Creamy walls and dessert fillings satisfied every sweet tooth,
Cushions scattered, colourful, tasteful, inviting comfort,
An elephant buddha sits with a vintage candle holder on it’s back,
The life of tropical plants in the west coast made vibrant the room,
Beautifully lit, chandeliers, tear drop lights, taking me to the Khan.

An English teacup embossed with gold and graceful flowers,
Jade tea drips down the side of a teapot, landing on the red table cloth,
Resting by the couch underneath a Michealangelo painting, breathing,
Travelling far away into the distance of a special place with you,
Dreaming of resting underneath an apple tree in Summer’s breeze.

The perfect latte, medium-dark, memorable and full of zest,
Oh, but the food… the food was just something else,
Simple treats, creatively put together to awaken your taste buds,
Every ingredient rich with freshness, with bold flavour, with life,
Bursting on your tongue like an explosion of rainbow fireworks.

Layers of goodness journey through the senses in your body,
Reaching your very heart’s heart in a way nourishing to the soul,
You can feel the love, the passion put into the making of this dish,
An affair begins to take place in a lifestyle you’ve been looking for,
Never finding something quite like it until the moment it touched your lips.

Paired with an atmosphere like no other along this side of the road,
An old world charm with a clean modern elegance and pure love,
Visiting this place is like stepping into your own humble abode,
The easiness of letting be and enjoying what we are and do,
Over tea and cake, organic salads & dressings to die for,
Over laughs and giggles, bright hellos and see you agains.

- Sallie El Alaily

Tea is an amazing stimulant. With only a little grain of caffeine in a cup of tea – about a third of the caffeine found in a cup of coffee – the stimulating effects are gentle on one’s nervous system, being released slowly rather than giving a “kick” to the system.

Theophylline, another important component of tea, has similar effects but actually relaxes the muscles, balances the fluids in your body, and helps the circulation system. It also prevents blood and cholestrol from clotting the arteries; a major contributor to heart disease. Tea is as good for your heart, as it is for your soul. Try sipping on a flavourful cup of black Darjeeling tea, relaxing at home by the window on a cold day, watching the rain drops fall. Ahhhhh…. serenity!

Tea is packed with antioxidants – probably the most well known fact of tea – which protects your body from the negative effects of aging and increasing pollution. Thanks to polyphenols (the antioxidants found in tea) a few cups of good tea a day can help protect against cancer, as some studies show. Tea boosts your immunity, strengthens your bones, and unsweetened tea can keep plaque away, giving your teeth a nice white glow due to its fluoride element.

Although coffee has always been my first morning drink, I am getting more and more fond of tea to help me wake up. The numerous health benefits and extensive variety of kinds of tea with their beautiful flavours, unique characters and luscious aromas, give me a sort of emotional, physical rejuvenation I cannot resist. These days, I make it a point to have the English Breakfast or an Earl Grey while I get ready for my day. Both are paired so well with any breakfast,  and are still on the stronger side, while lacking that bold kick coupled with an after-buzz that I get from drinking coffee, something I appreciate. One more thing, tea, like water, is helping to increase my metabolism… another truly motivating characteristic; especially just after the wonderful-but-indulgent Christmas season! ;-)

Yours truly, Sallie

If you are not sure what to get your loved ones this Christmas, don’t worry because you will be able to find something for everyone on your ‘good list’ at Venus Sophia. This season TEA is most definately the answer! Loose leaf tea is a unique, sweet treat, and with over 30 different kinds of organic tea – black, green, herbal, white, oolong, and pu-ehr too – you can find the perfect match for each personality. Take a look at our tea list here.

Christmas Tea Blends

Too many teas for you to choose from? You still have nothing to worry about! Just go for our delicious limited edition Christmas Day and Christmas Eve teas, which come in beautiful red and green tea canisters. Go for the Chocolate Orange Cake black tea, or the Nutty Cinnamon herbal blend…. or take two for that very special person. Perfect, no fuss, pretty gifts! Phew, Christmas shopping made easy!

Stocking Stuffers

On our list of small size gifts, this year’s winners are:

#1 Samplers of the Venus Sophia Sunshine Blend or Red Bush Rooibos in compact size gold tins which you can see through. Very appealing!

#2 Elegant porcelain teabag holders.

