Tama Tea recently opened on Franklin Street, serving loose-leaf tea among other menu items. Staff writer Samantha Yi spent an afternoon taste-testing the drinks.
Atmosphere
As soon as you walk in, you notice how spacious the cafe is, which is quite different from the other cramped eateries on Franklin Street. There are nine tables of varying sizes, excluding sofas and armchairs, and indie music plays at a low volume. The interior design was bright but still cozy with mint green and soft black colors dominating the room.The rustic feel is added by the exposed brick walls and wooden counters.
The cafe is proud of its dedication to sourcing their ingredients locally, as displayed by the chalkboard outside: Counter Culture, Maple View Farm and Ninth Street Bakery. Routinely, someone offered samples inside and outside the cafe. The staff was very friendly, hand delivering the food and recommending tea flavors if needed.
The cafe’s facilities include gender-neutral bathrooms and a conference room — a pleasant surprise that I discovered on the way to the restroom. The “Think Tank” room includes a table that can seat four, a chalkboard and a large television screen. The room can be booked online or in the store.
Taste: Matcha Matcha (Hot), Mariner Toast and Jasmine Pearls Tea (Hot)
The Matcha Matcha, which cost $4.45 for a small, was bland. I ordered it hot so the drink was essentially matcha with milk. As I took my first sip, I made an involuntary face at the lack of sweetness. The manager and the lady at the cash register both informed me this was one of their most popular drinks. However, the more I drank it, my taste buds became accustomed to the lack of sweetness.
The Mariner Toast was also a letdown. The avocado was made into a paste and slathered onto the whole grain toast. Unlike The Purple Bowl, the bread was not customizable and the proportion of avocado to toast was lacking. I did not particularly enjoy that the edges were so crunchy whereas the middle of the bread was spongy.
The Jasmine Pearls Tea was the equivalent to the New England Patriot’s comeback in the 2017 Super Bowl. I loved it. The smell of the tea was floral and crisp, exactly how the sign described the tea. I may be biased because I recently have been discovering tea as an alternative to coffee but I internally started jumping with joy when I took my first sip.
