This is the largest of the 3 Tea Source locations, and my personal favorite. They have a very extensive selection of teas, from things I personally hate but apparently everyone else loves (Evening in Missoula!) to the best oolongs in the Twin Cities (I recommend Jade Beauty and Amber Oolong). They do sample days on Tuesday and Thursday where you can come in and try five teas for $4. The staff is knowledgeable, awesome, and a little nerdy. Certainly the best tea in the south suburbs.
Went here on a visit to Seattle, and am so glad I picked this shop to visit first. The oolongs here are basically the best oolongs I’ve ever had, and I’m extraordinarily picky about my oolongs. I had a tasting there, and all 4 of the teas I tried were the best of their varietal I’ve ever tried. The owner, Shiuwen, is personable and knowledgeable, and I’ll definitely be ordering from her again even though I don’t live in Seattle. (Yet.)
Man, I kind of wonder if I went to the same tea shop as everyone else. I got two oolongs here— a darker Dong Ding and a lighter Baozhong— and they were both just okay. Meanwhile, the saleslady cheerfuly lied to my face about what a good bargain I was getting on my tea— “A cup of this kind of tea would cost $15 in Taiwan!” To be fair, I stopped in between harvests, so the really good stuff might possibly have been gone, but the whole experience was kind of strange.
A charming little shop in the skyway, just down the hall from the YMCA and from a lovely massage studio. Sandy (the owner) is extraordinarily knowledgeable and willing to work with you to find something you’ll like. The first time I walked into her shop I announced, “I want a nice Chinese green.” She lit up like it was her favorite request of the day and proceeded to pull down four or five canisters. I left with an excellent tea and a sample of a Japanese green that turned into one of my favorites even though I’d been sure to that point I didn’t like Japanese greens.
Relatedly, the shop’s Japanese greens are probably the best in the Cities, especially the flavored ones. Stop by in the spring to grab their Sakura Sencha— you won’t regret it. They also have a selection of other teas that are hard to find loose-leaf, let alone in the area: several delicious tulsi blends, a few Indian teas that taste like Chinese ones (Hari Ghatta, Hari Kiran, Hari Talvar). Also, if you’re looking for this, they have one of the widest selections of organic teas locally. I’d highly recommend this shop.
