Kaleisia Tea Lounge is a delicious Asian tea cafe located near USF in Tampa. Kaleisia Tea is an instant endorphin boost; as soon as you walk in, you’re greeted by the smell of fresh tea and a relaxing Japanese-style cafe, decorated with beautifully crafted teapots and a private Japanese meditation and study room. The study room is stored with mats to sit on and a spot to take your shoes off, close the door and relax. While the environment is one of the great things about Kaleisia Tea, the food and drinks are most definitely the best part! The drink menu has a wide range of flavors such as Thai Tea, Taro, Matcha, Strawberry Matcha (my personal favorite, in which the strawberry is fresh strawberry jam), Mango Matcha Latte, Classic Milk Tea, Vietnamese Coffee, Dirty Chai, and Spiced Chai Latte!
But wait, there’s more! The brewed teas also consist of green, black, and herbal tea, as well as oolong, fruit, rooibos, white, and other rare teas! Kaleisia Tea has a variety of different smoothies as well — mango, strawberry, coconut, pistachio, matcha, taro, taro coconut, matcha coconut, and strawberry coconut, to name a few. Every drink can be modified with different milk options, making it a perfect option for those with plant-based or vegan diets!
Now, what about food? Kaleisia Tea has many delicious and authentic Asian bites on the menu! The menu consists of bánh mì, with your choice of Korean BBQ seltan (vegan), Spicy Lemongrass Chicken, or Fried Lemongrass Tofu (vegan) as your protein! These proteins are put into the bánh mì sandwhich along with house made pickled daikon, carrots, cucumber, cilantro, jalapeno, spicy mayo, seasoned hoisin sauce on grilled ciabatta bread! This can also be substituted for a bed of spinach! Another delicious sandwich option (and my personal favorite), is the Turkey Panini! The sandwich is layered with herb-roasted turkey with organic spinach, tomato, provolone cheese, and house made vinaigrette on grilled ciabatta bread, served with chips or a salad! The other sandwiches Kaleisia Tea serves include the vegan panini (spinach, tomato, and house made vinaigrette on ciabatta bread), and the basil panini (fried tofu seasoned with organic spinach, tomato, basil, and spicy vegan mayo on grilled ciabatta bread)!
Is it only sandwiches? No! Kaleisia Tea carries multiple other entrees. These include the Korean Bowl which is Korean bulgogi served with purple slaw, house-made cucumber salad, and topped with cilantro and roasted sesame seeds on jasmine rice! There is also the jasmine rice bowl with house-made pickled daikon, carrots, cucumber, cilantro, spicy jalapeno, spicy vegan mayo, and seasoned hoisin sauce on jasmine rice! The Asian Noodle Bowl, Spicy Thai Red Curry, and Pumpkin Coconut soup can be found on the menu!
Do they have sweet treats? Yes! Kaleisia Tea also has many baked treats including cran-walnut, matcha, and Earl Gray cookies, tea cookie packs, vegan matcha cupcakes, and vegan buttercream cupcakes (all available as singles, half-dozen, or dozen)!
As for deals and discounts, Kaleisia Tea has many! Almost any entree can be made into a combo which comes with chips, a salad, dessert, and drink for $18.50! They also have a stamp card where each visit counts towards the six stamps needed for a discount on your purchase!