Ready To Have Your “Afternoon Tea” Mind Blown?
Talk about a wild new way to celebrate “What The – Friday”! There is a new drink from Chicago that is blowing my mind! And it’s all thanks to a terrific food newsletter!
Why do I love the Fooditor newsletter from Michael Gebert? Because he posts stuff like this – the first time I had heard of “Cheese Tea!”
Fooditor is a great newsletter that dives into every tasty in Chicago and the surrounding area. And this line from him caught my attention this week:
“Have you heard of cheese tea? I tried it at Hello Jasmine in the Chinatown food court, and the combination of fruity tea and slightly salty, creamy foam was appealing, even if the name wasn’t.”
Wait – WTF?
Yes, Cheese Tea!
Here’s how Fooditor explains it:
“A new Malaysian place called Bingo Tea Malaysian Cafe: “Bingo’s tea menu… spans fruit teas (dragon, yuzu lemon honey, black grape), milk teas (buckwheat matcha, caramel black), and more subdued honey drinks. All are customizable with a variety of additions (boba, red beans, lychee jelly), but presiding above all is the ‘milk cap,’ or ‘sea salt milk foam,’ which is how the principals behind Bingo have rebranded cheese tea. You can top pretty much any drink with it, hot or cold, but I think its best expression is its most minimal: slowly descending into one of the black, green, or oolong teas, no sugar added. Don’t poke a straw through it. Sip through the lid’s aperture so the liquid passes through the foam, offering a hint of cheesecake and salt ahead of the tea’s tannins.”
Wow, ladle it up!
I am intrigued by this idea – I may be heading to Chicago in the next few months, and I promise to get to the Bingo Tea Malaysian Cafe to check this out myself – the restaurant looks fun and has a great looking menu as well:
One of the reasons I launched my weekly “What The – Friday” is because I come across stuff that makes me react just that way, and I will be sharing many wild, wacky and deliciously original food ideas going forward!
Now, back to Fooditor – in addition to the newsletter that shares great stories like this, they also produce an annual guide to the best and most offbeat restaurants in Chicago!
This incredibly entertaining and informative guide to Chicago’s best food is a must read: having lived there part-time for 5 years (my wife was there full time), we got to eat in a number of great places, and this guide has them all, plus so many others like “Bingo Tea!”
Make sure to go to this newsletter link and support them!
I don’t know Michael Gebert at all, but he once shared a link to my story about eating the “Ancient Rome” menu at NEXT restaurant, which was very nice of him.
NEXT is a fun experimental restaurant from Chef Grant Achetz, who also has the 3-Michelin Starred restaurant Alinea in Chicago – the single greatest dining experience I’ve ever had in my life – for reasons like this deconstructed potato soup with truffle:
Or perhaps it’s the way some food arrives to your table – like this piece of bacon:
Chef Achetz is a wizard, and yes, it was the greatest meal Ive ever had, and you can see it all by clicking here:
Again, bravo to Fooditor for this week’s “WT-Friday”!
Let me know if you’d try this Cheese Tea trend!
Categories: Books / Media, chicago, Food, food blog, Food Review, Pop Culture, Recipes, Restaurants, Travel, Travel Adventures, Travel Memoir, Uncategorized, Wacky Food
johnrieber 
Cheese tea doesn’t sound nice but I think it is the name that I don’t fancy. The actually drink sounds pretty interesting, John.
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I agree Robbie and plan to try some as soon as I can! Thanks as always for the comment!
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The hint of cheesecake sounds nice, the rest, not so much. Can’t say I’d want to swap my regular, boring in comparison, tea for one of those.
That ‘deconstructed potato soup with truffle’ just gets more bizarre the longer you look at it. Took me a while to realise the metal spear goes through the bowl as I wondering how it was staying there. But the bacon, hanging on the hammock? I don’t know. Looks raw. And very naked, it should be in a bap.
What’s wrong with a bacon sandwich and a cuppa tea? My British-ness is showing through now!
I LOVE your What The – Friday posts, John!
Caz x
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Well, a bacon sandwich will always have a fan here! The Alinea food is incredibly creative and delicious as well, but there are times I just want a cheeseburger and be done with it! thanks for the comment!
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I am with Pete on this one…Cheese with Apple Pie( not melted) or cheese with Christmas cake as they do in the North of England I like …Cheese and tea does not appeal, although I will say I don’t drink many drinks at all my taste, is simple with regards to drinks water being my main tipple. Interesting to hear your view though John 🙂
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Sounds good to me. I’d try it! 😊
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Hmmm…I’d be willing to give it a try, I mean milk goes well in some teas, so you never know!
*Although a while ago someone told me to try apple pie with cheese. I didn’t like that at all even though I’ve heard it’s not a crazy idea to some North Americans!!
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Yes, apple pie with melted cheddar is well known in parts of the US – I think this is probably sweet tea so the salty creaminess of the cheese will balance nicely…just guessing, but on my next trip to Chicago I am trying it!
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I will await your verdict, John. But from where I sit, Cheese and Tea are two words that should never appear in the same sentence! 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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Pete, because it’s an Asian style, I imagine the style of tea and flavor profile will match uniquely with the salty smoothness of the cheese…I plan to head to Chicago in the next two months and will try it!
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