Hey all -
Going home for Christmas with the family this year and wanted to know what places to hit up for tea. I believe Mr. WYardley recommended Best Tea House in Richmond, and I've seen Floating Leaves mentioned several times in Seattle - any others? I've been to the Ten Ren in Chinatown in Vancouver long ago, but don't know if that's a good use of time... unless I can talk the wife into dim sum... I think the TNT markets have that little store attached with the fancy teawares in it, so I'll have to pack well on the trip home!
Check out Aroma Teahouse in Vancouver proper. Vancouver branch of Lam Kie Yuen from HK.
http://aromateahouse.com/index.php
Didn't make it there on my trip, but did get some samples from there which were good. There's an old thread on rec.food.drink.tea that recommends another place in Richmond which I didn't make it to last time; I think it's mostly a wholesale place. [Edit - the Spring Cottage place is the place I was thinking of].
Floating Leaves in Seattle would be my pick (try to meet up with tenuki and Rich Tao). Also check out New Century Tea Gallery that's roughly around Chinatown.
http://aromateahouse.com/index.php
Didn't make it there on my trip, but did get some samples from there which were good. There's an old thread on rec.food.drink.tea that recommends another place in Richmond which I didn't make it to last time; I think it's mostly a wholesale place. [Edit - the Spring Cottage place is the place I was thinking of].
Floating Leaves in Seattle would be my pick (try to meet up with tenuki and Rich Tao). Also check out New Century Tea Gallery that's roughly around Chinatown.
Dec 10th, '08, 14:45
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tenuki
Tenuki's guide to tea in Seattle
Floating Leaves Tea - you simply must go to... Allocate at least a hour or more to sit and drink/talk tea with Shiuwen. Bring your list of questions about Taiwanese oolong.
Internation District (chinatown):
Remedy Teas on Capital Hill. Again, you have to ask for gong fu service and sometimes explain it to them and half their menu is tissanes and flavored tea, but there are good teas too there amongst the new age crap. And Cap Hill's alternative vibe is always fun and their food is good too.
There are a score of other teashops, all with charm of their own. A couple I would mention would be:
Tea Cup
Teahouse Kuan Yin
Perennial Tearoom in Pike Place Market
Market Spice also in Pike Place Market
Queen Mary Tea Room
Seattle Best Tea
There are more, including some decent ones outside of Seattle proper, but you can check teamap for that..
Make sure you ride the ferry while you are here. If it simply must be about tea ride it to Bainbridge, take the buss to paulsbo and join the tourists at Poulsbo Tea House (ok tea, not great). Time it so you return after dusk for a spectacular night view of Seattle weather permitting.
Internation District (chinatown):
- New Centry Tea Gallery - IMO the best place in seattle for chinese teas. Make sure you sample their Shui Xian, Gong Ting puer and green goddess. Save some budget for YiXing here.. Make sure to tell Grace you are not a tourist, but a tea person so get you the good stuff right away.
- Uwajimaya - make sure you spend some time in the bookstore too. There is a small section outside the grocery store devoted to chado, make sure you find it. They also have tokoname ware, etc elsewhere. They have dens and do matcha (as well as other high quality brands) on their regular grocery shelf... Their generic matcha is even decent.
- Panama Hotel and Tea (two blocks up the hill from NCTG). Good place for a light lunch, their paninis are decent and their teas are good. Plus, it's a pretty cool historic place.
Remedy Teas on Capital Hill. Again, you have to ask for gong fu service and sometimes explain it to them and half their menu is tissanes and flavored tea, but there are good teas too there amongst the new age crap. And Cap Hill's alternative vibe is always fun and their food is good too.
There are a score of other teashops, all with charm of their own. A couple I would mention would be:
Tea Cup
Teahouse Kuan Yin
Perennial Tearoom in Pike Place Market
Market Spice also in Pike Place Market
Queen Mary Tea Room
Seattle Best Tea
There are more, including some decent ones outside of Seattle proper, but you can check teamap for that..
Make sure you ride the ferry while you are here. If it simply must be about tea ride it to Bainbridge, take the buss to paulsbo and join the tourists at Poulsbo Tea House (ok tea, not great). Time it so you return after dusk for a spectacular night view of Seattle weather permitting.
Dec 10th, '08, 21:23
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Joined: Dec 10th, '08, 18:40
Location: Seattle, Washington
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Wassupfrombustamove
Re: Tenuki's guide to tea in Seattle
Wow - hey tenuki - thanks for the write up! I'm from Seattle but live in Missouri now, so I've done all the ferry / touristy stuff, but the tea thing is the latest obsession so the gong fu service places sound like a great idea. I'm sure that will work since I'll have to go for a capuccino at Zoka's down in Wallingford anyways. I'll be bouncing off the ceiling for suretenuki wrote:There are a score of other teashops, all with charm of their own. A couple I would mention would be:
Dec 19th, '08, 01:05
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ABx
In Vancouver BC you can also check out Aura Teas - http://www.aurateas.com/
I haven't had a lot of their stuff, but what I've had has been pretty good.
I haven't had a lot of their stuff, but what I've had has been pretty good.
I have to say thanks for the recommendation for Aroma teahouse. We only had a few minutes to run in and Eliza asked what I liked and pulled out several samples. I thought it was a good sign that I asked about the dhp @ $60 / 100gm, and she suggested [it was very expensive] and sold me the charcoal tky - for $30 / 100g (CDN funds nonetheless) - very good, btw. The leaves aren't that pretty, but the tea is fantastic. I bought the Kei Lin (Kay Lum) Shui Xian and honey dan cong just by the smell of it and Eliza's suggestions by what I told her I liked. I will definitely be doing business in the future with them.
Of course, now that I'm here in Vancouver, we're having the whitest Christmas since 1861! I think we almost have a foot and a half here - so Seattle's shops have to wait till next time.
Of course, now that I'm here in Vancouver, we're having the whitest Christmas since 1861! I think we almost have a foot and a half here - so Seattle's shops have to wait till next time.