Ruminate on a mys-tea-ic Sufixperience. There are a lot of places where you can get a good chai. Rumi Rose Tea Garden has fine food and drinks. More than that, though, you can have a meditative, mystical experience while you sip.

If you're not familiar with Sufism -- hint! -- it's different to Sikhism -- Rumi is the simplified name of a Muslim mystic poet from the late 1200s. He founded the kinder, gentler version of Islam, the branch that's more about joy than shame and submission. That's the way this teahouse is. It's got ethereal dance music playing, incense burning, colourful food products and decorations all over the walls -- a joyous-looking space. If you have an open mind, if you're not rattled by other religious faiths, it's a great spot to sit and groove while you eat and drink Persian delicacies. You might even learn something about Sufis -- best known for their whirling dervish form of ecstatic spirituality through dance. But they won't ram it down your throat and hard-sell to convert you. They're the mellow Muslims!

But this is a food review site, not a centre for spirituality, so let me say something about the nourishment that Rumi Tea House provides for the body. The 12-oz. pot of chai steamed up for me by John, a gentle, bearded giant who was running the joint when I stopped in, was spicy good. I caught some definite heat, like cinnamon and pepper, from my pot. Accompanying it was a choice piece of blueberry cheesecake on a thick, not-soggy graham cracker crust. At less than $8 for the pair, it was a relatively cheap treat. It was nice to kick back and let my mind drift as I watched the frantic traffic through the windows that look onto the intersection of East Hastings and Boundary. There are lots of other things to eat and drink besides tea and sweets, plus a shop with exotic (to me, at least) Middle Eastern groceries. Rumi will make your head spin, and if you're into it, your body can spin too.