Trying Da Hong Pao tea at Auntea Jenny

Speaking of new tea shops on Sydney’s north shore, Hornsby also has a new one in the form of a delightful pun: Auntea Jenny! Auntea Jenny is a bubble/boba tea chain that first opened in Shanghai, and has recently been expanding internationally. According to Wikipedia, they’re open in London, New York City, and Kuala Lumpur… and now Sydney :). It proved difficult to take pictures in the packed store to demonstrate, but the whole place is done out in this stunning art deco design, right down to the titular character who serves her namesake beverage. It’s bright, airy, cheerful, and yet has that classic 1940s appeal. The patterns on the tables, walls, and floors look like they’re right out of my beloved Chrysler Building lobby in NYC, or a lounge on the SS Normandie. If there’s an award given out to retailers in Australia, I nominate this one. The menu was extensive, because of course it was, but my own hat nearly flew away with surprise when I saw Da Hong Pao listed. This is a rarer…