teaspoons at the table: studiokitchen tea dinner

Back when spring was still blooming, I was thrilled to collaborate with the talented chef and edible artist, Shola Olunloyo of StudioKitchen for a tea-infused dinner. From the moment that I stepped into his culinary laboratory to talk tea, I knew that this was going to be a spectacular adventure. We chatted about steeped sips, pairings and flavor profiles behind each blend that I recommended. It was a true pleasure to add another destination on my journey as a tea consultant.

Days later, I made my way back to his StudioKitchen for the tea dinner. Subtle aromas of steeped leaves greeted me at the door. As guests started to arrive and Shola perfected his handcrafted, delicious creations, he graciously gave me space to steep the first sip. The Wen Shan Bao Zhong oolong leaves danced about in the infuser as the guests took their seats at the table. The nutty, floral aroma lingered in the air as I poured each cup to awaken their senses and  palates. The smooth sips were a gentle introduction to the edible adventure that was to follow.

As my palate searched for a rewind button, I steeped a final pot to share at the table. Reaching for vibrant sencha, I thoughtfully chose this grassy and subtly sweet sip to pair with Shola’s dark chocolate dessert. I slowly sipped the last drop of the bright sencha green tea and savored the moments of pure tea bliss. Many thanks to Shola for an unforgettable tea-infused night.

Take a peek at Shola's delicious photos of his tea-infused dishes that sent my taste buds swooning:

chewy almond-matcha crumble, foie gras ganache, green peppercorn

tea smoked meadow run egg , salt cured asparagus, truffle, castelmagno

shime saba , pickled ramps, tea infused grapefruit, delfina cilantro

Tea-Dashi infused with Chinese Pu'erh, cockle clams, kinome, honshimeji & gingko nuts

cured scallop, genmaicha-miso, raw radish, hijiki

baby octopus, black beans, preserved lemon, squid ink tea

rabbit escabeche, sea urchin pasta, prunes in bergamot sauce