so I won’t be blogging for 3 weeks. Please check back on the week of February 9th. Meanwhile, follow me (@missinglokness) on Instagram for the latest photo updates. Stay tune!

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Los Angeles: Boxwood Cafe

Afternoon tea? I have always wanted to do that. Being a British colony for years, Hong Kong have many places for afternoon tea. The most famous one has to be at The Peninsula Hotel. Unfortunately, I haven’t had a chance to try it yet. Someday for sure…

Back in Los Angeles, Bryan and I saw a sign about afternoon tea in The London Hotel a year ago. I knew that I would love to try it. Last Saturday was my birthday, I suggested to have afternoon tea in Boxwood Cafe for my celebration. Bryan and I went with my sister. We all had a good time. It turned out to be a great idea.

Boxwood Cafe is owned by Gordon Ramsay. It only opens during the day and afternoon time. At night, Boxwood Cafe turns into Gordon Ramsay the restaurant for dinner. Since Gordon Ramsay is British, I think his restaurant may be one of the best place for afternoon tea.

When we sat down at our table, we were given a wood box which contained many small bottles of tea leaves. There were the basic, like jasmine and English breakfast, but there were also some unique flavors, like life through water and tangerine. We can smell each bottle and pick what tea we wanted. It was tons of fun. At the end, we all picked something fruit related. My sister and Bryan got mountain berry. The tea color was purplish red. It smelled amazing. It was sweet with a hint of berry flavors. It tasted great by adding a little bit sugar. I got cassis. It was aromatic. I liked it without sugar. At the end of the sip, I got a hint of bitterness which was perfect with the sweet treats on the table.

Tea choices

Enjoying my cassis tea

Afternoon tea food is a pre-fix menu. The only thing we got to choose was the tea. It was perfectly ok with me, because there were tons of different things on the pre-fix menu. There were two kinds of scones, four kinds of savory sandwiches, and four kinds of sweet treats. The scones were ok, nothing too spectacular. The savory was one of the best part! Our favorites were the roast beef with red onion marmalade and the curried chicken with golden raisins. They were so tiny, but packed with so much flavors. Delicious! For the sweet treats, my favorite was the berries tart. It was sweet and tart. The peach crumble was good too. But I wish there was something chocolatey. Then, I will be even more happier.

Food!!!

Overall, it was a fun experience and something different. The food was fine. I had a great birthday. I would love to come back soon. Maybe when they change the menu? Also, we saw a few groups of people having bridal shower and baby shower. Boxwood Cafe sounds like a perfect place to have small parties. I would love to do that someday.

Boxwood Cafe at The London (1020 N San Vicente Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069)

Recommend: Mountain berry tea, cassis tea, roast beef sandwich with red onion marmalade

Price: $28 per person ($40 per person with champagne)

Lokness’ Rating: ★★★★

Tip: Remember to make reservation ahead of time.

Boxwood Café  on Urbanspoon

Sweet Tea-Brined Chicken

Sweet tea is awesome! I fell in love with it once I tried it a few years ago. It is great for a summer day. But sweet tea and chicken? It sounds a bit scary and weird. No no no… Let me tell you. They are perfect together! The tea flavor was definitely not strong, just a hint. It was not overpowering. The flavors of the chicken was unexpected. It was absolutely delicious. This recipe turns out to be one of my all-time favorite. Give this a try! You will be happy you did.

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Thai Tea Ice Cream

After a good Thai dinner with chicken yellow curry and pineapple fried rice, it can’t be completed without a scoop of Thai tea ice cream. If you like Thai ice tea, you will love this ice cream. The orange color ice cream is vibrant and beautiful, and it is very creamy, cold with strong Thai tea flavors. Delicious! If you just want to make Thai ice tea too, read my recipe.

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Cute Teabags: Hanger Tea

If all tea bags are made like these cute little hangers, we won’t have to dig up any wet tea bags in our cups. Even though I don’t drink tea often, I really want these!!!

Hanger Tea

Adorable Teabags

Picture source: Read

Thai Iced Tea

Bryan and I love to order Thai iced tea when we go to eat Thai food. Thai iced tea is strong, and sweet. It is a great drink. After a few attempt, Bryan and I have come up with this recipe. It is easy, and it tastes like the one in restaurants. Now, you can pay less for more. Enjoy! 🙂

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