They had a large selection of teas shelved on the wall, but if you don’t speak german or chinese, you might have trouble finding exactly what you need, so maybe get practicing! The staff is very patient and kind, they are willing to help you find whatever you need, despite language barriers.
They have a large selection of tins and tea ware from various Asian countries. There are some very beautiful wares in here, once again I went into a tea shop and wanted to spend my entire savings.
This store is really useful if you’re looking for very specific asian brewing methods you can’t find in other more modern tea stores. It supplies tools for pretty much every traditional technique. The store itself is very rustic. You will find no modern brewing methods in here, which I admire it for. Very cute shop!
Modern and elegant, the atmosphere is very clean and professional. The interior design reminded me of design I would see around Iceland when I lived there, which is a compliment.
Besides the appearance, the educational aspect that every tea shop should have was present. There was an interactive center where you could smell different teas and learn of their origin and other helpful information to aide you in your purchase.
The SINGLE CRITICISM I had of this wonderful tea shop is their Bi Luo Chun is stated to originate from Taiwan. If this is true, it cannot be labeled as Bi Luo Chun, according to the International Standardization Organization (ISO). To be labeled as Bi Luo Chun, it MUST originate from the Dongting Mountain region of Jiangsu, China. There are other specifications of what qualifies a tea as Bi Luo Chun, like when its plucked, what is grown in the estate, the coverage, etc, but this is probably the most important. I would suggest speaking with the growers about renaming the tea because of legal name protection reasons, or otherwise sourcing actual Bi Luo Chun.
Other than this error, the matcha I had was perfectly frothed in a beautiful glass bowl. Not too much or too little matcha was used, it was light and grassy.
I also tried some of their Da Hong Pao (Big Red Robe). It wasmy first time tasting a yan cha (rock tea), and I felt it really had that yan yun (rock taste). It was so refined and just a beautiful experience of drinking tea.
The outdoor patio with little fire areas was very aiding in my experience of drinking fine tea. This is a place of excellence.
It was wonderful! I was just expecting a tea shop, but was surprised to find there was also a tea room in the back, with Japanese tables and cushions to sit on. You could order any of the teas they provided, which is really helpful if you’re unsure of which to purchase (they had a large selection). You could either have a single cup, a tea pot, or a gong fu set to enjoy your tea with. Having a friend with me who knew nearly nothing about tea, I ordered a gong fu set with some tie guan yin (I know, hardly adventurous). They had a very nice young man with a very hushed and pleasant demeanor come with the tray and set. He gave us the run down on gong fu, which refreshed my memory and could be helpful and informative to those new to tea, like my friend who was with me. This is a very nice store, with many beautiful tea sets and yixing pots. I wanted to buy almost everything and the staff was well informed about tea.
