Midweek Meanderings Hot Drink Edition: The Big Tea-se, Honolulu Coffee Company, and what I'm craving at this moment

I really became a big tea drinker after our trip to China nearly two years ago. And it just carried on after I returned; I drink tea everyday at work, just placing leaves in a large cup I have and adding hot water as the day goes on. It does help that one of the "big" gifts for Chinese is tea. Here's a bunch of containers I threw together for a quick photo:

All of these are from China. We've also been pretty lucky, everytime we nearly run out we'd get a package or have visitors. The Missus' cousins loaded us up with enough for at least another nine months or so...until we start worrying about running out! It seems that the younger generations don't drink much tea, so we've been the beneficiaries. The packaging of some are quite elaborate, looking like something out of Raider's of the Lost Ark. The reflection on the Missus face when She opened this one also reminded me of a movie.

I'm really just a tea drinker, though I know what I like. We also know when something really stands out, as the tea we were given in the red container to the left did. I took a pack to work and noticed how fragrant this was, the finish to me is a bit sweet. Meanwhile, the Missus did some research and found out that Jinjunmei Black Tea is a famous and very desirable black tea that is supposedly grown from a rare species and only found on the slopes of certain mountains at an elevation of 1500 - 1800 meters in the Wuyi Mountains.

The Missus also told me the stuff selling for up to $180 for 50 grams...50 GRAMS! Of course I was at work and had just gotten my first cup of tea......Jinjunmei tea when She called and told me this. Sigh.....I looked down at my cup of tea, not quite knowing what to do......drink it I guess.....but somehow it just felt wrong. Needless to say, the Missus and I keep telling ourselves that we'll have a nice pot, well, "next weekend.....maybe".

Honolulu Coffee Company:

On our last (thankfully) trip to Ala Moana Center, with the Missus riding high from just purchasing a pair of Manolo Blahniks She wanted, I decided that we should sit and have cup of coffee. The smells coming out of this shop was just wonderful..........

I don't drink a whole lot of coffee anymore, but the thought of some decent Kona Coffee just sounded right. The Missus, asked me what to get.... looking at Her bag with the Manolos in them I told Her the French Pressed 100% Kona of course. At eight buck for a cup of coffee it ain't cheap. The Barista told us it would be four minutes and thirty seconds...not four minutes, not five minutes, but four minutes and thirty seconds. And what we got was the most perfect cup of coffee I've had in ages. Smooth, but not too smooth, fragrant, nice finish.....

The Missus, a regular coffee drinker knew better than to ask me if I wanted anything in my coffee..... The Barista came by a few minutes later and asked what we thought of our cup.....I told him, "I'm far from an expert, but this is the best I've had in recent memory....you could get me started on coffee again." On the flight back I read that the Barista who is head of quality for Honolulu Coffee Company, Pete Licata is the 2011 US Barista Champion and took second place in the World Barista Championship. I'd say the quality is quite good......

Honolulu Coffee Co (in Ala Moana Center)
1450 Ala Moana Blvd, Ste 3066
Honolulu, HI 96814

What I'm craving:

Strangely, I'm craving this:

Man, I haven't had the broasted chicken form there in over ten years now! I dropped by on one of my solo trips a couple of months back, but the place was swamped and they told me it would be 2 hour wait! You gotta be kidding....I could be back in San Diego by then! But maybe I should have just sucked it up and waited...sigh....

Guess I'll just have to make due with this.

I hope everyone is having a great week!

Comments

[Michael]

Where did you get the fish?

[Kirk]

Hi Michael - The Aji sashimi is from Sushi Yaro.

[Janfrederick]

Ah man. That brings back memories of our trip to a small coffee operation on the big island.

[nhbilly]

Awwwww, no chicken?

[Kirk]

Hi Jan - Man, great Kona coffee is something else, ain't it?

Hi Billy - Sorry, not this time......I'm gonna get back there some day!

[caninecologne]

hi kirk - liked your pulp fiction reference. i was thinking that before i clicked the link!

[kat]

I better go back and try the coffee there, it's been awhile, happy 2012!

[Kirk]

Hi CC - It's the first thing that came to mind when I saw the reflection on the Missus' face!

Hi Kat - We really loved the coffee there! Happy New Year to you and Satoshi.