Refreshing Rainbow Teas At Partea

With shelves of artificial fruits set against whitewashed walls, tea joint Partea resembles a sleek, modern juice bar.

We zero in on the most popular of the quartet of Rainbow teas here, this Gaoshan oolong tea with fruit. ‘Rainbow’ is used figuratively here as the drink comprises a bunch of sliced fruits drowned in tea rather than the usual multicoloured layers. The one-litre cup gives fab bang for one’s buck with mango, strawberries, watermelon, passionfruit, lime and lemon chunks swimming in the amber-hued oolong tea. The full-bodied fragrance of the oolong leaves, which are grown at a high altitude in Taiwan, are accented by the fruits. Forget pearls, the passionfruit seeds in this give the drink a good bite.

This cheerful yellow tea has Sijichun (four seasons) oolong tea mixed with freshly-blended mango flesh. The subtle fruity notes of the Taiwanese tea leaves are knocked out by the mango pulp. So it ends up tasting more like very sweet mango juice than tea, save for the light roasty notes that emerge after many sips.

Don't be afraid to tip the cup at a 45 degree angle to drink both the cheese cream and the tea beneath it in big gulps. Sitting on top of the yellow-brown brew is a snowy layer of mild cheddar cheese cream. It smells more like milk than cheese, and injects a light salty touch into the flowery tea. A worthy alternative to LiHo’s signature cheese tea.