The Roji Tea Lounge is as much an anomaly as it is a warm breath of fresh air in Syracuse. Enter at 108 E. Washington St. into a sanctuary from the whirl of urban activity surrounding it. It's been there since May 21.

Walk into this one-room haven and the stresses of the everyday immediately melt away. Co-owners Tomomi Yoshida and her husband Christian Van Luven have made the most use of a corner of the historic White Memorial Building. Traditions occupies the main area of the building.

Tables for two or four, with simple chairs in the same bleached oak, are scattered around the space. A cream-colored leather sofa is situated against the exterior brick wall and in the corner, a raised, open tatami room comes with a round table and four cushions. It all adds up to seating for about 20.

Leaded-glass panels cover the upper portion of the wall facing East Washington Street, an original Art Deco component that, remarkably, fits into the Asian concept. Indirect lighting adds to the calming atmosphere, as do Japanese scenes painted by Yoshida's grandfather, Junichi Tanada, who lives in Kyoto, Japan. It's the essence of a classic Japanese tea house and there really is nothing like it in Central New York.

"We want this to be an alternative to the bar scene and coffeehouses," explains Yoshida. Teas of every imaginable variety are on the Roji Tea Lounge menu. Four green teas, three from Japan and one from China, boast antioxidants which slow the aging process and help prevent cancer. The Japanese Sen-cha supreme is grassy yet imbued with harmonizing natural sweetness and bitterness. Yoshida suggests it for the novice tea drinker, and for $8 two sippers can check it out.

Oolong is said to lower cholesterol, rid the body of toxins and relieve stress. Any of three selections, two from Taiwan and one from China, at $8 and $9, respectively, again for two, may be shared. Anyone who may have tipped more than a few the night before might consider the Iron Buddha, a strong, powerful and straightforward oolong tea that is noted as the best tea for a hangover. Pekoe, mango, tropical berry, raspberry and a combination of lemon grass and ginkgo have recently been added to the selections.

Red, white, flavored, floral and herbal teas are also featured, as is a selection of cold beverages. Allow five to seven minutes for brewing iced tea. Bubble tea, a Taiwanese dessert drink, is worth the experience. Large cooked tapioca is dropped into the bottom of a glass filled with black tea, Jasmine green tea plus a choice of honeydew, lychee or strawberry flavors. Sip the mixture through a straw to draw up the tapioca, which explodes lightly in the mouth. Bubble tea is $3.95 with an extra 50 cents for soy milk or caffeine-free varieties.

Add sweets and snacks to enhance your experience at the Roji Tea Lounge. Vegans may opt for banana chips, rice crackers or mochi balls, adjuki beans or chocolate soy mousse with banana. Lychee cake, green tea cake, green tea parfait, tapioca in coconut milk with ice cream, or simply green tea ice cream are for non-vegans. Rice balls are a salty snack of Japanese wakame seaweed and sesame combination. "Be brave," is the warning on the menu. A bagel with cream cheese and adzuki beans is a sweet snack "popular among Western business executives in Tokyo," according to Toshida.

The tea lounge has particularly caught on with Syracuse University students and vegans are happy to have a social spot to eat and drink within the bounds of their eating regimen. "People flock here on weekends after 8 p.m.," says Yoshida, who added that the tatami room is especially popular. "As many as can fit sit around the round table, even though there are only four cushions," she says. "We want this to be a place to daydream, and forget about what's out there. We want it to be an oasis, where East meets West."

Roji Tea Lounge is open Tuesdays through Thursdays, 2 to 10 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays, 3 p.m. to midnight; and Sundays, 3 to 10 p.m. Call 428-0844.