Place: Té Quiero Té, Av 28 de Julio 560, Miraflores 15074 & Papacho's, 2° Piso, Malecón de la Reserva 610, Miraflores 15074
Tea of Choice: The Queen Mary, Masala Chai & El Poderoso
Giraffe Rating (out of 5 | for tea): 3.68
More affectionately known as Camu Camu
How and why do I know this wonderful human fruit? Well, this summer I'm in Lima, Peru interning for MEDLIFE, there are 13 other interns and we all live and work in the same house. It gets pretty interesting to say the least. I arrived first and the next intern to step foot in the "MEDLIFE Big Brother House" was Alexa (+we roomies). Alexa sent a picture of herself and me to her mother, and the following response encapsulates who we are as people: You two look like twins! This is the most accurate way to describe Alexa and Ifelola. We are eerily similar, not in physical appearance (I hear all the smart alec's making wisecracks) but in college major, humor, preferred TV shows*, pet peeves, capturing the perfect shot for Instagram**, and more. As I said, eerily similar.
Let's start with some background information:
Alexa is a font of knowledge about people you've never met. Need to discover a wealth of information about someone via Facebook, Instagram, Google, LinkedIn? - she's your gal.
Her last name is Friedman, which isn't pronounced "fried-man" but "freed-man" - I prefer to think of her as a fried entity.
Has used Duolingo this summer to slowly but surely change her vocabulary from American English to the more superior British English
92.57% of her photos on her phone are either of pizza or Isabella (her dog back home in New York).
Realizes that Dave Franco is the better Franco.
Joking aside, Alexa is a surreal human and someone that you'd be lucky to have in your life. She doesn't take no for answer, doesn't shy away from a challenge, doesn't allow you to achieve less than you are capable of. She is a one-woman support system wrapped in a tough exterior. I think one of the reasons we get on so well is because she says it like it is - no holds barred but ceases to come across as patronizing or rude. Plus she refuses to take herself too seriously, choosing instead to laugh as you laugh and cry as you cry. When I asked her to describe herself she said that she hoped that people would know that I am dependable, I would one-up that and say that she is loyal, charmingly inquisitive and queen of perfectly timed one-liners.
This tea-date didn't begin as most would. We visited two tea places! I'm not sure that Papacho's counts as where one should purchase Tea, however, there's no to argue otherwise. Té Quiero Té is a delightfully quaint store nestled in the busy district of Miraflores. There is a large array of teas to choose, from all around the world. The owner is as petite as her store, the downside? Due to the size of the establishment, no more than 5 people or 3.5 Ifelola's can fit inside at one time. The only place there is to sit has only two uncomfortable bar stools next to a small wooden ledge. The main focus here is the Tea itself, which was deliciously smooth with a bitter aftertaste. Next, we moved on to Papacho's, in order to make the te(a)scapade resemble those prior. Papacho's is a Peruvian must-do, even though it is a chain restaurant; it rarely leaves one disappointed (just don't frequent the Miraflores store, down La Paz & 28 de Julio). I would recommend ordering the Somos Libres, I won't ruin the surprise, just take my word for it.
Pros: Té Quiero Té probably has the largest array of tea throughout Lima, with accessories and ornaments to match. Need a tea strainer? New teapot? Stirring spoon? This is your place. At Papacho's the juices and teas are fresh, decor hipster-cool and if you're looking for something more North Americanized within Peru, this is your spot.
Cons: Té Quiero Té is a small establishment, there really isn't much room. You have to take your tea to go, which ultimately defeats the purpose of drink tea. There are no cons for Papacho's. Papacho's is lyf. However, if you don't like burgers then I wouldn't frequent joint, you'll be sorely disappointed.
Thank you for coming to tea with me, Camu Camu.
*Grey's Anatomy. No more needs to be said.
**Almost all shots from this trip of me are taken by my personal photographer - Alexa Fried(egg)man. She can work wonders.
Until next time,
BG