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Yesterday, after my first morning at my new-old project, I went to eat with a colleague at a Thai restaurant near the Scot’s Kirk.

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Strawberry flavoured.

At first, this tiny little shop tucked away in a pedestrian street of Strasbourg doesn’t seem anything out of the ordinary. What a mistake to make. Step inside and you are greeted by the smile of owner Mo Cuiwei amongst a grandiose collection of teapots.

Looking in her late twenties, she is actually a mother of three and a Chinese tea master of some renown. Her teas, I would later discover, are served in Strasbourg’s answer to Ladurée, tea room Christian.
Invited to sit down and discover some Pu’er tea -whose price in most places has trippled since the recent floods in the region-, I did not yet know that my vision of tea would be changed forever.

Travelling in Asia earlier this year, I had become aware that tea was quite different, graded much like wine or other fine products.

Taking a sip of her teas banishes away all notion that tea is just hot water with a pile of leaves dumped in.
All other teas pale in comparison, particularly the so-called Chinese white teas served elsewhere.
The tight little buds blossom in the water and give out a jasmine fragrance which increases with each bath, instead of diminishing. The pale, almost transparent liquid is delicately sweet, requiring no additional sugar.

Teas can also be cut with other grades or types of tea, modifying this. For example, pu’er is often mixed with oxyidised “red” tea, which makes the taste earthy on the first bath but acrid later on.

Another surprise is the teapots, which are all different. Much like wands in the Harry Potter universe, a teapot chooses its owner. One might want a teapot for its cosmetic value but these ones will speak differently to different people.
My selection included a lion-topped one which came in my possession when Mrs Mo said “You’re lion, aren’t you?”

Ladden with three teapots, a new set of cups for chinese tea and a three-legged toad, I leave a couple of hours later with my head swimming in information and the fragant scent in my nostrils.

Definitely my cup of tea.

Esprit du thé
7 rue d’Austerlitz
67000 Strasbourg
Phone: +3388241292

A late arrival on a Monday in Strasbourg can result in an empty stomach at the hotel. Our cab driver later informed us that this was the norm here, Monday nights are often extensions of the weekend for most restaurants.

Fortunately, I had the presence of mind (and internet access) to look for a restaurant opening late. Zum Wynhaenel seemed a decent enough choice and the review sounded good.

This small familial bierstub is located far from the agitation of the cathedral, in a sleepy street near the university. On the outside, a tiny garden allows patrons to eat or drink outside during sunny days while inside has the wood-panelled charm of Alsatian restaurants.

Upon entering, Madame greets customers while Monsieur is manning the stoves. Everything in the restaurant is pig-themed, down to the salt shaker on the table, which gives the tone of what is to come in the plate.

Being too famished to want a started, I went straight for the goods with a garnished sauerkraut. I am not a fan of cabbage, under any of its forms but here, it is served with such gusto that it would be a shame not to taste it.

But the menu also offered choices such as this gorgeous pan-seared foie gras with apples and poppy seeds. It was delicious, caramelised just enough and still firm on the outside before revealing the smooth interiors.

To polish off this delectable meal, un-smelly Munster decked with cumin was served.

Atmosphere:
The decor is very warm and it promises a good evening in this traditional bierstub. Most of the clients seem to be old acquaintances of the owners. Overall, a very nice place and conversation is not stilted by large amounts of noise or any reverence that may be felt in other places.

Prices:
Prices range from about 6 euros for simple starters up to 20 something euros for the pan-seared foie gras. Very good value for money, as the portions are large.

Zum Wynhaenel
Catherine et Raymond Mainberger
24 rue Sleidan
67000 Strasbourg
Phone: +33(0)3 88 61 64 22

Some highlights from Chai 33 in the Bercy Village during our very latest outing there with my brother K, his partner & nephew and my dad. All 5 of us had a decent selection from the menu.