Stepping into Green T. House Hong Kong is like walking into the world of sword-fighting novels. The look and feel is consistent with other Green T. House establishments on the mainland – whitewashed walls with wooden furnishings, inspired by Warring States-period architecture, and infused with Zen-like minimalist touches.

Green T. House's owner Zhang Jin Jie, better known as JinR, has garnered a string of accolades, including "Beijing's Queen of Style" and "China's Newest Kitchen Goddess". This Chinese classical musician-turned-chef (Zhang plays the yang qin) and restaurateur also has the distinction of being the first female chef from China to be invited to the World Gourmet Summit. The media has even hailed her as a revolutionary leading the charge to re-define China's culinary front.

Zhang chose tea as the overarching theme for her chain of restaurants because she feels that tea is integral to Chinese culture. The dishes are tea-inspired and, often, even tea-flavored. The language in the menu reads like Chinese poetry, (though the English translations border on the ridiculous). Critics of this restaurant-teahouse-art gallery point to the over-priced menu and lukewarm service as their main sources of discontent. But if these factors do not deter you, Green T. House is definitely a place not only to savor the taste, but also the spirit of new China.