#3 Mesh T-Ball with Teacup and Teapot Charms. The mini sized charms come in different colours and are too cute to be true!

Gift Certificates

Gift certificates are a wonderful present at anytime of the year, but the holiday season makes it even more wonderful. Treat that special someone to an Afternoon Tea, a hearty breakfast, or delicious lunch at Venus Sophia. Tea and dessert is such a pleasant experience and it would make for a lovely treat anyone is sure to appreciate. With gift certificates, your special someone can also choose to purchase anything they fancy from our tea store. The gift certificates are elegantly designed and come with envelopes. Gifts start from $10.

Vintage Teacups

Painted Ladies Henley Teapots

Our Painted Ladies have a baked enamel finish and come in two colours – red or white -and all the benefits of the Henley teapot. Loose tea basket, drip-free spount and made from 18/8 stainless steel.                                                               

                                                                                                       

We look forward to serving you!

NEW HOURS as of NOVEMBER 8th 2011:

Tuesday through Sunday from 8.00 a.m. – 5 p.m.

FREE Chocolate Truffle Tart & Girl’s Organic Blueberry-Tea Cupcake created by Venus Sophia especially for this event

~ Teapot service with your choice of organic loose leaf tea

~ Freshly Baked Scone with Strawberry Jam and Whipped Cream

~ Lavender Shortbread

$10.25 + tax

+ 10% Discount on All Appetizers & Entrees

 On Thursday October 6th, 2011 from 5 – 8 p.m.

Good Luck!

Sallie & Alain

PS. Here’s a picture we took. ‘Live music with the Dream A Littles @ Venus Sophia!’

Contest Conditions:

*Contest only open to Canadian Residents (excluding Quebec). *Only one winner per contest.

On July 24th a celebration will take place in Chinatown, hosted by the Dar Coon Club of Canada. There will be a kung fu performance, and a lion dance which will pay us a visit at Venus Sophia to bring us luck and fortune. Although we are grateful for the luck and fortune we are already experiencing, like anyone else, of course, we welcome more!!! This event is a reminder of how important it is to be part of a cultural community. We are thrilled to be part of Victoria’s Chinatown – the oldest Chinatown in Canada – full of heritage and history.

Did you know that having a shop set up in Chinatown means following certain guidelines in decor and Feng Shui? Needless to say, the idea is to “compliment” the style and character of Chinatown, while maintaining one’s own presence in a harmonious manner. Blending in and honoring our environment is a beautiful activity to us. Out of respect, enthusiasm for celebrating cultures, and understanding, we have paid attention to the little details that make a difference.

First of all, some of the most important Chinese-Canadian commercial activities include groceries and restaurants. That is, it is a community of providing food and serving others in order to nourish. The Chinatowns of the world always offer very interesting meals at restaurants, and exotic fruits and vegetables available at grocery stores that are exciting to cook with. Have you gone grocery shopping at Chinatown in Victoria yet? It is really fun to discover and gather different ingredients. Last week we bought some goodies from Fisgard Market, and made a Thai style curry for dinner at home, with Bok Choy and Chinese Eggplants. It was so tasty! Although the word “Vegetarian” may not be too common in Chinese culture due to the high consumption of seafood and meats, in Chinese cooking, there are some wonderful vegetarian dishes and sauces which bring a lot flavor to vegetables. At Venus Sophia we often use Tofu which originally came from China, and Tempeh (originated in Indonesia), both protein packed soy products which can have different textures and tastes depending on how they are prepared. We do learn a lot from Asian cooking techniques and the combination of different ingredients, which we include in our style of cooking. Try our nutritious Steamed Asian Style Veggies dish, prepared with sesame oil.

Secondly, tea culture, as we all know, has its earliest roots in China. Chinese culture has taught us so much about tea, herbs, plants and ancient medicine – all things that have an amazing impact on our body, mind and soul. These are things that we nourish and nurture at Venus Sophia Tea Room & Vegetarian Eatery.

Tea – it all started, as legend has it, in 2737 BC; when a sweet Camelia blossom drifted into a cup of boiled drinking water belonging to Emperor Shen. That is where all our tea comes from – the Camelia Sinensis bush. And on the note of our discussion, the word Sinensis actually means Chinese! The leaves and leaf buds of the plant are used to produce tea. They are processed differently to attain different levels of oxidation, which make for the many deliciously different teas we have to enjoy – white, black, green oolong, and pu-erh.

