Location: Sprinkles (Newport Beach, CA)
Hours: Monday-Saturday 9am-7pm, Sunday 10am-6pm
Website: http://www.sprinkles.com/
Any special or seasonal items? cupcakes!
Tea Tuesdays are exactly what the title says: all about tea. I will usually go to tea houses or cafes to try out their takes on tea and dabble a little in facts of tea. Did you know China was the birthplace of tea?
So today I chose Sprinkles cupcakes. They always have a friendly enviroment and that always rubbed off onto the customers. The seating is non-existant inside of Sprinkles, you have to sit outside in the deliciously warm sun to enjoy your cupcake or beverage. If you want to catch some rays and enjoy the beauty of the day with a few fat sparrows, this would be the place to be. Dogs are a constant visitor in the area as well as their best friends. It feels, to me, like a very relaxing-yet-upbeat spot to just be. The Central library is on the other side of the parking lot, so it's recommended to grab a book from there and sit with a shot of frosting to disappear into your book.
Today, though, I'm guessing it was a different kind of day. Whenever I go I always feel so happy and carefree, but today it seemed to be less on the friendly side of life and more of getting through the day. It could have been a really busy morning, or a lousy customer that came in just before I did; but regardless, I felt something was a little off in the store. The workers were not as welcoming, they didn't ask the usual customer service special questions, and they were taken back when I asked for a cup of tea. I got the feeling that not too many people get tea made there, it took a few minutes behind the back door to get my small cup of Tangerine White tea, but at least I got one?
The tea itself was very light compared to how long I can assume they let it steep (which I'm not sure, everything was done behind a closed door). It had the typical white tea flavor, almost like refreshing water, with a slight hint of citris. I can not give too accurate of a review, I actually burnt my tongue on the first taste, but that was my own fault: I was a bit too eager and freeflowing to notice the wafts of steam rising from my cup. Such is the life of a hippie. I can say, with my love for tea and Starbucks training in tea making, that this cup was just nice. Nothing too exeptional or fancy, but not horrible. It was a very basic cup of tea.
Food for Thought
There really isn't anything besides cupcakes at Sprinkles, I will be reviewing my favourite type of cupcake (er, the only type of cupcake that I can eat): the Vegan Red Velvet. By far my favourite thing to splurge on, it is so rich and filling that it feels like I'm cheating when i eat this cupcake. The cupcake was very overpowering to the tea, though, so I recommend pairing it only with a cup of black coffee.
Cafe Sketches
Thanks for reading! Namaste