Tea stores in Chinatown NY

[Jeremy]

Hi, this seems like a silly question, but here goes. I live in NYC, and the only great place I know right now is Ito En. Where else can I find high quality tea and teawares in NYC?

I KNOW that there must be some places in Chinatown. If anyone has any recommendations please let me know.


Thanks
J

[wyardley]

Hi, this seems like a silly question, but here goes. I live in NYC, and the only great place I know right now is Ito En. Where else can I find high quality tea and teawares in NYC?

The place I would most recommend you go is Tea Gallery on Allen in the LES. Not in Chinatown, but a great shop run by good folks. They were profiled in the NY Times a while back.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/13/dinin ... ref=slogin

Their site is http://theteagallery.com

You should call ahead and make sure they're there. Definitely not "Chinatown" prices, but they've usually got some good teas in stock, and they will brew them for you so you can try them. They sell teawares as well; I haven't purchased any from them myself, but prices are apt to be high. However, the quality should be good. The owners (Wong Chung - "Michael" and Winnie) trained at Best Tea House in HK.

There is a Ten Ren or two; I haven't been to any of the NY ones, but my suggestion would be to skip them.

It's possible that there are some good places out in Flushing too? I don't live in NY, so not sure.

[joelbct]

Hi, this seems like a silly question, but here goes. I live in NYC, and the only great place I know right now is Ito En. Where else can I find high quality tea and teawares in NYC?

I KNOW that there must be some places in Chinatown. If anyone has any recommendations please let me know.


Thanks
J

There are plenty of tea-bar-type-places aimed at people who don't know much about tea, and want to order a Bubble Tea or some kind of sugary/flavored/herbal concoction, but not many authentic Chinese or Japanese tea shops. Ito En stands out as the best exception.

Having done the "search-all-over-NYC-for-the-best-tea" routine myself when I moved back 1.5 years ago, I now get most of my tea from the internet, supplemented by regular trips to Ito En. Teaware I am not sure, there are a few Japanese antiques dealers in the city that I aim to investigate. But tea, there are surprisingly few games in town. I suppose there isn't a high enough profit margin or demand for loose-leaf to justify Manhattan rents.

And as mentioned, the Tea Gallery seems authentic. I have stopped by there, it is a nice serene place. The owner does appointments for private Chinese Tea tastings/ceremonies, and I think his rates are reasonable. Come to think of it, I might set up a date at some point, perhaps he could teach me a thing or two about Puerh... He does not have the largest selection, however.

And Chinatown will give you plenty of cheap mediocre tea, for sure.... Ten Ren is alright but don't expect the salesclerks to know anything about tea, or to speak English...

You could try this book, Tea in the City: New York as well, but it doesn't tell you that much other than what is said above, aside from a bunch of hotels that have "tea rooms."

Anyway good luck, let me know if you find anything else

[Jeremy]

Thanks you guys for writing. Yes, Ito En is a fabulous place, that was actually the second or 3rd tea shop I have been to in NYC. And you guys were right on the money. Ten Ren told me to get "bubble tea" next door! Hahahahhaha I will not go into bashing them any more, but you were spot on!

Next I will try tea gallery.

Hey Joel , if you would don't mind a companion (and someone to split the cost of the lesson), I would gladly join you at tea gallery.

Thanks
Jeremy

[joelbct]

Next I will try tea gallery.

Hey Joel , if you would don't mind a companion (and someone to split the cost of the lesson), I would gladly join you at tea gallery.

Thanks
Jeremy

Yeah that would be cool, I am going to be in tomorrow to stop by Ito En because Shincha is in, I'll stop by Tea Gallery as well and get some more information.

What tea types would you want to try, for a tasting? I'm down for pretty much anything. I know the least about Oolong and Puerh, and I enjoy Chinese Green and Black too... And weekends are usually best for me-

[silverneedles]

In Chinatown there's the said TenRen-didnt go in, also there are the supermarkets that could have looseleaf tea - Kam Man (some teas i got there) is one i know of - small selection, and some are really cheap, but quality is so-so/varies... The other markets i tried had only teabags.

