Linisus Blog

Part of the offspring of the plentiful amount of specialty tea shops, The Tea Place is another great place to break out, relax and socialize. And since it is one of the only tea shops in the North-West side of the city, and it is also not another Cargo And James, we decided to pay it a visit.

Located way across the North Edmonton Cineplex (13671 St. Albert Trail), it is wedged between the Subway & Vo’s Nails… Inconspicuously, unless you count the incredibly large logo signage.

Once you step inside, you will realize that it is incredibly open (the ceiling a good two stories upwards), with lots of good seating. There is also a raised area to the right, sporting more seating, couches and a fireplace. Michael Buble’s Home graced the speakers and our ears, to give you an idea of the atmosphere. A paper sign near the front does its job: “We Have Wireless Internet”:

Walking up to the counter, unless you know what exact tea you want, you will probably be daunted and confused. Luckily, the very cheerful staff offered some good recommendations, and pulled tea leaf jars from the carousel for us to smell and sample. The menu is decent: coffee, tea, and bubble tea for drinks, and desserts, muffins and paninis for food. Siao & I decided on a Lychee bubble tea, a japanese tea and a Turkey panini. We grab a seat at our table…

… And after a few minutes, all that we ordered is graciously served to our table. I ordered a large japanese-type tea ($4.00), which yields about four cups… This would last someone a long time if they wanted to study here.

Siao’s lychee bubble tea with lychee pieces ($3.50) was a mix of blended ice and juice, and was quite small, when compared to the serving sizes of other bubble tea places in Edmonton.

Finally, the part I was waiting for: the Turkey Panini. Now, as a former employee of another euro-style cafe, I have come to love (and perhaps obsess) over paninis. I’m particular about the bread, the ingredients, and the grill, but I must get the perfect panini at any (reasonable) price.

The Tea Place offers a great deal on a quick lunch, at $6 for both a panini and a cup of soup. The soup was straight-forward and good; quality potato and bacon flavoured. The panini, however, was okay. It was decent sized (each sandwich was the size of a hand), but the meat was cold, and the mozzarella was not melted much at all. It could have used a few more minutes inside the grill. The bread was pretty oily (the picture dulls the oil), and was nothing compared to the wonderful bread at the Italian bakery. But considering how much I paid for it, I could not complain too much; I’d buy it again.

The Tea Place is a great place to bring your books to study, or bring a friend to sit and chat. The long operating hours last until open early, close at midnight on a Saturday, and the availability of internet is always a plus.

The Tea Place: Recommended, depending on your mood to tolerate rude people (See below).

- - - Aside: - - -
I made this call at the end of writing this article, just to make sure I had my facts straight. This very rude conversation goes like this, which gives you an idea of one of the… staff.

Hi, the tea place, ___ speaking.
Hi, I was wondering if you had any time to answer any questions right now?
No.
Oh, I see. Is there a better time to call back and ask?
No, probably not.

Wow, thanks for the help.