Spilling the (decaf) tea 🫖

No jitters, all the flavor: Peninsula-based company specializes in decaf tea

Chris Horng, owner of de-tea, talks with customers at his pop-up at Fireside Books & More. Photo by Claire Haughey.

I was a barista for five years, and I’ve seen some crazy caffeine tolerances. One of my coworkers would drink eight shots of espresso a shift (504 milligrams of caffeine!), and who knows how much caffeine was consumed outside of my watchful eye. I, on the other hand, tried to limit myself to two shots of espresso, and most days I’d actually make my latte half-caf.

If you’re a tea drinker looking to avoid caffeine, typically your only option is herbal tea. And while hibiscus and mint teas are lovely, what if you’re craving the flavor of black or green tea, which naturally have caffeine? That’s what Foster City resident Chris Horng set out to solve with de-tea, a decaf tea company. He sources his tea from China and Taiwan and uses the supercritical CO2 method to remove caffeine while preserving flavor. Assistant lifestyle editor Karla Kane has the story.

Meanwhile, I got a sneak peak of Hashi Market, Silicon Valley’s newest Japanese supermarket opening Friday.

Stay tasty,
Adrienne

Why a Foster City resident started his own line of decaf teas

Chris Horng’s company de-tea offers decaffeinated teas in green and black varieties, with more options brewing.

A Japanese supermarket’s debut, a new fast-casual Burmese spot and Lobsterfest

The chip aisle at Hashi Market in Cupertino. Photo by Adrienne Mitchel.

Sneak peek: The Peninsula Foodist got a first look at Hashi Market’s debut West Coast Japanese supermarket before opening to the public Friday.
TleafGreen, a fast-casual Burmese restaurant, is opening in the former Amici’s East Coast Pizzeria in downtown Mountain View.
The San Carlos Art & Wine Faire is Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. with more than 200 artists, beer and wine, food and entertainment.
New England Lobster in Burlingame is hosting Lobsterfest Saturday at 4 p.m. The ticketed event includes a whole lobster, a plethora of family-style dishes, unlimited wine and beer, music and dancing.
Ume Tea, a Silicon Valley-based boba chain, is opening a new location at Stanford.
Marufuku Ramen is continuing its Peninsula expansion with a new restaurant coming to Burlingame on Sunday.
After announcing an opening date, Coffeebar has pushed back the debut of its Los Altos cafe.
Pie Ranch in Pescadero is hosting a traditional South Asian chutney and flatbread workshop Saturday.

Dinner at The Old Post Office

Joe Jurgielewicz & Son Peking duck breast with plum brandy and blackberry vinegar sauce and wood-grilled treviso at The Old Post Office in Burlingame. Photo by Adrienne Mitchel.

“Wow” is the first word that comes to mind when I think about my dining experience at The Old Post Office. The newest addition to the Bacchus Management Group’s collection of highly regarded restaurants, The Old Post Office is spectacular in every way – from the grandiose decor to the creative menu – and every detail feels deliberately chosen and adds to the overall experience.

Now let’s get the price out of the way: It starts at $120 per person but can easily become a spend of $250 a person if you opt for supplements and a beverage. If you’re looking for a meal that’s still upscale but not as elaborate, the attached Postmaster’s Bar offers an a la carte menu with entrees from $32-$45.

The Old Post Office has the biggest wine and spirits list I’ve ever seen – it was like flipping through an encyclopedia. Luckily, there are plenty of sommeliers to help you select an option from the thousands listed.

Parmesan tartlet with black pepper and chives at The Old Post Office in Burlingame. Photo by Adrienne Mitchel.

Dinner began with a canape of a perfectly buttery and crisp tartlet filled with a rich, creamy sauce infused with black pepper and piled high with nutty Parmesan cheese. It set the tone for the night, which featured lots of butter and rich, decadent flavors.

Laminated brioche with cultured butter at The Old Post Office in Burlingame. Photo by Adrienne Mitchel.

Next was the bread course of laminated brioche. Essentially a croissant loaf, this bread was ultra crispy and flaky, with loads of butter and topped with a smattering of Maldon salt and rosemary. The loaf was served with even more butter (smartly shaped into the post office’s eagle emblem) and additional Maldon salt, although the bread was perfect as is.

