A Conversation with Song Tea

There is a saying in Chinese called 緣分(Yuan Fen). Meaning fate, destiny, luck or whatever you call it. 緣分 is how you find yourself in San Francisco, meeting online friends for the first time in cafes who connect you to local finds. 緣分 is how you discover a tea on the cafe menu from your family hometown and coming across a story you must write. That is how I connected with Peter Loung, the founder and owner of Song Tea & Ceramics. 

Tea shops are a beautiful thing. They call you to enter space where time slows to a trickle and you are invited to drink from a library of beverages in handmade ceramics. I grew up on a tea farm with a family that drank tea like water. Our tea was grown for the outside world and something I took for granted during my careless childhood roaming around the lush rows of tea bushes in my rubber sandals. Yet here I am, twenty years later, learning more about tea in California than I have ever had. From production, sourcing ceramics from makers in Taiwan, tea picking, roasting, depth and finish — there is much to the world of tea. Here are photographs and snippets from our conversation.

Tell me about the inspiration behind the name Song Tea?
Peter: The word Song (宋)is taken from 宋朝(Song Chao). It was the shortest dynasty in China. Short, but one that lasted 300 years. When I opened Song Tea, I decided that it is a period long enough for me. I am also drawn towards ceramics from the Song dynasty.

What was your motivation for opening this store?
Peter: My parents immigrated to San Francisco 30 years ago. They owned a herbal tea shop 藥茶店 in Chinatown. Back then, I worked in consulting. When that came to an end, I took over their shop with the mission of repositioning it for the American market. I was there for two years before deciding it was not for me. I sold the shop and started a gentler version  of the business— Song Tea.

When people drink your tea, what is it is you want people to take away?
Peter: Working with tea was a reconnection with culture for me. Hong Kong — the world my parents left. I love how tea is a myriad of many things — food, ceramics, the moment you share a cup with someone. I don’t want to sound overly fancy but tea is transformative. The experience, the simple act of brewing. I personally find it very fulfilling to share the agriculture aspect of tea, along with ceramics that complement each drink. 

What was the hardest part of building Song Tea?
Peter: The first three years were the hardest. The uncertainty, becoming a sustainable business, the underlying stress of overhead. That has somewhat faded away. Song Tea is growing. 

What should one look for in good tea?
Peter: Texture. Structure. Thickness. Good tea should taste and feel good. It should not taste astringent. Look for depth and finish. Ultimately, what you are drinking should be delicious.

Pender Grocery: Artist Interview + Pan Con Tomate Recipe

With its colourful interiors and sun-lit space — it is hard to miss this charming grocery store on Pender street. The smell of fresh baked goods beckons you in to admire the shelves and tables that are wonderfully stocked with Spanish goods, everyday necessities and organic produce.

Today, I sit down with Shawn, one of the three founders of Pender Grocery. Shawn tells stories of food in the Basque region, how he discovered his passion for through travel, and their vision to cultivate slow living in a busy city. For a moment in time, my mind is transported to apple fields, farmer markets, old Europe towns through the relaxed ambiance that the store seems to emit.

Tell me how you went from importing cider to opening a grocery store in downtown Vancouver.

A few years ago, my wife and I travelled to Spain to visit our friend Michael, who was the chef of a restaurant in San Sebastian, a city known for Michelin restaurants. Michael introduced us to Basque cuisine — we experienced the pintxo culture and ate our way through restaurants, each more interesting than the last. The experience shook me and there I discovered that I had a deep passion for food. It was a lightbulb moment. After Michael moved back to Vancouver, the three of us started importing wine and cider from the region and it led to importing goods, and the opening of this store.

Opening a store was actually a plan for us in the next three-five years. Luckily, we came across this space at the perfect time, and the landlord, who was hugely supportive of our idea, made us an offer we couldn’t resist.

The sign on the wall and decorations in the store caught my attention the moment I walked in, how did the look and design for the store come together?

We are actually sitting in a space that used to be parking lot 100 years ago. The sign on the wall is something really special — we uncovered it when we were tearing down the walls to reconstruct the space. It is a ghost sign from 1906 that was covered up in 1908. We decided to keep it to lead the look of the space. After that, everything seemed to fall into place. Many of the vintage pieces here are collected from friends and family. Some favourites are passed down from Kelly’s late grandmother.

This is a very interesting location to open a grocery store, what is it that you hope to bring to the community here?

Living in the city, we are disconnected from farmlands and we don’t get to see how food is grown and made. We felt that the area was lacking a grocery store, and the idea was to create a Bodega — a grocery store for the neighbourhood.

Our customers consist of working professionals and residents from the local community. We want to cater to everyone but also want people to come in not knowing what to expect. We want to invite shoppers to take their time to browse, and to be inspired to cook.

Using ingredients from your shop, what is a simple and delicious recipe that anyone can make?
I love a good Pan Con Tomate — a humble recipe with few ingredients. Slice a fresh tomato, place on traditional crusty bread, drizzle with olive oil and add a sprinkle of salt. A good snack can be a can of conservas from the store — sardines, squid or mussels marinated in Galician sauce. Simply open a can, dip with bread, and eat with gusto with a glass of wine. A tasty high-end treat.

Pan Con Tomate Directions

• In a small bowl combine sliced tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper
• Whisk until combined
• Toast the bread slices individually until golden warm and crispy
• Set on a plate and sprinkle with sea salt
• Top with fresh basil

Enjoy!