I drink a lot of tea.
I know this because my old roommate, who's Chinese and drinks a lot of tea herself, once told me:
"Wow, you drink a lot of tea."
So yeah. I raid the Trader Joe's aisle, I've had my friend from Shanghai bring me gourmet oolong in cigarette looking cases. I've bought impossibly expensive white tea in Manhattan boutiques (hell, even Teavana), and I'm a bubble tea fiend. I like the EGCGs of Green Tea, the lightness and clarity of a good Pu Ehr, and the enhanced digestion and metabolism of yerba mate. I've had a disciple of Sen Rikyu's lineage take me through a tea ceremony. I've gazed longingly at the Samovar Tea Lounge's Youtube channel...
So when I had the Honey Jasmine at Tea Do, and I tell you it was perhaps the greatest tea experience of my life, I'm not messing around!
Without further ado, here is why you MUST go to Tea Do NOW:
HONEY JASMINE OR ANYTHING WITH BUBBLES REALLY This is decadent, sweet, bubble pop tea. If Earl Grey is ballet, this is trip hop. The bubbles explode in your mouth, the aloe has that perfect inside of a grape consistency and texture, and it's all a little over the top. You can easily go for less sweet variations, and they'll happily oblige, but the whole point of bubble tea is that it's a decadent warm weather treat. Want something more substantial and serious...Keep reading.
THE FOOD Why does nobody talk about the food here? It's open late and it's amazing. They have super crispy Korean style wing dings (fried chicken somehow more crispy and lighter than the American version), Fish Balls (Classic Hong Kong street food, where the fish meat is pounded to ensure a very smooth consistency, very different from meatballs and delicious), FRESH onigiri (just google it...), and they're trying to add Ramen in the winter.
THE SERIOUS TEA MENU Little known fact, Tea Do is not content to be a mere pop bubble tea joint, if you're in the mood for some serious steeped tea, and blood orange Pu Erh is calling your name, ask for the "serious" tea menu, and you'll get a spectacular list of steeped tea that comes with your own futuristic Japanese thermos so you can keep adding hot water.
THE ATMOSPHERE/STAFF Say what you want, I love this place. Bombed a test?Had a breakup? Buried in paperwork? Come here: It's impossible to feel sad. Flat screen TVs, too fast to dance well to KPOP, uniforms, and it's incredibly clean, which-no offense Chinatown-I don't take for granted in this part of the city. I've been here so many times to play aggressive suicidal bouts of Jenga, and the staff is exceptional. They gave out free tea to everyone who came in before they were officially open. They didn't charge me for tea when their credit card system was down, they've given me free tea when I ordered all the appetizers fro me and a friend...They're just NICE, OKAY?
PS Hopsing is a half block away ;) read more