Thanks to the cold weather that’s been sweeping through the city, thoughts of warm comfort foods and wintery drinks are on the brain, resulting in a trip to Franchia – known as one of NYC’s top rated tea houses. Although Franchia’s draw is their variety of teas (chosen seasonally), if you are looking for something a little more substantial, you will find that they also have an extensive menu of vegetarian and vegan foods. Going with what they do best, I opted for the Royal Tea Tray, which includes a small meal coupled with your choice of two teas. The Jasmine tea, came out as the starter, and had a subtle flavor that went nicely with the meal of delightfully arranged appetizers. The standouts were the crunchy on the outside ‘meat’balls, which were covered in a red pepper glaze and the eggroll that was topped with a slightly tart, yellow sauce. The fresh sushi also comes highly recommended, along with the doughy on the inside, lightly fried on the outside pancakes. The real treat was the ending dessert of Plum tea, which smelled amazing and tasted exactly like a sugary sweet plum! So, next time you are headed through midtown, take a turn on Park Ave and 34^th to find this little gem.

Jasmine Tea

Plum Tea