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One of the distinguishing features of Teaism at this
location, just off DuPont Circle, is an Asian garden in front. Nothing too
complicated. Like Teaism's tea and food: simple yet sophisticated.
 On
my recent visit, I was glad to see the addition of a few modest benches
set into the garden to accommodate a few parties of two or three. I have been to this location often, and had been
disappointed that, on a nice enough day, I was forced to sit inside. Which isn’t a
bad thing.
The interior
was designed to blend the structure of the existing building, which was once an
artists' co-op, a dental office, and the old location of the DC boutique
Toast and Strawberries. The windows facing R Street are from the original
building, unique in design and offering the diner a lovely view of the garden.
On this
visit I made my way in line. Since the space doesn’t really allow for
one straight line, I am aware of an unspoken order. Call it the calming effect of the teas or the stylish
and exotic pots and cups for purchase on old French farmhouse shelving.
Every time I’ve visited, I seem to move through a line that has no order.
Somehow, I step
up at what seems to be my turn. And it is. With delight, I order my tea first.
The staff is friendly, and by now they call me by name and use it to mark my
order: the Keemun this time. I notice as a staffer prepares the pot. Each
one in turn sets to steep. Rich and a little spicy, Keemum is my favorite.
Rich and soft, it has a nutty flavor.
 I
also order the soba noodle salad. It should be enough that a tea house would serve exceptional tea and perhaps have the
usual scones, shortbread cookies, and tea cakes. At Teaism, the menu offerings go from a standard
smoked turkey sandwich, with a wasabi mayo for an Asian kick, to an interesting boxed lunch
called a bento. Each bento comes with a carefully prepared main dish
-- chicken in a light and slightly sweet sauce, or a tea-cured salmon
-- accompanied by a carefully prepared vegetable. My favorite is the sweet potatoes that come
with the chicken bento.
The
soba noodle dish I ordered on this visit are delicious. Soba noodles are
made from buckwheat. They have enough weight so that when they are paired
with a light sauce of soy, ginger, wasabi, and a sprinkle of scallions,
it makes for a light yet satisfying dish.
 I make my way
over to a spot at the windows today. I enjoy the space. It’s attached to
the wall-style table with smartly designed square stools with cushy seats. An
efficient yet stylish use of the space. On my visits upstairs, I’ve brought
along a book and tried to settle in.
My
disappointments with Teaism are few, and there is one that probably has
no easy fix. Although the décor and overall ambiance are appealing, I have
avoided the upstairs lately because of the noisy service station. It is so close to the
dining area that it interferes with conversations and is distracting in
an otherwise very quiet space.
I make
my way back into line. Usually, in the span of another half hour, the line has gone from
ten of us to just a couple.
 I fixate on the Teaism signature cookie, the
Salty Oat cookie. A staffer prods me out of my stare with a gentle
second invitation to order. The cookie is big enough to share, or take
part home, but I manage to dunk and gobble the whole thing with barely a
breath.
Now, I am ready to just sit back and really
get into the book I’ve brought. The conversations around me blend into
the regular hum of any coffee shop, and yet I also notice that people meet and
start conversations easily. Again, I believe it’s the design and use of
space -- call it feng-shui possibly -- that creates community among these soon-to-be-parting
strangers.
It’s quite a
pleasure to be there, so I read a few extra chapters and just enjoy the
experience that Teasim is.
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