Thirdly, signs and symbols are very important in Chinese culture. The use of primary colours such as red and yellow are encouraged. Our logo’s main colours are red and yellow, which also happen to be from our favorites! Interestingly enough, these colours happen to correspond to the elements taught in traditional Chinese physics. Red represents fire, and yellow represents Earth, with it being a clear message of Yin/Yang energy balance – something we try to communicate to everyone in our daily lives at work.

Also our interesting name “Venus Sophia” is symbolic, and contrary to common belief, it is not actually anyone’s name. When we embarked on the journey of buying a sweet little tea room in the heart of Chinatown, the name was part of the package. We decided to keep it because it sounded sweet, different, and most importantly – it matched very much our values in love, life and work. Venus Sophia symbolizes beauty, love and wisdom. These are values we cherish deeply, and in each passing moment we keep them present to the best of our abilities.

Well, we are certainly not symbol gurus, and we did not plan it when it all came together spontaneously, yet it is still light hearted to share how our innermost vision in creating our restaurant & tea room blends in nicely with our surroundings. A great balance which we hope you feel as well! :-)

Ah, finally, ever wondered about the neon lights on our window? In Chinese decor neon signs and lights and encouraged a lot. We also have Chinese writing, pots, teapots and lamps in different parts of the tea room. Try to spot them next time you are in!

Traditionally, Afternoon Tea is to be had between lunch time and Supper as a light meal in order to keep one from going too hungry. Most tea rooms serve Afternoon Tea between 3:00 PM and 6:00 PM; but no later than 7 PM.

Many people confuse ‘Afternoon Tea’ with ‘High Tea’, which are two different meal times. High Tea simply refers to an English style supper, served with tea of course, and is known as “meat tea”. Traditionally High Tea is served after 7 PM, and involves a full dinner including cheese, bread, pies and cold cuts. The term ‘high’ comes from the fact that the meal is eaten at a high table ie. dinner table.

Afternoon Tea, on the other hand, is a light and fun assortment of scones, tea (finger) sandwiches, and pastry, usually served on beautiful two or three tier trays, along with a freshly brewed pot of loose leaf tea served in real tea ware! At Venus Sophia we use traditional English antique tea ware which we like to collect and mismatch – collectors and vintage lovers will especially love our tea time :-). You can now purchase Venus Sophia vintage tea ware at our tea shop. Just ask us!

Venus Sophia Afternoon Tea

Traditional Raisin Scones with Whip Cream & Jam

Cucumber, Mint and Cream Cheese Sandwich

Artichoke Spread Sandwich

Sun-dried Tomato and Kalamata Olive Sandwich

Organic Homemade Hummus & Sprouts Sandwich

Our Ever Changing Assortment of Pastry: Mocha, Chocolate, Buttercream, Jam or/and Seasonal Fruit Tarts

Lavender Shortbread and Chocolate Dip Shortbread (in Belgian Dark Chocolate)

An Outstanding Pot of Organic Venus Sophia Loose Leaf Tea – choose from over 30 unique blends or classic teas

Call now for reservation: (250) 590 3953

You can now spoil your beloved Dad this Father’s Day at Venus Sophia. It will be a Sunday, and we will have live music with our wonderfully groovy duo Dick & John from Swing on By between 2 – 4 PM. PERFECT! Last month Mother’s Day was fully booked at Venus Sophia, and we are thinking: who said father’s shouldn’t be spoiled too?! ;-) Venus Sophia is the best place for families!

Father’s Day Special

Lasagna

Homemade Spinach & 3 Cheese Quiche with Side Salad

Homemade Red Pepper Quiche with Side Salad

PLUS

A Slice of Our Ever so Popular HOMEMADE & GLUTEN-FREE OMA’S DARK SWISS CHOCOLATE CAKE with Strawberry Decoration

and

Your Choice of One of Our Tasty Beverages:

An Exquisite Pot of Organic Loose Leaf Tea (Choose from 30!)

Coffee

Cold Drink

ONLY $15.99 (plus tax)

 NOT ENOUGH? If you would like a fancy Afternoon Tea with your family or special Dad on Father’s day – ALL DADS GET 15% Discount! Don’t forget to call us to reserve your seats early. Sundays are very busy at the restaurant! You can reach us on: (250) 590-3953.