I am not just surviving on my Cohen Eating Plan, I am enjoying it. Sure, there are many restrictions, but instead of feeling deprived, I feel quite the opposite: I feel privileged whenever I get to go out to order something out of a menu, something allowed, something I can consume without having to measure precisely. I find myself appreciating stuff I used to take for granted. So much of the food I eat these days is home-cooked, that "dining" out is really a treat. Not that I don't enjoy the food I'm eating - because I do. I have no complaints about eating good stuff - like lean meats and fish, and fresh fruits and greens... but I do miss going through the motions of stepping into an establishment, soaking in the ambience, perusing a menu, and anticipating the arrival of my order. I also miss socializing with good friends in pretty places. So imagine my joy when my friend Ana suggested we meet up for a catch-up chat at Da.U.De Tea Salon in Fort Bonifacio. It's that kind of place that excites the senses and touches the soul, and let's one get away with an indulgent experience without the guilt-inducing glut. I only had tea, nothing more. But in this kind of establishment, that's the best thing. After all, it is a tea salon.
I first found out about Da.U.De when we received one of their box-sets as a gift for Christmas. The set contained an elegant tea steeper and 2 canisters of loose leaf tea (the more popular Green Tea; and the exotic blend called "Pu-erh" - which smells and tastes the way it sounds). I found that tea set intriguing and impressive - the name Da.U.De struck a chord and stayed in my head. One day early this year, we drove by 26th street at the Fort, and saw the newly opened tea salon in passing. I made a mental note to check it out sometime soon. So when Ana scheduled our meet-up this February, I was so excited to visit the tea salon that I checked out their website in advance so I could plan my visit - being on the Cohen Eating Plan has taught me to prepare ahead. I always leave my house with a clear game plan.
I planned my schedule so that I'd eat at home right before heading to the Fort, that way I could focus on the flavors of the tea and the flow of conversation. And here's the great thing about going to Da.U.De, the act of drinking tea is an indulgent experience! Choosing from their dizzying selection made me feel like a kid in a candy store. There were jars of loose leaf tea waiting to be sniffed... I loved going through the motions of flicking the lids off the jars, feeling the rubber rim snapping off the glass, hearing the soft shuffle of tea leaves as I give the containers a gentle shake. I inspected each candidate visually, I looked at the hues, and shapes, and finally, breathed in to get a dose of flavor based on each blend's unique scent. It was a tough call, choosing a winner out of all the contestants begging for my patronage. But I had a Cohen-based criteria for narrowing my options: no flavored teas - just black tea or pure herbal ones (and even with such criteria, there was still a lot to choose from). I ended up indulging in 2 kinds of Cohen-compliant tea, ordering a cold beverage first, and a hot one, next.
The tea arrived in such lovely packaging, I felt giddy-good. The cold tea came in robust paper tumblers with bold prints in eye-catching black and white. The lids had sleek silver rims, and crisp white tops - and the straws - oh my, these uber-cute, solid-sturdy, oversized, firm paper straws in sliver stripes and black dots - I loved them! They were F.U.N. And the hot tea came in a tea accessory described in Da.U.De's website as the "Tea Maker" or this "fabulous lightweight tea steeper" that works like a nifty gadget, it "features an auto shut-off valve that is activated whenever the tea maker is lifted away from your cup". It was not the usual teapot, that's for sure. It was fun to use, and fabulous to watch.
So I went out, and all I had was tea - and it was wonderful! It's a far cry from the usual experience at other restaurants where having tea means getting a cup of hot water with a tea bag on the side. Nope. At Da.U.De, having tea is an event! Getting to savor the taste and flavor of artfully crafted tea happens after one goes through a most appetizing selection process - that of partaking of the visual and olfactory buffet offered by the array of tea on display. With so many things forbidden on the Cohen Eating Plan I find myself looking for ways to elevate my enjoyment of the things that are allowed. Tea is one of them. And at Da.U.De, one gets the most indulgent tea-drinking experience, in an elegant setting no less. I felt no deprivations, only privilege.
I love Da.u.de! Food and service are good. Love the tea-infused pork belly.
ReplyDeleteMy friend ordered that too! It looked really good :-D And yes, I agree, I liked their service too.
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