Paul Kieu
Chi Doan and her fiancé, Kasey Brill, knew they wanted to open a tea and dessert shop in Lafayette. They had even picked out a name: The Steep House. Then Doan passed a For Rent sign on Kaliste Saloom, and the plan gathered steam.
The 1,000-square-foot house had been a home, real estate office, and, most recently, a hair salon, but with Brill’s help (as both fiancé and co-owner) Doan removed all the mirrors, repainted the interior and exterior, and transformed it into her sweet getaway. The couple had spent a significant amount of time visiting sweets shops and gathering ideas in Houston, Montreal, New Orleans, and Orlando. “The tea houses in Houston were always packed!” said Doan. “In Lafayette, there was always a place for the coffee crowd to go, but there was nowhere for the tea lovers.”
[Read next: The Steep Beginnings of Sweet Tea]
Credit for the shop’s Asian-inspired menu and its delicate aesthetic belongs to no one more than the woman at the helm. The mirrors may be gone, but Chi Doan is reflected in every element of The Steep House. “We try to make our food cute, and we use a lot of bright colors that make you feel happy when you look at them,” said Doan, who studied architecture and English at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and has worked as a designer and photographer.
Applying her skill set to conceptualizing a building was a new experience for Doan. She made a conscious decision to avoid any big structural changes, keeping the walls and other details in place, such as exposed wood paneling on part of the ceiling found by a previous owner while fixing a leak.
Paul Kieu
The Steep House is an intentionally bright space: the tabletops and walls are white, but metal chairs and stools are painted mint green, cerulean, and yellow. Seating positions are angled to take advantage of the large windows’ natural light. Affixed to the back wall, large letters proclaim “TEA” and “SWEETS,” and those inclined to broadcast their visits via Instagram are further encouraged by a third-grader-sized “#TEA” propped up against the wall between the windows.
Flavor is a priority, too. Behind most every treat lies a tale of careful experimentation. “I originally used an entire brioche loaf, which is pretty big,” said Doan, of the popular honey toast. “After toasting it and putting it all back together, it was huge and I realized there was no way I could finish it alone, so I had to make it smaller to accommodate for a single serving size.” The toast, in its current iteration, comes with ice cream and fresh toppings like strawberries, whipped cream, and drizzled honey. Doan describes the crispy dish as “mind blowing.”
“It’s a different lifestyle for me. I’m not used to being here all day and interacting with different customers and people,” said Doan, who admits to once being shy. “It has helped me to gain a voice.”
Some of the more unusual offerings at The Steep House include ice cream sammies, made of ice cream sandwiched between two macaroon cookies; and choices of pink, purple, or orange bubble tea, the classic Taiwanese combination of tea, sweetener, and milk with an optional tapioca addition.
Doan chose the teas for The Steep House based on both taste and smell. “I remember it was a month before we opened, and we sat at our big table in the shop to test a bunch of teas; it was a really fun process,” said Doan. “We had ten tea cups, and each one had a different tea steeped inside. They were so pretty and they were all different colors, so you could see which tea was in each cup.”
Her personal favorites include The Bliss, made of a green tea and white tea blend with pomegranate and dragon fruit; and matcha tea, due to its health benefits and intensely herbaceous flavor.
Doan wants The Steep House to be a vibrant place where creative minds can gather to practice their craft and share ideas. In the past year of being open, calligraphers and florists have put on classes in the café and even left their mark on the space with touches like calligraphy quotes on the café’s chalkboard wall.
Paul Kieu
Although the treats served at the shop fall more broadly under the category of Asian desserts, Doan’s Vietnamese heritage has influenced the way she approaches the business world. “My aunts and uncles own gas stations and convenience stores, and my parents own a gas station in New Iberia, so growing up, I worked in their stores and did things like help my mom stock groceries and ring up customers,” said Doan. “Working for my family has given me the drive to never quit. You have to put in long hours, and when I first started I wasn’t used to it, but seeing their example helped me to push through.”
Doan’s new role as a business owner has encouraged her to become bolder in both business and life.
“It’s a different lifestyle for me. I’m not used to being here all day and interacting with different customers and people,” said Doan, who admits to once being shy. “It has helped me to gain a voice.”
The Steep House
930 Kaliste Saloom
Lafayette, La.
(337) 541-1579
Tuesday–Saturday, 9 am–7 pmClosed Sunday & Monday
Instagram: @thesteephouse
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