Red Blossom Tea Company Edit

My first time in was this past weekend. Doing a little(not) tea shopping as one does on a trip. The set up is for buying teas and there is a vast selection of pretty much all the classic tea types. The space is a little tight and when I was there a bit crowded which is great for them as a business but slightly claustrophobic for me. The teas I tasted were of good quality and I bought a few. The ceramics and tea accessories are all very nice too. I think the fact that this place is on the Chinatown tourist walks explains the heavy traffic and that is OK if there was just a little more space. I every once in a while like to have dim sum or dinner near by and a tea bar here to have a single 5 gram brew would be nice.

For more detailed info on how I rate places, check out my bio.

Tea Quality: Medium – Highest
Tea Selection: Large
Teaware Quality: Medium – High
Teaware Selection: Medium
Shop Atmosphere: Cozy and refined
Employees’ Knowledge: Intermediate – Expert
Quality of Service: Good
Offers Tea Tasting/Ceremony: Yes, free with purchase of tea or $30 for tasting flight of three teas.
Tea Price: $$$
Teaware Price: $$$
Overall Value: Average
Recommend: Yes

Best tea company in San Francisco. Wonderful selection of high quality teas representative of both Chinese and Taiwanese traditions. Good selection of teaware. Perfect for beginners, connoisseurs, and everyone in between.

I used to love going in here. Modern Asian inspired, kind of nice to spend time inside shopping for teas yet not as inviting as it used to be. Solid teas, high prices.

Great selection of amazing teas. When I think of good, traditional tea, I think of Red Blossom. They turned me onto real tea, and I’ve been buying from them ever since.

One of my favorite tea shops! So elegant, an oasis of peaceful and calm in a bustling neighborhood.
The decor is lovely. The wall of teas, the beautifully arranged teawares… The tea selection – huge. The staff, sweet and knowledgeable. They once opened the door for me because I got there right after they closed.

The tea itself – magnificent too. I like the Fudong Snow Dragon – there’s a very similar white that I’ve had and like even more. The charcoal roasted Tung Ting – fruity and a bit smoky and very unique. The honey orchid Phoenix is also very good…fruity – peachy – and dark…

Tasty place. Some options can get a bit pricey but they do stock a heck of a lot of tea and are always friendly and helpful. I miss their Silk Oolong Formosa! They stopped carrying it a while back which is a huge shame. But they do have some other stuff which is nice. Stick with the oolong/chinese/etc teas. I got their straight flavoured black teas and they were just ok, but their oolong is particularly good.

Fantastic selection. Right in the heart of China Town. Cool place.

Best tea company in America. My personal favorite and I see no reason to order from any other company except for teas they either never had or chose to discontinue.

So, I have had them ship me tea, lots of tea over the last 4 yrs. Found them on the ‘net and their website is better than many because it’s a very simple store front that’s well crafted with beautiful pictures and good descriptions…a shopping cart that works. We take that for granted sometimes with amazon, but regular shop owners muck that up still in 2011. There’s no social aspects to the site, no forums, etc. Maybe doesn’t need it because now there’s steepster!

At any rate, the tea quality is unmatched. I’m a big fan of formosa oolongs and theirs are fantastic. The customer service is awesome- i requested they give me extra labels to put on my bottles and they did it for me. Also requested recommendations and got a very detailed answer. Can’t ask for anything more!

Went to RBTC in 2008 and purchased a great deal of tea from the store. It was a little expensive, but well worth it for the amazing tea selection. The teas they carry are not just excellent quality, but are unique and seasonal. The staff are very knowledgable, and offer up a fast-paced version of the gong-fu tea ceremony for those that wish to sample some of their wares. HINT: you should always take advantage of gong-fu tea ceremonies in Chinatown. They are usually free if you appear interested in purchasing some tea from them, and a great way to sample teas before buying.

I think Red Blossom Tea owner Peter Luong is one of the most knowledgeable tea people I’ve ever known, and I owe a lot to him for the education in tea he has so generously extended to me during our many tea sessions. In short, I have great respect for Peter’s integrity, and his palate and knowledge are so far above the standard that you would be hard pressed to find a better tea merchant to buy from. My company, Bon Teavant, carries some of Peter’s teas and tea ware and he has always been wonderful to work with.