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¡°Peaceful
vibes¡± reign at this ¡°welcoming¡± Murray Hill ¡°temple of Zen calm¡±
that¡¯s both a teahouse and a vegetarian Korean eatery; it offers
¡°tasty¡± fare as well as a ¡°lovely introduction to the ceremony of tea¡±,
so while some say it¡¯s ¡°a little pricey¡± for the genre, to most it¡¯s ¡°a
great find.¡±
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Shipping & Tax
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Franchia, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
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The New York
Magazine - April 28, 2003
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House of Leaves
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It's
no wonder that the teahouse Franchia fancies itself as an oasis of calm in a
turbulent world: it's an offshoot of Hangawi, the serene Korean vegetarian
spot whose owners have been nourishing bodies and soothing nerves for
years. Their elegant new Murray Hill "shrine: is equipped
with a tea bar; a vegetarian kitchen specializing in green-tea-flavored
pancakes, noodles, and bread; and a mountain-temple-style traditional
tearoom. If you manage to achieve enlightenment, you can take a little bit
home with you-everything's for sale, from the poetry-inscribed
ceramic cups to the house wild green tea.
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The New York Times - April 30, 2003
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Colorful vegetarian
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Franchia,
12 Park Ave
(34th St),
is a serene spin off of Hangawi, the Korean vegetarian restaurant
nearby. Franchia offers teas and elegant light food. Silky
green tea noodles, steamed dumplings that look like oversize cappelletti,
and the rice bowl called bibimbap, which is done as a salad, are all to eat
in or take out. And unlike Hangawi, you keep your shoes on.
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The New York
Press - May 14-20 Volume 16, Number 20
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Franchia
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According to
franchia.com: "There are many ways to reduce stress, but one simple
and little known way is through tea."At Franchia, it’s not so little
known; I see a woman slide behind a table after her workday and wail,
"I neeeed tea?quot; The front room is lined with
tea-oriented gift items, and Franchia offers illustrated instructions on
how to make tea using their tea sets ("Step 7: Take in the fragrance
of the tea while drinking slowly.") The inside is far more posh than
the casual (yet inviting) outdoor seating area of green umbrellas and
molded white chairs would indicate. It’s raining
again, so we can’t sit outside. Three levels of dining are set off by
heavy dark-wood grating and a bright green alcove. The flowered ceiling in
light green is spectacular and attracts my gaze even longer than my compact
does. Expansive gorgeous ink abstracts on rice paper dot the walls. A
ceramic oil lamp is lit, someone strikes the gong near the entrance, flute
music plays.
click
here for full review
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Teamuse.com - September 2003
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Teahouse review: Franchia by A.Reed
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Several
blocks east of the Empire
State Building,
the triplex Korean teahouse Franchia brightens a bland stretch of park
Avenue with its 3-story window and white sidewalk tables. This "tea
shrine in another space and time", is a mountain-temple design, with
palatial floral ceiling and Chinese ink paintings on cream colored
wall. The ground floor tea bar for take out or drinking-in faces
simple dark wood tables where guests can dine and savor 15 premium
loose-leaf teas and assorted herbal tisanes ($5 to $10). Display shelves
exhibit ceramic tea ware, the Franchia line of rare teas, and "tea
starter kits". This stylish vegetarian temple exudes philosophy in
every cup ("tea tao"), and educates in weekend workshops for the
tea-challenged. The formal atmosphere is conducive to special holiday
meals and events. Poetry-engraved plates and brochures extol "harmony,
balance, peace of mind," although harsh acoustic and tight seating
might thwart lofty goals at peak hours.
click
here for full review
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click here to read comments from
our guests
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