TianZi Tea House

This place is total gem in one of the most obnoxious parts of town (with the exception of Loi Kroh Road...). The tea house is actually a branch of a centre for biodiversity and research based in Yunnan, China.

The food there is exceptional. It's mostly vegetarian with a couple exceptions (wild Pacific salmon being one of them) and has a very diverse menu. One speciality not to be missed is the Brown Rice Salad with Miso sauce. It's one of those things you eat that is both ridiculously delicious and healthy at the same time. Every bite is like there's a party in your mouth and everyone is invited. I also love the buckwheat pizza, which is like a take on brushchetta more than a pizza. It's one of those places that you always order too much at because everything on the menu looks delicious. Luckily they do pack up your leftovers for you to take home if.

The other feature that sets Tian Zi apart is the atmosphere. You'd hardly know that you are in one of the most bustling areas of the city. It's a tranquil oasis that you'd never know was there unless someone told you about it.

The best time to go is for lunch and plan to spend a couple hours there enjoying the food and environment. Feel free to lay on the Thai cushions and take a bit of a post-lunch snooze and enjoy some herbal coffee or Chinese tea. There's definitely nothing fast about this food.

My only word of warning is don't go there if you're famished. The food is freshly and lovingly prepared and can take a while to appear on your table. That said, it's well worth the wait!

p.s. Sorry if the photos are a bit crap quality, I only had my mobile phone with me that day!