Liming Black Tea (黎明紅茶)

In the morning, stepping out the gate of my lodging, I found its white sign standing in the shade of the trees. A bottle of detergent and a scrubbing brush sat by the outdoor sink, and laundry swayed in the narrow lane. On a shelf in my room stood postcards of Hualien's roads.

This morning, let's have tea at a long-established shop. I headed for Liming Black Tea (黎明紅茶), on the corner of a red-brick building and counted among the four great black-tea shops of Hualien. Out front, a white cat lounged beside the helmets. It is a simple, homely shop facing an alley.

On the griddle, eggs and round golden patties were cooking. The Taiwanese-style macarons in the glass case come in a long, slender shape and are as fluffy as a dacquoise. Sipping sweet black tea with almond milk, I let the gentle air around me settle in. The retro, warm atmosphere soothed my soul.

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