Hidden Peak Teahouse grand opening Saturday in downtown Santa Cruz
Posted: 03/22/2012 09:10:37 PM PDT
“It’s like walking into a different country, or a different time,” said proprietor David Wright, 41, a tea aficionado for 13 years who opened Hidden Peak a week ago with his wife Marilee.
The couple, who operated a tiny tea shop, Chaikana-Tea Culture, nine years downtown, have moved into Plaza Lane, formerly home to Rhythm Fusion, a space that’s four times larger.
A fountain of gently bubbling water and a palm tree sit at the entrance of the covered patio furnished with rattan chairs and tables. Inside the 1,300-square-foot teahouse can seat 40 people. The decor is Eastern, with a scroll in Chinese characters saying “Go eat tea” and another featuring a 500-year-old poem about seven bowls of tea.
Tables imported from China are equipped with drains to prepare Hidden Peak’s specialty, exotic teas known as pu-erh. This kind of tea comes pressed in the shape of a brick and ages like wine. One brick can cost $10, or $7,500, up to $20,000.
“They get better with age,” said Wright as he poured hot water over a tiny pot and two cups for “gung fu” service. “This one is about seven years old.”
He said the brick of tea is strong enough to be steeped up to 60 times.
“You’re encouraged to spill and slurp,” he added. “ It’s very liberating.”
Prices for pu-erh range from $5 to $550 per pot. A bowl of house blend tea is 99 cents; a glass of tea $1.99.
Wright considers the tea-drinking experience “a sacred time,” one that should not be disrupted by high-tech devices. He offers patrons an in-house library, chess, backgammon and Chinese checkers.
The reaction to the digital-free policy?
“There’s been no complaints and a lot of thankfulness,” Wright said.
He offers dried fruit, seeds and nuts to accompany the tea, and is looking for a vendor to provide tea snacks.
Patrons can sample and buy more than 75 teas in bulk and buy teaware or antiques. One unusual piece is a 500-year-old shipwrecked tea bowl for $70.
The remodel, completed by Slatter Construction, cost about $22,000, including a commercial kitchen required by the city, new bathrooms to accommodate people with disabilities, new floors, windows and doors and fresh paint.
“We are backed by a private investor,” Wright said.
He credited his landlords, John and Karen Huffman, for investing in building improvements that made Hidden Peak possible.
The name refers to the mountains where the tea is grown.
“We want the mountain to exist in town,” Wright said.
Follow Sentinel reporter Jondi Gumz on Twitter @jondigumz
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