Tea (rec.drink.tea) Discussion relating to tea, the world's second most consumed beverage (after water), made by infusing or boiling the leaves of the tea plant (C. sinensis or close relatives) in water.

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Default Some Bay Area tea shops

I happened to find myself in the SF area for a photonics conference (as
one so often does), and managed to drop into a few tea spots between
wavicles. There seems to be a proliferation of such, similar in style
but very different in atmosphere. In case it's useful to anyone, here
are a few sententious comments:

- Imperial Tea Court, Chinatown and the Ferry Building.
I prefer the original location for dimmer, quieter, more retreat-like
atmosphere. The new location is separated from the (rather classy) Ferry
Building mall by not much more than a partial lattice, and on this nasty
January day was reasonably quiet but frigid. Have yet to meet Roy Fong,
who seems ever to be in the warehouse or out buying; but Grace is a
charming presence. They have a bunch of above-average pots and other
useful teaware, though the best pots are NFS. Plenty of tea on offer in
both locations, at high prices - generally, however, commensurate with
quality. Tastings are a bargain by comparison. Service by elegant young
men. (Why so rarely women in this business?)

The Ferry Building ITC location has a fair amount of food on offer; most
people there seemed to be more dining than drinking. Combined with
admittedly pleasant aromas from the center's other food and
personal-care vendors, I found this to be somewhat distracting.
Personally, were I in that neighborhood, I'd save my caloric quota for
Yank Sing, an upscale dim sum house in the heart of the Rincon Center
complex. Beyond the HK-class food, there's a kind of waterfall from the
atrium ceiling that adds good feng shui or something. I can't speak for
their tea, since I'd brought a very nice (code for "wanted it back right
away") new Yixing pot and a bag of SRT's cheapest but IMO best-tasting
fenghuang dan cong for my host.

I was somewhat uncomfortable with the instructional style, which I did
not experience directly (being a take-charge kinda guy) but repeatedly
witnessed. My impression was that both server/teachers and customers
were getting lost in mannered ritual at the expense of the tea. Watching
people awkwardly slurp from gaiwans instead of decanting was vicariously
embarrassing - nothing wrong with the act, but it was clearly out of
character for those partaking. Worse, they seem to use near-boiling
water indiscriminately. When I asked for something much cooler for our
long jing (a delicate green), I was politely asked what temperature I'd
like - a good response, but the wrong place to start. (I just asked for
a pot of cold water to mix ad lib.) I'm wondering how many people who
start the cha dao here (or in many other places) ever learn that green
tea does not taste like spinach? Even many oolongs can't take this
treatment. As long as I'm ranting, I'll also complain about the gaiwan
we were given, much too large for the amount of leaf it contained. I
dropped a broad hint, and was offered another a good 10% smaller.

- Red Blossom Tea Company, Chinatown.
This tiny, deep shop has just a couple of tasting tables between rows of
paraphernalia, with most tea in the back. Pots and gaiwans fairly
priced, though most a bit fancy to my taste. Not exactly a secluded
experience, right on Grant St., but pleasant and informed service. And
the staff seemed able to establish a quiet zone around each table.

- Vital T-leaf, two Chinatown locations (head office in Seattle).
The main store is a magnet for extroverts, open to Grant St. and with a
riotous agglomeration of 20-something passersby enjoying free rounds at
the bar with the friendly energy of a post- (winning) game beer crowd.
Staff young as well, with Benihana-type cheerful showmanship blending
with as much serious information as people seemed able to absorb. A very
large range of teas, many flavored (not my cuppa) and flowers/herbs
(even a couple types of kuding) in tins and open trays, which may be OK
if turnover is high. Many Pu-erhs also on display, including
presentation bing and zhuanchas of at least two kg and a 30-yo shu cake
for $380. (Latter was plastic-wrapped, so the aroma was inaccessible.
Looked authentic, though.) Many pots at fair prices, though again only a
couple I'd want. My sense was that the staff was entirely prepared for a
much more serious tasting experience during times quieter than a
Saturday afternoon.

A couple of blocks uphill is a more intimate satellite shop, with a
representative stock (including the $380 shu bing) and less riotous
atmosphere.

- Teance, Berkeley. Best for last.
This was supposed to be the penultimate scene of a day's nostalgia tour
of Berkeley, following a walk around the Vine St. Gourmet Ghetto-as-was
(where I used to buy coffee in his one shop from Mr. Peet) and before
trooping up Grizzly Peak for a characteristically stunning sunset. A
careful drive along Solano failed to produce this establishment, even as
an emergency call to Joe K. confirmed the location. Fortunately, my
friend's Blackberry was web-enabled, so we were able to discover that
they had just moved down to the Flats. The unprepossessing neighborhood
prompted speculation about marketing mistakes, but their new (of two
months) home proved to be in the middle of a cluster of assorted shops
and restaurants fine enough to qualify the whole as a Destination.

Teance offers a stylishly sparse ambience reminiscent of, but more
elegant than, the late Wild Lily Tea Room. (In fact, it has much the
pleasant ambiance of NYC's Tea Gallery.) The front is an open shop, with
an appropriate number of teas and some nice teaware of diverse styles -
the celadon (per former establishment name) perhaps the best on offer;
three exceptional Yixings were unfortunately NFS.

The tasting area is a single circle of about a dozen seats in several
nicely designed stations, so as to be serviceable by one or several
people. Tasting are again a bargain for the quality. Our server, one
Darius (I forbore the bibulous pun about one man's Mede being another's
Persian) seemed quite well informed about the qualities of his stock,
and helped us to a selection of interesting oolongs. Aware that we were
not ignorant of technique, he also offered a broad range of pots and
gaiwans, as well as mixing and serving gear.

I was concerned at how empty the place was, given a sunny-Sunday mob in
the environs. Perhaps they do mostly a take-out business. At least until
it's (re-)discovered, though, I'd make it a top choice for area visitors
with transportation.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

On a final note, I stopped into a number of Asian grocery stores,
apothecaries and tchachke shops in the ongoing quest for
cheap'n'cheerful shu Pu-erh to bring to Chinese restaurants. Every such
place I looked had one, and only one, cheap bing on display: a 340g
"black tea" from Hung Chong Tai in HK, of which maker Samarkand has
written on RFDT:
groups.google.com/group/rec.food.drink.tea/msg/3a2c4b18381e83ac. Is this
a conspiracy? I did finally do the experiment of asking a back-alley TCM
outfit for something better, but that's another story.

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Default Some Bay Area tea shops

Hmm ,Teance. I checked out their website and I agree you will
defiantely do better (unless you require your tea with saccharine
ambience.) I mean come on 130$ a pound for Lu an Gai pan
and the marketing drivel of 'free-leaf teasz' that and the price smack
of Free trade gone wrong.
L.

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