One day fifteen years ago I wondered if I could find an authentic Chinese acupuncture doctor to help me recover from a car accident. I took some time to wander for the best part of a day through LA's Chinatown. One place impressed me, both for their treatment with fine needles but also with dried plant parts called Chinese Medicine. They were experts. Five months later I had visited regularly and was restored to better health than before the accident. I continued to come, learning about healthy Asian foods and delicious hand processed tea. In time I learned the names of nearly all who worked there and came to trust them fully and recommend them to friends and family.
I learned that natural products help us balance our internal organ system. Tin Bo sells high quality products that are carefully sourced to make sure that they do their job.
They have customers that come from thousands of mile away because of the trust built up. They have some famous customers who could go anywhere in the world for treatment and herbs but have chosen Tin Bo and the Sun family as their trusted source. Three generations of the family are here regularly. My generation is Jeff Sun. His English is good. I enjoy hearing his dad describe things like cordyceps even when I don't know the words.
They have great ginseng, both the red Korean and the American from Wisconsin. They have ling zhi (reishi) mushrooms, hundreds of other herbs sold by small or large portions.
I drink the high quality teas. My favorite are the oolong varieties. My favorite expression describing the experience is "this tea is better than whiskey."
Personal service. Highly skilled Chinese doctors. Quality herbs. Step into another world here right on Broadway in Los Angeles.
I looked at some other folks comments. I would venture to say that their experiences were genuine but some explanations may help others. So, here goes.
The word "tea" means a refreshing drink to most people in the US. In a Chinese herb store it can have a much broader meaning. While it can have a normal meaning, e.g. "I love to brew my oolong tea at 190 degrees for three minutes" it could also refer to the result of boiling various roots, seeds, and dried leaves from a variety of plants when drained off results in a dark liquid that my wife and I nicknamed "yak urine." Of course it is not from yaks nor is it urine. It just has a really odd taste. Sometimes they used to include a piece of sugar candy with each day's herbal prescription because their customers would suck on the candy after drinking the "tea" to cover the taste. So herbal prescription teas are not consumed for the taste. Some herbal teas are pleasant enough. We sometimes make chrysanthemum tea. We like the double deer brand, throwing in goji berries. Very mild and a lovely antioxidant drink.
The basics of Traditional Chinese Medicine treatments at Tin Bo are three parts, each one priced separately. You pay for a doctor's diagnosis, based on an interview, feeling three pulses on each wrist, tongue evaluation, and general overall presentation, like the way you walk and speak. You pay separately for herbal prescriptions prepared based on the doctor's exam. These vary somewhat on the ingredients used and the number of days in the course of treatment. Thirdly you pay for acupuncture. There will be some pricing information in the doctor's office on the wall. You will have to ask about the prescription price.
In China acupuncture is usually given every day. In the US we do not expect to do that, so weekly treatments are the norm. But you may decide to ask for more treatments if you wish. They are priced per treatment.
In the US, we expect a high degree of physical isolation with medical treatment. Chinese Medicine is much more intimate in a typical traditional setting like at Tin Bo. This is not West LA.
As others have mentioned, loose herbs are for sale. Beginners may wish to try some regular tea or goji berries. Brewing time and temperature of teas affect taste. Green teas often are best brewed at 175 degrees for a minute or two. Oolong at 190. Black tea at near boil. Ask about Pu ehr. It is an oxidized and fermented tea dried in bricks. You may wish to try some American or Korean ginseng, typical tonic herbs. I go with the American.
Tea flavor is also dependent on quality. Just as Trader Joes sells two buck chuck (okay, more than 2 dollars now) but also wine for ten or twenty times more, tea can vary widely in price. Expect better experiences with better tea.
I see that some people have been negative in their reporting. I don't expect to see everybody respond to treatments perfectly. We are talking about health and disease, after all. Prescriptions filled at Walgreens can't be returned if you don't like them. Even if you have an allergy. Writing about herbs by saying they are old or contaminated is libel if not true. Sorry if someone else is unhappy. But they need to tell the story fairly. Tin Bo is my source. Peace to all. read more