One of mainland China’s largest dessert franchises is crossing the pond to San Antonio. According to a release, Feng Cha will open its first Alamo City store at 8055 West Ave #100 in the Castle Oaks Village shopping center on May 20.
Although the brand has only been in operation since 2016, it has become a global goliath with more than 1,000 locations scattered across Asia, Canada, the United Kingdom, New York, California, and Minneapolis. It has a significant presence in Texas, with shops in the Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin, and Houston metropolitan areas.
Feng Cha specializes in customizable tea drinks brewed from real tea leaves. Toppings include boba, a variety of jellies, aloe vera, and milk foams in five profiles ranging from sea salt to cheese. It also serves various fruit refreshers in flavors like dragon fruit, summer melon, and kiwi basil. They couldn’t be more welcome as San Antonio prepares for hellish temps.
On the dessert side, Feng Cha specializes in cheesecakes. The mini delights cover all bases, offering American toppings like Oreos or strawberries and Asian favorites like matcha and taro.
Feng Cha Teahouse offers a menu of tea drinks brewed from real tea leaves, including a large array of fresh fruit teas made with real fruit. Their customizable milk foam menu includes over 12 tea bases and five milk foam varieties.
Though some of their offerings are similar, Feng Cha has a very different look than most of its stateside competitors. Instead of a bright poppy look, the brand’s interiors are typically bathed in neutrals with pale color accents and natural woods.
The soothing palette will form a suitable backdrop to an explosion of colors during the shop’s grand opening celebration on May 20. Among the attractions will be a traditional Vietnamese lion dance, karate demonstrations from Retro Sport Karate Group, and gift card giveaways.
TARO-FIC
Soothing Chinese tea shop bubbles up in Castle Hills
These Boots Are Made for Sippin'
Western rooftop bar pop-up gets San Antonio in the mood for the rodeo
These Boots Are Made for Sippin'
Western rooftop bar pop-up gets San Antonio in the mood for the rodeo
Before the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo get here in February, a temporary rodeo-ready bar is settling in. Every Thursday through Sunday, from now until March 2 (completely encapsulating the actual rodeo's schedule), the themed pop-up Dusty Diamond is taking over High Praise Rooftop Bar.
The Intercontinental San Antonio Riverwalk debuted in August of 2024, and with it was High Praise. That makes this the "first-ever rodeo-themed pop-up bar," according to a press release — suggesting that this might become a tradition for the new rooftop bar, a moody space with both indoor and outdoor sections.
The Dusty Diamond will have some fun touches in the decor including cowhide rugs, wagon wheels, and lanterns, but the real fun is in the activities. Guests can try riding the mechanical bull, testing their lasso skills, and getting their hats branded and bandanas embroidered by Hat Bar San Antonio. Pus, they can pick up jewelry by Kendra Scott, handmade leather items by Tried and True Leather, and more branding by Tecovas on products made by the brand.
On the drinks menu, there are 10 special cocktails inspired by country hits like "Boots Stop Working" with Tito's Vodka, Cointreau Orange liqueur, raspberries, lemon juice, rosé, and a rose petal; and “If I was a Cowboy" with Pendleton Whiskey, Creole Orgeat, angostura bitters, pecan bitters, and a dried lime garnish. "This One's for the Girls" is a pickly pear ranch water made with Surtierra tequila, a rodeo partner alongside Stockman Wine.
Guests can taste Surtierra and Stockman Wine in the lobby of the hotel from 7-9pm every other Saturday, starting January 18. If they buy a bottle of tequila, all proceeds will benefit scholarships for students in Texas.
The food menu has Tex-Mex bites like shrimp-esquites tostadas, deviled eggs, chips and caviar, pulled pork sliders, and chicken lollipops with jalapeño honey.
High Praise is open from 5-11 pm on Thursdays and Fridays, 10 am to 11 pm on Saturdays, and 10 am to 4 pm on Sundays. On Saturday, February 1, the pop-up will open early at 9 am so that guests can stop by on their way to the Western Heritage Parade & Cattle Drive on Houston St., which starts at Market Square about half a mile away.