From Russia With Love

I am glad I was not born before tea,” declared English clergyman and prolific wit Sydney Smith in the early 19th century.

It’s a sentiment that modern tea lovers can ascribe to as well, for without this sophisticated and mood-soothing libation, there would be no stylish sanctuaries such as The “T” Room in which to sip from china cups and blissfully put the rest of the world on hold for an hour or two.

Although the newest addition to the Montrose community in California's San Gabriel Valley only opened in spring of 2006, its gracious proprietors – Marianna Kotcharian and her mother, Esmeralda Khachatrian – possess a longstanding level of comfort with both the operation of fashionable tea rooms and the delivery of prestigious catering services.

Kotcharian says that their story begins during the Communist era and transitional period of their native Russia.

It was my grandparents who decided, ‘Russians like to drink lots of tea so why not open a tea room?’ Because my mother had grown up in this milieu and also has a creative side with a distinguished interior design background in Russia, it was always her dream to one day take what we had learned from having successful businesses in other countries and open a shop here in America.”

She recalls a day about five or six years ago when the two of them were crossing the street and Khachatrian noticed the elegant yet modest building that they currently occupy. “I think it was love at first sight when my mother saw this place with its French windows, high ceilings and quiet, tree-lined street. She started to say to me, ‘Oh, I wish--‘ and then she suddenly stopped. In her very next breath, she said, ‘I know I’m going to have this as a tea room’.”

Kotcharian smiles, her admiration for the older woman evident in every word. “Because of my mother, I always grew up with a sense of courage and passion and desire to always do what I love. She instilled in my sister and me the importance of making whatever you dream a reality.”

Though still young, Kotcharian herself is already a woman of the world, a diplomacy and international affairs major who graduated from Occidental College a scant 24 hours prior to our interview and who describes the ceremony as “too surreal to even comprehend right now”.

During her last semester, she estimates that she spent about 60 hours a week helping her mother set up shop. “This represents a once in a lifetime opportunity for us and I didn’t want to miss a single second.”

Does she see the acquisition of her recent degree as having application to their new venture?

Kotcharian laughs. “Most definitely! Diplomacy is about satisfying your customers and having the ability to interact with all types of personalities. I was interning at the United Nations during my fall semester which reinforced how diverse we all are and what a privilege it is to be able to have exposure to different cultures and different ways of thinking.”

There's plenty these days to keep the mother and daughter team busy, including the development of a future website and marketing mechanisms that could allow them to make their wide selection of teas available by mail-order.

Neither of them is shy in expressing their gratitude for how quickly the local community has embraced the tea room’s presence. “If we can call ourselves successful,” muses Kotcharian, “it is because our customers have made it so by making us a part of their lives. It’s also interesting to see that about 80 percent of our returning guests were with us from the very first week. My mother says there couldn’t be a better compliment to her work when individuals keep coming back for more and telling their friends that this is where they would like to meet!”

She credits their popularity with the amount of selection available. “We have over 40 different kinds of tea and are direct importers of this wonderful product from throughout the international community. We get teas from Sri Lanka, Mauritius, the Middle East, China, Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia – are you going to find this premiere level of variety in coffee at a Starbucks?”

Kotcharian’s own favorite tea is from the island of Mauritius in Southern Africa. “Not many tea rooms carry this. It’s a smoked tea that you drink with a bit of cream and it’s absolutely delicious!”

The array of delicate sweets, pastries, preserves, cakes, tarts scones with Devonshire cream, baklava and cookies offer every temptation to either break one’s diet or forestall starting a new one. “Oh but haven’t you heard?!” Kotcharian exclaims with a giggle as she squeezes my hand. “There are no calories when you eat among friends!”

She reveals that both she and her mother are committed to the use of organic products and to the practice of healthy eating. “We prepare everything fresh and from scratch each day. In fact, the only thing that we don’t make here on the premises is our baklava which is imported from Jordan.”

She goes on to explain that their afternoon high tea is not only reasonably priced at $19.99 but comes with pastries, fruits, scones, an assortment of finger sandwiches and, of course, a pot of fresh tea. “For our sandwiches, we do the traditional English cucumber with chives as well as smoked Norwegian salmon, chicken lingonberry, and smoked egg salad.” Guests can either dine indoors in the cozy décor designed by Khachatrian or enjoy the serenity of The “T” Room’s back patio.

We’re open from 10 until 6 Monday through Saturday and from 11-4 on Sunday.” Saturdays and Sundays, however, are for high tea only. “We’re hoping to have our website up and running soon,” Kotcharian promises. “In the meantime, we’re open for reservations at (818) 249-6677.”

The “T” Room is located at 2405 Honolulu Ave. in Montrose.

Photo:

Esmeralda Khachatrian and her daughter Marianna Kotcharian at The “T” Room