Tea Bone Zen Mind Set feels like a secret. My friend Sheila arranged for a group of friends to have a sitting recently at this teahouse.
We met in Emerald Hill, a residential area just off the bustling Orchard Road. The historic shophouse that is home to Tea Bone Zen Mind is just like any other beautiful heritage homes here in this oasis. There are no signboards or plaques to indicate what is. You ring the bell to enter. After slipping off our shoes, we were ushered upstairs into one of the sitting areas.
Emerald Hill was once a fruit orchard established in 1837 by Postmaster General William Cuppage. After it was purchased in 1900, shophouses as we see them today were built on parcels of lands sold to new owners. This area was home to the Peranakan community, with the first Singapore Chinese Girls School at No. 39, where Chatsworth International School is today. A group of Straits Chinese founded SCGS in 1899 to provide education for Chinese girls. After the second world war, the school opened to girls of all ethnicities. In 1997 the National Heritage Board made the building a historic site.
Peranakan refers to those descended from early Chinese settlers who married local women. Other terms include Straits Chinese and Baba Nyonya.
Many of these heritage houses in Singapore remain homes, like the one my friend Sheila owns in East Coast. They do come on the rental market. The ones I’ve seen have ranged in their state of renovation and restoration. Many of them are beauties, a surprise when you step over the threshold. I also have friends who rented a shophouse for their healing centre. Inside there is a beautiful air well that brings in a lot of light and the outside wall is decorated with colourful and traditional tiles.
Tea Bone Zen Mind Experience
Owned by Carrie Chen, Tea Bone Zen Mind offers by-appointment tea sampling sessions. She travels the world collecting teas and blending her own.
Each day’s sampling session is special and includes several pairings. Everything is served with a sensibility to touch, aroma, sight, and taste. From the coldness of the stainless-steel pot to the beautiful glassware serving cold beverages. Savory and sweet accompaniments were arranged intentionally and creatively, as was each setting.
Beautiful contemporary art adorned the walls, contrasting with the traditional interiors of wooden screens. The ambience was of quiet luxury and refinement.
The photos are from two tea sampling sessions – April and August, 2015.