david’s tea opens
On a street of fair-trade coffee and cafés, (my favorite being Café Expressions for its bookish clientele and generous café au lait), I felt like a traitor entering Les ThésDavid - David’s Tea, Ave Mont-Royal’s newest tea salon.
But when a yogini recommends a tea shop, it makes sense to listen. I entered Les Thés David late one afternoon in May, just after the shop opened, based on the recommendation of Carmen, who owns Centre Kinesphere, just up the street.
The sleek white David’s Tea interior is visible from the street, through tall windows which are more like oversized, modern French doors than the typical garage openings up and down the street. As I approached the counter, a smiling young woman greeted me with a sample of strawberry iced tea in a shot glass, followed by a short list of questions: Did I prefer my tea fruity, spicy, or creamy; caffeine or no?
I liked this easy precision, and settled on red tea. My guide took a series of round brushed stainless canisters from shelves behind the counter, shaking each slightly before opening it to release its aromas.
It turned out there were 8 kinds of rooibus - with apple, marigold, pear and caramel flavors, vanilla, coconut, coriander - each varying in color and texture. I settled on the Rooibus de Provence, with half-inch sprigs of lavender. I was intrigued by the juxtaposition of the wild African bush and the genteel landscapes of Aix and St Tropez.
My tea, served in a tall white porcelain mug, was red indeed - medium bodied, with earthy, red tea undertones, not too different from others I’d tried. Yet the lavender changed the tea’s disposition radically. The aroma was the soothing, familiar scent of lavender, and the finish a lasting reminder of the Provençal influence. These were nice counterpoints to the spicy base, and made the tea equally wild and genteel, relaxing and refreshing.
Sweets are not the focus here, judging from the two small plates (lacking attention-catching labels) sitting on the end of the counter. Hungry, I ordered one from each plate.
The lemon - poppy seed cookie was delicate, rich and textured. It reminded me of shortbread, though it was less crumbly, and each bite sung with wisps of lemon peel, followed by a chorus of sober black poppy seeds.
An Argentinean dessert called alfamajores de maice resembled a dull-colored macaron, with 2 crumbly sugar cookies joined by a layer of buttery caramel. The caramel was dusted with slightly sweetened coconut, resulting in a yummy combination of flavor and texture: sweet and dry, chewy and slightly crunchy - very satisfying with my tea.
While I don’t think of myself as a tea snob, I know that origins, water temperatures and steeping times result in very different teas. Yet none of this was mentioned chez David.
As for ceremony, macha accessories and an Art Deco flat-topped Ottoni bouloir were among many nicely designed, some unusual, products lining the boutique shelves. Books, teapots, sachets, and mugs (including a double-walled mug that was comfortable to hold) all pointed to uncomplicated goodness.
Tea, chez David, is easy and straightforward, enjoyable without ceremony or fuss. The trouble-free selection process and resulting new flavor adventure have left a mark on my predominantly coffee mentality.
If you go: 1207 Mont-Royal Est @ La Roche
