Opened in recent months is the Slime Kitchen and Truckee Teas, a conjoined slime store and cafe located in the Westgate center. While they are separate businesses, they share a unit in the building.
Truckee Teas
At 11429 Donner Pass Rd #3, Truckee, CA, Truckee Teas finds itself in a corner of the Westgate Center. This tea shop is the same as the previously closed Cha Fines Teas of Truckee, reopened under new management. With a counter to the left of the entrance and plant-covered tables, the shop has a pleasant atmosphere for drinking tea, quietly working, or catching up with friends. Surrounding the register is a display with a
variety of food and drinks for sale. A display case holds cupcakes and other baked goods, a small refrigerated case shows bottled and canned drinks, and on the wall to the right of this is a wall covered in shelves with house-made teas.
Behind the counter is the menu. While the decoration is exciting, once we got to this part, the experience became slightly confusing. The menu on the wall advertised only general types of teas as well as “baked goods,” requiring the customer to ask about specific flavors and options available for both drinks and eats. This allowed for miscommunication and made the ordering process longer than necessary.
However, we were not deterred by any sparse menus, so we ordered a small cupcake and a tea flight—an option to try multiple flavors—a deal, since it only cost $9 for four surprisingly reasonable portions compared to one regular tea, which is $7 or more.
The first drink we tried was a strawberry acai smoothie. This was our immediate favorite due to the sweet and complex flavor and light foamy texture. It was reminiscent of a more flavorful strawberry milk, with boba at the bottom to create a more interesting texture.
Next was a raspberry black tea. This one was a bit more disappointing, since it tasted mostly of watered down black tea. The syrup used, of the Torani brand, colored the tea pleasantly but didn’t provide the desired flavor.
The huckleberry passion tea was a bit different, this time with a passion fruit tea base. The fruity flavors mixed nicely this time. However, we may have made a mistake in ordering these teas with whole milk, because it curdled in this tea, creating an unpleasant and grainy look. Luckily, this texture wasn’t noticeable when drinking.
Finally, we returned to the black tea base with a peppermint black tea. Although it had a similar watery taste to the raspberry black tea, this time, the flavor of the syrup blended nicely with the tea. Behind the strawberry acai smoothie, this one was the second favorite.
After drinking, we tried a mini chocolate cupcake. This dessert had a pleasant presentation, with piped trees and shrubs made of minty frosting and a dusting of edible glitter. The cake itself was moist and fluffy, and the ratio of cake to frosting was perfect. The mix of chocolate and light mint flavor made a delicious treat.
With the location of the restaurant being so close to Truckee High School, and quick drinks and snacks for sale, Truckee Teas makes a good place for high school students and others to pick up an occasional treat. The prices are similar to nearby coffee shops, such as Wild Cherries, in the very same center. If you know what to order, this tea shop can provide a pleasant and delicious experience.
Slime Kitchen
Tucked away in the back of the Truckee Teas building is another vibrant storefront: the Slime Kitchen. The shop offers a variety of products, including pre-packaged slime and small toys, but its main attraction is the hands-on, do-it-yourself slime-making experience. Originally founded by Kathy Ando, the business expanded into a franchise with locations across the United States, primarily in California. The Truckee Slime Kitchen is the third location in the Tahoe-Truckee region, joining stores in South Lake Tahoe and Reno.
The slime making process begins with choosing a base. The store offers six different options: Clear, Classic, Thick & Glossy, Cloud, Butter, and Icee. Sample slimes are available to touch and play with, helping customers decide which texture they prefer.
After selecting a base, the next step is to add a scent. Options range from sweet, candy-inspired fragrances to more natural and classic scents like lemon or pine forest.
We ultimately picked a butter slime base for our slime for its nice, smooth, and soft texture, paired with the Jellybean scent, which, with only three drops added a subtle smell to our base.
Next comes choosing a color. There is a wide selection available, with the option to use either powder pigments or gel dyes. We chose an iridescent light purple pigment, which turned our white butter slime base into a soft blush pink. However, the original shimmer of the powder was lost once mixed in. We speculate that the pigment may have produced more noticeable results if added to a clear slime instead.
It is worth noting that when selecting and preparing the slime base, customers do not make the slime entirely from scratch using glue or other raw ingredients. Instead, employees provide a pre-made, pre-measured portion of the chosen slime base, which is then mixed with scent and color using the store’s stand mixers. In the case of picking the butter slime, its softer, smoother texture is achieved by adding a block of clay into the base slime after the scent and color have been fully mixed in.
After mixing, the slime is placed into a container, and the final few steps begin: the toppings. Customers can choose from a variety of add-ins to change the texture or add sparkle and visual interest to their slime. We went with a variety of bright beads and trinkets to complement the pink candy aesthetic that our slime was shaping into.
The total cost of making one slime from start to finish was $28.25, including tax, as we stayed within the basic package and did not add any extra toppings that would have increased the price. After checking out at the register, the experience comes to an end.
Overall, the process was entertaining and enjoyable. While making slime at home is always an option, the Slime Kitchen experience eliminates the mess and need for supplies. As high school students, we personally did not feel a strong need to retire, but this activity would undoubtedly appeal to younger children. Additionally, for anyone who enjoys tactile, hands-on experiences, the Slime Kitchen could be worthwhile at any age.
