Meeting Where Sorrow Ends at Cha-an’s Tea House

“Damn bitch. Whenever I go out with you, my money flies out the window.”

My dear friend and I are here for the matcha afternoon tea at Cha-an’s Tea House. A savory sweet presentation where every delicacy is carefully curated to compliment matcha’s earthy flavor and aroma. My long lavender trench, coated the ground as soft clanks and warm giggles warmed up to the white walls. I admired the kitchen attendants’ gentle concentration; their hands carefully swishing little treats from the counter to caddies.

An attendant approached our table holding a steel tower stacked with savory starters. My homie peaked out from the sides like obsidian angel wings. I reached for a nibble of the smoked salmon resting on a bed of rice as they placed a kettle filled with green tea beside us. Cup by cup, we poured into each other. Between bites my friend unveiled the sourness packed in the last few years. From separate ends of our city, we learned that being prepared for trauma won’t make our shattered glass invisible.

The kitchen attendant interrupts our reflection to replace our tower with a multi-layered gift box. We watched them disassemble red and black box with gold flowers shooting up the sides, as green-tea tannins became tethered to our taste buds. The more we try to evict the sorrow from our tongue, the more it steeps into the story. The boxes unbosomed a multi-compartment bento filled with matcha jellies, custards, tiny cookies and more in an array of intricate shapes and surprising flavors. We reflected on last year’s losses while creating cavities in our sweet and savory pastries. In between bites of rice laced with pickled plum we plotted on what we could grow in the places that felt hollow.