Out & About #104 | Nohohon Tea Room (Grand Opening)

One can learn a number of things from browsing images of food at random on Instagram.
I, for one, learned that a tea room by the name of Nohohon (のほほん) would be holding their grand opening on June 25th, complete with a Buy One Get One Free deal. Thinking that this deal would only last for one day, I set out to claim it before it was too late, passing by a number of food places that my friends have wanted to visit/have already visited and mentioned before. 

I had actually intended to arrive much earlier, using Yelp as a reference for their opening hours (11:30 AM to 9 PM between Sunday and Thursday), but had missed two of my buses and arrived just a few minutes to 1:00 PM instead. Thankfully, I arrived when I did, as the Grand Opening did not take place until then.

A red carpet had been laid out outside the store, and a small lineup gradually formed as it neared 1:00 PM.

The menu was clearly displayed above the counter and included images of each drink; the distinctness of each carefully concocted beverage made it easy to distinguish between the choices available, even for the evidently indecisive tea fanatics.

After considering all the possible options while waiting in line, I finally decided on the following drinks.
Shown L to R: Yuzu Lemonade, Sencha Mojito, Nohohon Homebrew Hojicha, and Fresh Matcha Latte

My orders were a bit complicated, as it involved splitting bills, adding points toward my Vicinity card, requesting a drink tray, and breaking a five dollar bill into change. The line essentially stopped moving the minute I reached the counter to relay my order; I did feel apologetic, though I still wanted to make sure that everything was in order before I left.

The tea room itself was essentially a takeout place: small, chairless, with lots of open space; the interior decor was quite nice, with a few wooden seat cushions placed upon the bright red bench where customers could comfortably wait upon their order. A display case situated on the left wall also displayed some unique ceramic pieces.

All of the staff were incredibly friendly, especially the girl welcoming guests in at the front and informing passerbys of their opening special.

The BOGO deal continues for the next two weeks, so in the case where your interest in matcha- and freshly brewed tea-based drinks has been piqued, there's no harm in heading to Queen and Spadina to give this new Japanese tea room a try!