Guilin tea house a big draw in Paris

As tourists flocked to Paris during the recent Olympics, Cui Yuelin, the owner of a Chinese tea house in the city's 9th district, found herself noticeably busier.

Cui's T'Xuan tea house specializes in Chinese desserts such as mango pancakes, grass jelly, red bean mochi and matcha pudding. But it's the shop's signature Guilin rice noodles that truly set it apart.

The Guilin rice noodles at T'Xuan are a culinary marvel, featuring rice noodles topped with braised beef, stewed pork, pickled bamboo shoots, pickled radishes, scallions, chiles and other condiments. The tea house has been featured in reports by multiple French media outlets, and has also been included in books by renowned Parisian food writers.

Cui, born in Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, arrived in France in 2007 to pursue her undergraduate and graduate studies. The 36-year-old majored in luxury goods management, learning marketing strategies, consumer behavior, advertising techniques and industry skills, which she has applied to the challenges of running a business. Before starting her own venture, she worked for several internationally renowned brands.

In 2015, Cui opened T'Xuan with her husband, Pierre-Henri Boissavy, driven by Cui's nostalgia for the flavors of her hometown. "Previously, foreigners found Chinese restaurants to have a somewhat outdated ambience, and I decided to change their preconceptions," she said.

The 120-square-meter restaurant features traditional Chinese decor elements such as folding fans, octagonal tables, blue and white porcelain, intricately carved beams and the four treasures of the study — the ink stick, ink stone, writing brush and paper. The vermilion red and celadon green walls naturally divide the space into two sections, with air conditioning being a crucial addition in Paris.

The shop is adorned with decorations featuring elements from Guilin, such as naturally formed ingot-shaped stones polished over years in the Lijiang River, ink wash paintings of Elephant Trunk Hill, and old items sourced from Guilin flea markets, all of which exude a strong Chinese aesthetic that captivates foreigners.

"At first, I really wanted to eat Guilin rice noodles, so I asked my father to teach me how to make them," Cui said. "After trying it out and finding it delicious, my friends suggested adding it to the menu, and indeed, many people came specifically for it."

She said the key to making a delicious bowl of Guilin rice noodles lies in the braising liquid. Cui sourced over 40 types of condiments from Guilin and perfected the broth through experimentation.

Cui said the French appreciate fresh environments, especially when tasting food and savoring unique surroundings simultaneously.

"I hope to offer a Chinese treat not just for the palate, but also for the eyes," she said.