Visiting 無為草堂 (WuWei Teahouse,Taichung)

I recalled before heading to Taichung, Taiwan, I googled for famous landmarks in the city.Blogs after blogs, 無為草堂 popped up. A 8min Taxi ride from my hotel, I had to visit this place! You'll find in most blogs the whimsical side of 無為草堂 in the daytime but unfortunately I can afford only time off in the evening. But hey, it looks great even in the evenings! 

Traditional looking shop front with a short passageway inside, this teahouse stands out quite distinctively amidst the modern landscape of Taichung. Welcoming you in is the friendly and pretty Ms Wang( I shall grab a photo of her when I visit the teahouse again). It's my 2nd visit and Ms Wang recognising me, offered a complementary sponge cake to go with tea ^_^ Thanks!!!

With regards to photos, because I'm on a business trip,  let's make do with my trusty iPhone.

En route the rooms, I passed many large Koi pond. Sadly, it was too dark for a decent photo.  The rooms are Japanese styled with beautiful artworks lining up on the walls, the temperature is regulated at around 26 degrees C. Just perfect and comfy. 

For dinner, I chose one of their house favourites; Hakka duck, pickles, green bean soup, sweet melon fruits  and delicious 珍珠糙米(Taiwanese unpolished pearl rice). The food was really awesome. All food in Taiwan is nice to be honest :)  I shall try some of their other set meals the next time!!

You can read about my review of Alishan Oolong from Wu wei Tea house here

Spring 2014, Alishan Oolong Tea (無為草堂)

On my recent trip to Taichung,Taiwan, I visited the famous 無為草堂(Wu Wei Teahouse) after dinner next door. We decided to choose Taiwan’s famous Alishan Oolong(阿里山烏龍茶 ).

I can only reminisce the scent of floral and the taste of  milky, sweetness, with fruity aftertaste. Arguably, I think this is the best version of Alishan Oolong i tasted thus far. Hence, I bought 150grams at $1100NT. My Taiwanese colleague was commenting it was expensive. But truth to be told, when comparing to what you pay for in Singapore, you often cannot get this quality and exclusively here than compared to In Taiwan.

One thing I noticed though is  water in Taiwan taste somewhat sweet and really delicious straight out from the tap. I believe is probably one of the secrets why tea in Taiwan taste so damn good. nevertheless I cannot wait to get home and brew my newly acquired Alishan Oolong!

REVIEW

Tea Source: Alishan Oolong (1350m, medium roasted) from 無為草堂
Water source: Hyflux Filtered Tap
Water Temperature: 90deg
Brewing Time: 40sec @ 90deg
Tea Leaves rinsed prior to first steep 

Scent: The familiar smell of gao shan cha(高山茶) which smells a hint of vanilla. You realise regardless whether you are drinking Alishan, Lishan or Dayuling, they all have this distinct smell.

Taste: Ah!!!! Yes the exact distinctive sweetness similar to that i had at WuWei Teahouse.  It sported a fruity after taste. First 1-2 infusions had an introductory milky mouth feel sort of creamy oomph followed by the sweet sweet mid-body and lastly capped with plum after taste. This bold distinctiveness is very different compared to Tei's Alishan Oolong i tried recently.  A feminine feel. I love this tea!!!

CONCLUSION
It hits all the high notes on its creamy, sweet, floral and fruity taste and i am pretty satisfy. A must try and must visit place for Taiwanese Oolongs!

Check out my visit to 無為草堂(Wu Wei Teahouse) here