Location: Taichung, Dadun Road, Ran Ran Tea House
Travel notes summary: In Taichung, at Dadun Road's Ran Ran Tea House. Came here in the afternoon, recommended by Senior Dade. This place is quite unique—it serves various teas as a set menu for over a thousand dollars, where you sit at a counter seat similar to a sushi bar, and course by course, guests taste the tea aromas from light to strong. Additionally, you can pair it with sake ($980+10%) for a tea + alcohol combination. Not many people in the shop today; sitting next to me were two young ladies. First time trying the marriage of Junmai Daiginjo sake + Darjeeling/Sun Moon Lake black tea—didn't expect this combination to pair so well unexpectedly. The floral and fruity notes of the black tea and the rice-brewed flavor of the sake, when blended together, created an expansive and complementary harmony. Senior Dade really has connections throughout Taichung's drinking scene; when chatting with the staff and mentioning his name, I was immediately treated to an extra glass of Junmai Daiginjo. The finale was a 42% ABV distilled rice spirit, served in a German Höchst porcelain cup worth over NT$8,000. It enhances the sweetness of the …