Crispy pig’s tail with parsley root aligot, fried shallots and pickled mustard seeds at The Old Post Office in Burlingame. Photo by Adrienne Mitchel.

For the first course, I tried both the crispy pig’s tail and the white polenta tortellini (a $5 supplement). The pig’s tail might have been my favorite dish of the night, and the tortellini was probably my least favorite.

The pig’s tail was so tender, I didn’t even need a knife to cut it, and the acidity from the pickled mustard seeds and fried shallots balanced out the richness of the pig. Served alongside parsley root aligot, which was rich, stretchy, silky and so buttery and cheesy, this dish was perfect. Skip the tortellini – it was one note and salty, with a somewhat underwhelming presentation.

White truffle from Alba, Italy, with Acquerello risotto, brown butter and Parmigiano-Reggiano at The Old Post Office in Burlingame. Photo by Adrienne Mitchel.

If this is a very special occasion (or money is no object for you), add the extra course of the risotto with white truffle from Alba, Italy, for an additional $85. I’m not joking when I say this was a transformative bite for me. It was hands down the best risotto I’ve ever had, and I’d say that even without the help of the white truffles. The Acquerello risotto was perfectly al dente and ridiculously creamy. The brown butter added nuttiness, and the white truffles were out of this world fragrant.

Joe Jurgielewicz & Son Peking duck leg with Castelfranco, blackberry mostarda and flowering watercress at The Old Post Office in Burlingame. Photo by Adrienne Mitchel.

For my main, I ordered something off the menu. The Old Post Office offers just six Peking ducks a night, which cost an additional $40 per person and serves two. Dry-aged for 10 days, these ducks are cooked in a custom-built rotisserie and carved tableside on a custom-built cart. The duck is presented in four different preparations: The breast is carved tableside and finished with a plum brandy and blackberry vinegar sauce (also made tableside) and served with wood-grilled treviso. The duck liver toast comes next, garnished with umeboshi, opaline, raspberries and olives. Then comes the duck leg with Castelfranco, blackberry mostarda and flowering watercress. Finally, the duck consomme with matsutake mushrooms and charred scallion oil is presented in a tea pot for sipping.

Duck liver toast with umeboshi, opaline, raspberries and olives at The Old Post Office in Burlingame. Photo by Adrienne Mitchel.

I’ve had plenty of duck in fine-dining restaurants before, and I’ve also had plenty of Peking duck, but I’ve never had duck quite like this. This duck is ultra-rich and ultra-savory – think about the flavor of a duck and multiply that. The duck was so rich that I had to take most of this course home.

Point Reyes Quinta Flambée with yellow chartreuse and roasted garlic crostini at The Old Post Office. Photo by Adrienne Mitchel.

For dessert, I tried the savory option of melted Point Reyes Quinta cheese flambéed with yellow chartreuse, topped with garlic confit and served with roasted garlic crostini ($20 supplement). I also ordered a sweet and boozy option: tipsy cake, which was similar to monkey bread and topped with the most wonderful roasted vanilla bean gelato. Not only was the cheese flambé visually stunning, it was also insanely delicious – but be warned, after so many courses packed with cheese and butter, you’ll likely be taking most of this to go.

Love Letter with cinnamon sable, passion fruit ganache and marshmallow at The Old Post Office in Burlingame. Photo by Adrienne Mitchel.

The mignardise is also a substantial size: Following the theme of the post office, the final course is a Love Letter, an envelope-shaped cinnamon sable filled with passion fruit ganache and marshmallow.

To watch my review, follow @peninsulafoodist on Instagram.

The Old Post Office, 222 Park Road, Burlingame; Instagram: @oldpostofficeburlingame. Dinner daily from 5-10 p.m. Beginning Oct. 12, lunch Monday to Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Beginning Oct. 17, brunch Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Family-run Salvadoran pupuseria Comalito opens in Redwood City
Find pupusas, yuca fries and pastelitos, as well as Salvadoran drinks like horchata de morro and refresco de ensalada

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