Copenhagen pairing pop-up — five courses + five teas

how the evening unfolds

The evening begins with an arrival tea — Bái Háo Yín Zhēn (白毫银针), a silver-needle white from Fuding served in slender glass cups. Its mellow, hay-sweet profile clears the palate and settles guests into the intimate dining room, where a single long table, candlelight and the faint scent of warm gaiwans set the mood.

The first course lands like a whisper: a chilled cucumber and fennel consommé with dill oil. Paired with Jūn Shān Yín Zhēn (君山银针), a yellow tea from Hunan that Chen Hui Yi calls “the quiet one” for its toasted hazelnut and umami undertones, the tea’s slight body enriches the broth without overpowering it. She pours the first infusion at 75 °C, demonstrating how temperature coaxes out that elusive nutty sweetness.

The second course brings a warm tartlet of chanterelles, caramelised leeks and chestnut cream. The tea moves into darker territory — a Mǐlán Xiāng Dān Cōng (蜜兰香单丛), a fenghuang oolong from Guangdong. Floral, with the deep honeyed fruitiness that gives it its name, the dancong cuts through the tart’s richness and leaves a long, clean finish. Chen Hui Yi notes how the tea’s roasted edge mirrors the caramelisation on the mushrooms, a pairing principle she calls “mirror and bridge.”

A slow-roasted beetroot with smoked ricotta and black garlic marks the third course. For this, the tea turns ancient: a Shēng Pǔ’ěr (生普洱) pressed in 2012, sourced from a small family garden in Yunnan. Its damp-forest aroma, wooden spice and gentle bitterness anchor the earthiness of the beetroot, while the tea’s evolving mouthfeel — silky, then gently astringent — mirrors the dish’s dual texture of soft flesh and crisp skin. Around the table, forks pause as guests rediscover each sip between bites.

A dessert of poached quince and crème fraîche sorbet ends the savoury sequence. The tea is a sun-dried Zhèng Shān Xiǎo Zhǒng (正山小种) from the Wuyi mountains — unsmoked, offering malt, cocoa and a hint of ripe cherry. The pairing feels inevitable: the tea’s natural sweetness lifts the quince, and the chilled sorbet makes the tea’s warmth more vivid.

As the evening closes, Chen Hui Yi serves a Chén Nián Shú Pǔ (陈年熟普), a 2008 ripe puerh, as a digestif. Dark as coffee but smooth and earthy, it settles the meal and opens informal conversation. She passes around the dried leaves, explains wet-piling fermentation (wò duī, 渥堆), and answers questions about at-home brewing. Attendees leave with a set of handwritten pairing notes — and an invitation to continue exploring tea’s role in the kitchen through tea.school’s food-pairing course. All teas served are available for purchase at shop.thetea.app, where the evening’s recipes will also appear as a downloadable guide.

What you get

• five-course vegetarian tasting menu designed by a Copenhagen chef

• five rare Chinese teas, each brewed gongfu style by Chen Hui Yi

• handwritten pairing notes with tea descriptions and brewing parameters

• a 20 g sample of one featured tea to take home

• access to a recorded masterclass on tea and food pairing from tea.school

• 15% discount code for teas purchased at shop.thetea.app within 60 days

• 30-day membership in tea.community with forum access and virtual tea sessions

logistics

• where — a private dining room in central Copenhagen; the exact address will be shared upon booking

• dress — smart casual

• food — entirely vegetarian; please notify us of any allergies or dietary restrictions when you reserve your seat

• accessibility — ground-floor access with no steps; accessible restroom; if you have specific needs, contact us in advance

• language — the evening is conducted in English; the host speaks English, and the chef is fluent in Danish and English

• kit included — tea tasting notes, a 20 g sample of tea, and a curated list of shops and readings

• weather note — November in Copenhagen averages around 5 °C; dress warmly for your journey — the venue is well-heated