(© Saskia Vanderstichele)
Cha Man on the Sint-Gillisvoorplein/parvis Saint-Gilles is not really a tea room, but more of a shop where lovers of Chinese tea meet up. They come there to find out all about the strengths of various leaves and to philosophise over a cup of steaming tea. After spending a few years in China, Hélène Lacour and Martin Rudermann felt it was time to introduce people in their home town of Brussels to Chinese tea. The positive effects of tea particularly appealed to them, so they decided to call their shop Cha Man, the Chinese equivalent of the superhero Teaman. Inside, you are immersed in the world of the six kinds of tea – green, white, yellow, blue, red, and black – and you can learn the merits of each cup. White tea leaves have been sun-dried and are chock-full of antioxidants. Yellow tea is one for people with deep pockets, as the harvest of this “imperial” tea is quite limited. You can buy loose-leaf tea at Cha Man; you can also drink tea on the spot – but Cha Man is not a tea room, so don’t go expecting cake or biscuits. Although you do get some nuts and dried fruit. Cha Man’s motto is “Tea warms the soul”. Which is something we could all do with these cold days. Hélène and Martin have noticed, moreover, that tea-drinkers easily get into conversation with each other about profound matters. Yet another example of the power of Cha Man! If you’re not so fond of tea, they also do beer and wine from small-scale brewers and growers. There is some handmade jewellery on display too, which the couple brought back from China, and the walls host an exhibition by a different photographer or artist every month. Cha Man is looking forward to the summer, when they will have a new terrasse on the Voorplein/Parvis. By then they will be offering a number of varieties of homemade iced tea, with the occasional concert or DJ. Teatime at its best.
Cha Man •••
Sint-Gillisvoorplein 49 parvis de Saint-Gilles, Sint-Gillis/Saint-Gilles, 02-538.98.88,
contactus@cha-man.com, www.cha-man.com
ma/lu/Mo > vr/ve/Fr 13.30 > 20.30 & w-e 10 > 18.30
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