Flushing's Chinatown has a TenRen-didnt go in, and supermarkets with teabags-one had a huge selection -Hong Kong market (review). Some of the supermarkets have looseleaf tea prepackaged in plastic bags, but the ones i got i didn't like any of them. There were about 2 small teashops in the little strip malls, but they were closed down-out of business...Walking around aimlessly for 2 hours i didnt find anything else, maybe 1 more looseleaf in a herb store. Other than that there's the bobo "tea" stores.

And yes, Ito En Flagship Store(review)

[chamekke]

Some links to look at:

- Japan in New York
- NYCJapan.com - Everything Japanese in New York
- Review of Takashimaya department store

Takashimaya apparently has a tea room in the basement, and sells both teas and tea wares.

The above is based on a super-quick Google. Probably even better stuff to be found if you drill down further.

P.S. I wouldn't assume that Chinatown would offer much in the way of Japanese tea wares. Some Chinese stores may, however, stock a few basic kitchen items that are either Japanese-made or Chinese-made in the Japanese style. I managed to find some Arita ware (blue and white porcelain) at one Chinatown store in my city, along with a porcelain "tenuki" sake set. Otherwise, not much.

[Chip]

Some links to look at:

- Japan in New York
- NYCJapan.com - Everything Japanese in New York
- Review of Takashimaya department store

Takashimaya apparently has a tea room in the basement, and sells both teas and tea wares.

The above is based on a super-quick Google. Probably even better stuff to be found if you drill down further.

P.S. I wouldn't assume that Chinatown would offer much in the way of Japanese tea wares. Some Chinese stores may, however, stock a few basic kitchen items that are either Japanese-made or Chinese-made in the Japanese style. I managed to find some Arita ware (blue and white porcelain) at one Chinatown store in my city, along with a porcelain "tenuki" sake set. Otherwise, not much.

Those links are really helpful, Chamekke.

Chinatowns are a long shot for good tea. I went in one shop, everything was in huge glass jars with the lids that just rest on the top, and just maybe 1/4 full tops...not good. I got a few ounces because "I had to" and it had no flavor, no surprise.

In Chinatown, I like to collect Asian tea tins, and forget the crap that is usually in them.

Ito en really rocks though. Now that is a TeaFridge!!!

[Michael_C]

Ito En in New York is overpriced to the point of not being worth it. Those exact same teas in Japan are about 1/4 - 1/2 what they charge in New York. And they don't - at least the ones I saw - date them. Then again, TenRen is probably kooky expensive too. Online, oddly enough, is the best option. Do you need a physical teahouse?

[JRS22]

You could try this book, Tea in the City: New York as well, but it doesn't tell you that much other than what is said above, aside from a bunch of hotels that have "tea rooms."

I was very disappointed in this book. The goal seems to have been inclusiveness rather than evaluation. Stores are praised for their attractive displays of tea in glass jars. In my first days as a tea newbie I learned the error of that type of storage just from reading Teachat. Actually, I got just about all my good information here at Teachat.

Janice

[joelbct]

Ito En in New York is overpriced to the point of not being worth it. Those exact same teas in Japan are about 1/4 - 1/2 what they charge in New York.

If you can get me this for $11, or this for $1.50 an ounce, by all means, post links.

[chamekke]

Ito En in New York is overpriced to the point of not being worth it. Those exact same teas in Japan are about 1/4 - 1/2 what they charge in New York. And they don't - at least the ones I saw - date them. Then again, TenRen is probably kooky expensive too. Online, oddly enough, is the best option. Do you need a physical teahouse?

I don't live anywhere near NYC, and I can't speak for anyone else here. But, if I were in New York, I'd be supremely tempted to go.

First of all, many tea shops allow you the opportunity of sampling a tea before buying it. That's a huge advantage that no online seller can offer. I would give my eye-teeth to be able to try a tea before slapping down $25-30 for a package. No such luck in the e-commerce world.

