Around a wooden table embossed with an unfamiliar script, we drank oolong tea far into the night to the sounds of a gently strung sitar. By the midnight mark, our tea cups were emptied, our souls stirred, and our hearts filled.
I hadn't expected to sit through my first Chinese tea ceremony in the heart of Moscow, Russia any more than I had expected to find a painstakingly replicated tea house in the very plain looking Soviet-era building we entered.
Moscow constantly surprises me in that respect. The external appearance of the city is generally unimpressive. Think lots of grey buildings and kitschy Soviet architecture. Inside the most ordinary of buildings, however, I've found interiors with all the whimsy of Paris cafes, the modernism of Soho lofts, and the laid-back quality of Munich biergartens. The city seems to have been built with a Kinder Surprise sort of mentality. You never know what you're going to find inside.
The place I went to is called Cafe Inbi and it's located in a building called the House of the White Crane near the Dostoevski Metro. Of all the experiences I've had in the past two months I've lived in Moscow, it's been one of the most unique and unforgettable.
The interior is an ambitious attempt to combine designs from different Asian cultures. I went exploring with the ten year-old daughter from my host family and we managed to uncover several rooms designed for Japanese tea ceremonies along with lots of cozy nooks for more generic tea drinking and lounging.
The actual tea ceremony is conducted by specially trained "tea experts" who are widely traveled and quite knowledgable. The place takes great care with authenticity and ambiance. I would recommend going during one of the numerous live music concerts to get the full experience. The ceremony lasted about an hour but we stayed far longer, talking, unwinding, and taking it all in.
Four hours later, I was utterly relaxed and strangely intoxicated. Even in the cold Moscow night, there was a warmth that seemed to seep down into my bones.
You can visit the website at: www.teaway.ru. Use Google translate unless you're up on Russian.