Feb 2, 2010

Tea-poetry

Ever wondered where those tooth fairies and little elves have tea? Ever dreamed endlessly watching the rain pour down heavily holding a hot cup of tea? Ever longed for a place where you could get drunk in TEA? Then, come with me to Peter Celia Street at Fort Cochin, Kerala to a dreamy tea spot called, ah surprise "Teapot".

The ambiance of this little tea-poetry is to die for. Wooden cartons which were used to transport Tea are refurbished as tiny little tables.

Old tea cups reborn as wind chimes decorating the entrance doors. A large wide tea bush with a glass top serves as a table for five. Teapots of various sizes and shades and materials, some hung from the ceiling, some arranged on the sills. A clock that strikes T's.


Large hats used by workers at the tea plantations to protect themselves from the sun decorate the walls. Tea paintings, Tea stories, Tea sale prints on jute bags -- you dream it, they have them all. They have painstakingly made a wide range of collection of all kinds of tea paraphernalia which would take you hours to finish swooning over, of course over a cup of tea, a fifteen different varieties. The walls are painted in mustard, or you could say, could be a tea stain. :)

There are not many tea spots, thumping their chests proudly displaying the true tea spirit in Kerala, though tea is available easily than water at small shacks to big hotels. Teapot tries to fill that void and does it with élan. Quizzed the owner, Sanjay Damodaran, of the brainwave behind the tiny tables and that simple man said, "You know I wanted something easy to lift and move".

Many people have fallen in love with the place. There is a guy who donated his tea pot collections, a poet from New york who churned a poem for this place, people from all over the World disguised as tourists waiting to have that perfect cup of tea at this dreamy hang-out.

I ordered for a samosa which tasted too North Indian for me(pardon me for being divisive, but about food my friends I don't lie) and a Teapot Special tea, that cost me 30 and 40 India rupees respectively.

(Many thanks to the ace photographer Thulasi Kakkat for the photographs while I was enjoying my tea)

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

Serene! Next time I visit Ft Cochin! Many thanks

Aisibi said...

Oh My God!!this, this THIS must be my soul's native place!! I'm a tea addict and I cannot miss this place for anything!!! I want to go :( NOW!!!

s said...

im visiting kochi next weekend and i would love to go here...

Srivalli said...

Ah..how lovely inji..and the pictures are awesome..Thulasi's special touch is so good!

Martin Tom said...

Tea time GZZZZZZZZ

Anita said...

I am there next week, I promise!

Sapna Anu B.George said...

inji, i have many sanps of different angles of that snap of this restorent?? wow that was you????

Anonymous said...

sreemathi inji
mukalilulla chineese commentile linkukal clikku cheythu nokkiyirunno? atho avide kidaketta ennu vacho?

starry said...

I would love to visit this tea shop.I have to on my next visit to kerala.

Unknown said...

very very interesting blog...following you....

Divya said...

Hi! I have tried out may of your recipes and I love your blog. I make avial as per the recipe you have given and it always tastes good.
I hope you post more recipes soon.
Thanks

Gomathy S said...

Wow I love this place...and I'm an avid tea lover...the last picture is amazing,,

Lakshmi Sankar said...

Fort kochi had always been one of my favorite destinations. Many keralites doesn't realize the exotic touch of this place has as a tourist destination.

ചേച്ചിപ്പെണ്ണ്‍ said...

inji penne ...

Can u do one favour ?
Do u know how to make Injimittayi ?
ninte perine kaliyakkiyathalla ...
I am serious ...

If yes pls mail the recippie to
molykkutti@gmail.com ...

naveen said...

nice blog

Azee said...

hmmm...just mouthwatering!!

www.azeeskitchen.wordpress.com

Indian Bazaars said...

Tea paintings, Tea stories, Tea sale prints on jute bags...wow!! Seems like a great place!

aparna said...

Hi LG whts up? turning your blog into a travelogue. Whatever, your write ups are awsome. I want to Visit Kochi...AGAINNNNN. BTW i was your GBP. Brainchild of LG.

Sapna Anu B.George said...

just a hello to you here, since i never see you online or in emails

Mohanan Kulathummulayil said...

Hi injippenne !

Puthiyathonnumille ?

Anonymous said...

I'm new to Kochi... have been to Fort Kochi just once. And I love north indian tasting samosas which are hard to find here in Kerala. AWESOME BLOG!!!

prabhu yogita https://www.facebook.com/prabhuyogi said...

being a tea lover, i enter all tea places which are exclusively for tea.
at home i have a big stock of tea packs in my kitchen.
are you over facebook? than i can share a album and images over tea.
wish you a wonderful time with each tea cup you lift. cheers!!