Moren Mao

When someone says “20 years ago,” you probably still default to the 1980s or 1990s rather than the late 2000s. Time, somehow, seems to have stopped around the turn of the millennium. In reality, the 1990s are now nearly four decades behind us. Yet our nostalgia for the past continues to live rent-free in our heads and has even reshaped our cultural zeitgeist. At RADII, we’ve covered no shortage of Chinese Y2K content.

In English, a living room is exactly what it sounds like: a place where life happens. You watch television, unwind after work, or gather with friends. And if you have a guest room, that’s where visitors may spend the night. In Chinese, however, the word for a living room, 客厅 (kè tīng), literally translates to “guest room,” a room for welcoming others into your home. And then, there’s Cat Family Dinner, a supper club that gives new meaning to the definition of the living room.

Manhattan’s Upper East Side is now home to a different kind of HEYTEA. The Chinese tea chain, known for its minimalist interior design and high-quality beverages, has debuted its first overseas HEYTEA Teabar in New York City. For a brand that has long emphasized ingredient quality and customer experience, the Teabar captures that philosophy to a T. Step inside, and the first thing you’ll notice is the aroma of freshly brewed leaves.