[T2DMan]

Add your review of Ya Ya Teahouse and be part of the fun .

Contact Details:
136 Rear Lichfield Street
(courtyard at the end
of Cotters Lane)
Christchurch

Ph. 0-3-365 2802

[Madleine]

I wanted to share a very exciting discovery I made this week:
Ya-Ya House of Excellent Teas

Tugged away in a courtyard, it is easy to miss this little gem, although it's just a stone's throw from busy High Street!
I went there on recommendation of a friend of mine who basically told me that I HAD to go there. O.k., I thought, a tea house sounds like a welcome change from the cafe scene.
Well, where do I start? Upon arrival, I was greeted with a magnificent Zen Garden and a unique interior design where you can choose to either sit on floor-cushions (please take your shoes off!), on a comfy sofa with low tables or just plain around a table. I chose to sit on the cushions and started to study the long tea list (there must be more than 40 teas on that list with such exotic names as Ary Ruby or Dragon Pearls). The owner was a incredible source of information regarding the teas on the menu. I learned heaps about the different types of tea, like oolong tea and white tea (did you know that white tea is a kind of tea and not the ol' black tea with milk?). I had a hard time to make up my mind but finally settled on a black tea from Taiwan (Sun-Moon Lake high mountain, isn't the name just too tempting?). I was deeply impressed, how much character a tea can have!
With the tea I had some divine oatcakes with white honey.
When I left I realized that 2 hours had passed without me even noticing it - something that never happened to me before. And I was so, oh relaxed.

If you are looking for a special place with a lot of character and a unique ambience, stick your head into the door of Ya-Ya House of Excellent Teas! I'm surely gonna go back time and time again.

To get an impression, have a look at the website at: www.yayateahouse.co.nz
I was told they're gonna offer tea tastings as well, which are supposedly announced on their blog.

[CathyB]

Well, this one is special!
Not a place to go if you're super hungry, though, since they only serve crepes and various other small dishes (the owner had baked some yummy Chai Scones when I visited for the first time).
But if you're looking for a place to meet with friends out of the rush of the average cafe, try the teahouse. The tea-selection is very big and a little intimidating, but the owner will help you choose. I liked the teas that I had so much that I went to their tea-tasting. Now, I'm hooked to tea.
I took a menu home to tick off every tea I tried. Believe me, I haven't been through 10% yet, although I visit fairly often!
This one is a winner!

[T2DMan]

Hi Cathy

Thanks for all your reviews. Good to have you around these parts.

Other people reading this - click on CathyB's name and you will see a drop down menu that has "Find all posts by CathyB" - check out her other reviews. Makes a good read.

[CathyB]

Hi Michael,
sites like yours live from user-input like mine, don't they?
I like what you're doing although its a bit Auckland-centric judging from the lack of reviews in the Christchurch area.
But since I'm quite keen on good food, I thought I'd share my experiences with others.

As you can probably tell from my review of Ya-Ya Teahouse, I really like this place. I'm telling all my friends and try to help spreading the word. I noticed that with the other reviews, I could give a rating through a poll. But for the teahouse, this poll didn't appear. I'd love to give them a "fantastic"-vote!

[T2DMan]

Thanks Cathy. There are the occasional wonderful people that add a restaurant listing, then there is the crazy me that doesnt happen to notice things right in front of my nose

I have a wide number of restaurants all over NZ just waiting for you to review. Not just Auckland. Have a look on Google and you will see the site nice and high for many "Area Restaurants".

Thanks for brightening up the Christchurch area of the site.