Next, a tea shop gives you a chance to learn about other tea brands and varieties that may not be available through your "usual" online vendors. Maybe these teas are better than average, maybe they're not as good... but it can be exciting to learn more about the range of teas that are out there. If the staff are knowledgeable about the teas they are selling, you could just discover an unknown treasure.

Then there is the probability that a "physical" tea shop offers tea wares as well as the teas themselves. It's terrific to be able to admire them in 3D, so to speak, and especially to be able to touch them. I can't say whether it's more or less expensive to buy (say) Tokoname at such a tea shop, but at least you have the chance to look the items over very thoroughly indeed. You may also learn about new wares that are of interest. If it's more economical to buy them somewhere else, well, at least you can find out about them here, then search them out more cheaply online.

Lastly, and possibly most important, is the ambiance of the teahouse. That is a wonderful thing, and very hard to achieve as an online experience (although I think that at times we come very close here on TeaChat!). That ambiance is what would pull ME through the door even if I didn't have a penny to spend at the time.

Just my two (Canadian) cents...

[Michael_C]

Ito En in New York is overpriced to the point of not being worth it. Those exact same teas in Japan are about 1/4 - 1/2 what they charge in New York.

If you can get me this for $11, or this for $1.50 an ounce, by all means, post links.

I don't know of links, but I can give you street addresses for tea shops in the old section of Nara and some in Kyoto that will destroy anything you can buy here, for less money. But I don't buy any Japanese tea online anymore. I can dig up phone numbers, but there will be no English component. I can also scan some of the bags bought from farms, if that helps. It's unfortunately true that Ito-En in New York is zany overpriced. That's probably the point, though, more of an 'experience' than a store for teaists.

Yes, chamekke, I know exactly where you are coming from... the fun of being in a place rather than viewing it remotely... that's one of the beautiful things about tea, really, that it can take you places and show you things you never would have noticed before. A sample is always a good thing. And teaware, if you care for it, is best inspected before purchase. I'm just - hmm... sort of sick of American tea shops having this aura of exclusivity and imposed gentility - it has to do with tea in this country, which essentially doesn't care for it (America), and the proclivity of associating a high price with it. Sometimes I wonder if the high prices here impose some sense of importance or sacridity - this is all just conjecture, of course, but I don't understand why tea is so vastly overpriced here (particularly Japanese teas). Maybe it's just supply and demand. Tea is life, it belongs in the hands of everyone, and as long as we overcharge, I worry that it might never become as accepted as it needs to be.

[silverneedles]

well... if we'd go to China, i can also give you street addresses of tea shops in the tea shop district of <insert town name here> that will destroy anything one could buy in the USA, for less money.
But we don't live in China or go there very often (some do)
and we don't live in Japan or go there very often (some do)...

so we do do from sources available to us.

also take into account the market and culture of tea: Japan by some statistics ~60% drink green tea everyday, Americans ~6% drink green tea everyday...

[joelbct]

If you can get me this for $11, or this for $1.50 an ounce, by all means, post links.

I don't know of links, but I can give you street addresses for tea shops in the old section of Nara and some in Kyoto that will destroy anything you can buy here, for less money. But I don't buy any Japanese tea online anymore. I can dig up phone numbers, but there will be no English component. I can also scan some of the bags bought from farms, if that helps. It's unfortunately true that Ito-En in New York is zany overpriced.

By all means, PM me the street addresses or names of the shops. Perhaps I can have someone ship me samples. If they have good sencha for $1 an ounce and koicha for 25 cents a gram, that sounds good to me, especially with the plummeting dollar-yen exchange rate. None of the online vendors I have perused have prices any different than Ito En's, and that includes Japanese-only sites, and farm-owned shops like Hibiki-An.

Ito En has this unfounded reputation like Whole Foods as being overpriced, but you just have to know how to shop there, they have some excellent bargains.

Tea is life, it belongs in the hands of everyone, and as long as we overcharge, I worry that it might never become as accepted as it needs to be.

If Company's A, B, and C were "overcharging" for tea and making out like bandits, then Company D would come along and undercut them. I doubt there is a tea conspiracy going on, just the market...