29750 Thu Jun 10 00:24:15 -0700 2004 12 1 San Francisco Bay Area 0 126530 I am a los angeles hound looking for places to purchase and possibly drink oolong style tea in San Francisco. I am new to tea, and quite a novice. Is there a place that I could buy traditional oolong teas where the staff may be able to guide me a little? In the city of San Francisco if possible. Thanks in advance, eepo Thu Jun 10 00:24:15 -0700 2004 0 eepo 1 126531 The Imperial Tea Court. The original is in Chinatown, but the new outpost in the Ferry Building may be more hospitably to tea neophytes. If you can get over to the East Bay, I can't recommend Celadon on Solano Ave. in Albany (on the northwest edge of Berkeley) highly enough. Thu Jun 10 00:38:17 -0700 2004 126530 0 Ruth Lafler 2 126533 Ruth, you beat to the punch about this place. I went to look up the address. 1411 Powell Street San Francisco. A good place to start. It is interesting that I find the tea prices cheaper in LA. I normally pick up my bulk supplies there. But on my recent trip to Vancouver I have found the price there even cheaper. I wish I remmeber the name of my sources in LA but I only know how to get there. Thu Jun 10 00:42:17 -0700 2004 126531 0 yimster 1 126532 The Imperial Tea Court on Powell near Broadway is a great place to both drink tea and buy tea leaves. They also have a second location at the Ferry Building, which I have not tried, but I'm sure the Powell St. location (the original) is better for Chinatown ambiance (especially on Saturday mornings), and in my experience the staff is helpful and knowledgeable. If you just want to buy tea, there's also Ten Ren on Grant Ave. in Chinatown, but I didn't find the staff to be as patient there. They do have an amazing selection though. Thu Jun 10 00:42:06 -0700 2004 126530 0 Chris Willging 1 126534 Along with Ruth's recommendations, I'll add the lovely Samovar on 18th Street in the Castro. Very indulgent and helpful staff at all of these places. It's not a tea room with the same level of charm, but Ten Ren on Grant Street is also a fine place to become familiar with grades of oolong. Peet's also sells several wonderful oolongs; I like the Phoenix Mountain. No guarantee the people brewing you a pot will brew it properly rather than burning it, though. Thu Jun 10 00:45:22 -0700 2004 126530 0 Windy 2 126536 Fellow Hounds: Thank you so much. The advice was greatly appreciated. I think one of you mentioned that a brewer can accidently burn the tea. Are you referrring to him or her letting the water get too high? Or letting the tea sit in the water too long or both? Also, if I were to buy a pot/serving utensils etc are there brands to look for? Or a place to buy them? Thank you again, eepo Thu Jun 10 00:53:25 -0700 2004 126534 0 eepo 3 126537 Yes, boiling water is too hot for most green teas and oolongs. Peet's has often very good teas at a fair price, but it's rare that the people who work behind the counter understand anything but coffee and steeping for 5 minutes. All the places in this thread sell tea sets, although I recommend Japantown for a great functional pot. For delicate teas, especially those that will hold up to multiple pours, a removable strainer basket with a handle (about $2) is essential. Imperial Tea and Samovar (and maybe Celadon by now) have websites that are nearly pornographic; recommended while you're researching. Thu Jun 10 00:59:10 -0700 2004 126536 0 Windy 4 126682 Why do you say that a strainer basket is essential, Windy? I've never used one and have not seen them used in Taiwan or China. Fri Jun 11 20:48:45 -0700 2004 126537 0 Poot 5 126706 A strainer basket allows you to lift the tea leaves out of the water instead of continuing to brew and oversteep or turn bitter. You can brew tea without one, and it's okay as long as you pour all the tea out between steepings (which is why yi xing pots are small). The Russians and British added boiling water to thin their oversteeped black teas. But personally I consider the Japanese ceramic tea pots with strainer baskets a big improvement, providing the convenience of tea bags without the inferior sawdust fannings or too small brewing area. Before this, I used to forget about the rest of the tea in the pot and have to pour most of it down the drain. Many people who didn't grow up drinking green tea especially are put off if it's not rinsed (so it tastes bitter) or it's burned with boiling water or oversteeped. Another good reason to try rare or delicate teas at a place like those recommended in this thread. Fri Jun 11 23:58:37 -0700 2004 126682 0 Windy 3 126538 Many Chinese teas unlike coffee can be better to the taste on the second brewing. Here is a way I use for most teas but not all teas. Place the leaves in the bottom of a teapot. Boil the water but wait a minute before adding to the teapot. Fill up just a little and to "wet the tea" pour out in a cup. You may or maynot want to discard this. I normally will drink it if Mrs. Yimster is not watching. Then fill the pot and enjoy. But the second and third pots are the best. After that the reminding times will be weaker but drinkable. The first time is to clear the tea from any unwanted taste. Thu Jun 10 01:05:47 -0700 2004 126536 0 yimster 1 126545 Try Imperial Tea Court in Chinatown. Order from their inventory clipboard, which has way more stuff than their menu. A good oolong should last 4-5 brews if done correctly. Thu Jun 10 09:21:31 -0700 2004 126530 0 Limster 2 126552 Imperial Tea Court also has a lovely shop in the Ferry Building. It's one of the shops inside that's open every day. Thu Jun 10 11:30:33 -0700 2004 126545 0 Nancy Berry 1 126722 There is an article in today's travel section of the NY Times that details visits to many of the Bay Area teahouses mentioned by the Chowhounds (Imperial Tea Court, Samovar, and Celadon). Link: http://travel2.nytimes.com/2004/06/13/travel/13teahouses.html Sat Jun 12 11:19:37 -0700 2004 126530 0 Lillian