A Mug Of Hot Tea

There's nothing more soothing to the winter-weary than a mug of tea. Today I ventured over to the new Roebling Tea Room in Williamsburg (143 Roebling, St., Brooklyn, 718-963-0760), where I found a very imaginative tea menu. Among the impressive variety of green, rooibos, white, black, herbal and mate teas were such intriguing blends as "green coconut cream" (coconut chips and green tea). I tried the cocoa nib black tea, and accompanied it with an excellent chocolate croissant. Roebling's "comestibles" menu is also appealing; there are pulled pork sandwiches, various salads, duck pate with cornichons, and baked brie. On the weekends there's a "tea brunch" with your choice of different items such as an egg and gruyere sandwich. For those of you who can't make up your mind between tea and coffee, there is the "Black Eye Chai" (chai and espresso). (Of course, this may defeat the relaxing purpose of tea.)

In Manhattan, a former antique shop now houses a Chinese tearoom: The Tea Gallery (131 Allen St., 212- 777-6148). Besides offering a high-quality selection of red, white, green and oolong teas, the Tea Gallery provides tastings and classes.

A recent (and exquisite) 8-course dinner at Ito-En's Kai (822 Madison, 212-988-7277) featured sencha and hojicha. (However, the portions were doll-sized, and I was so hungry afterwards that I was forced to order an additional dessert.) Craving the grassy sencha, I returned to the Ito En store to learn all kinds of valuable tidbits about the teamaking process. Apparently, the water must not be too hot, and should first be poured into teacups (or a special cooling cup) for cooling. The water and tea are then added to a kyusu, or teapot, which ideally should contain a porous surface to absorb the flavor of the tea. (Repeated use "seasons" the teapot.) I am now ready for some tea-making experiments of my own!