In Collaboration With
For Teakha and Plantation founder (and Generation T lister) Nana Chan, happiness boils down to a good cup of tea—and a bit of cake, of course
Tell us a bit about you and what you do.
I would say I’m a tea aficionado rather than tea master. What I do is try to re-interpret the traditions of tea drinking in a way that is beautiful and adaptable to modern city life. I am currently doing this through the brands Teakha and Plantation.
What are you most passionate about?
Tea and cakes, of course! Other than that, I am passionate about the community, the environment and all things created by the warmth of our hands. This is why I chose to set up shop on Tai Ping Shan St, why outdoor space is so important to me, why I host events that involve placemaking and the community, why Teakha is part of the zero waste alliance and why we painstakingly cook each cup of tea by hand.
Other than that, I love my dogs! So if I weren’t running Teakha and Plantation I’d probably be running a dog home of sorts.
What makes you smile?
My dogs, my husband, happy customers, tea plantations, beautiful ceramics, lately San Francisco, and the cool March Hong Kong weather that feels like San Francisco.
Someone you look up to?
My guru, Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche.
The one thing you can’t live without?
Tea and cakes (sorry that’s two)! Seriously! So since I know I can never go on those alternative diets where you’re not allowed dairy or gluten I’ve decided to stick to TCM as my holistic resource. I also always bring my own tea stash on my travels. You can never trust hotels to provide good teas!
On the flip side, what is one thing you could do or have less of in order to improve your life?
Wow, there are lots! I’m definitely a shopaholic, so I need constant reminding to buy less—space in my apartment is running out! I need less clutter, and more order in my life.
