545749 Tue Aug 05 10:23:41 -0700 2008 21 18 Manhattan 0 3931669 I'm new to the city and looking for a place to get the best full leaf and loose leaf teas in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Thanks! Tue Aug 05 10:23:43 -0700 2008 74508 trev80 1 3931737 i usually buy mine in Chinatown...there is the Ten Ren store on Mott, or Pearl River on Broadway/Grand, in their upstairs loft area... Tue Aug 05 10:43:48 -0700 2008 3931669 11077 Simon 1 3931784 I usually order online, but sometimes I'll go to Ten Ren in Chinatown, Porto Rico on Bleeker, McNulty's on Christopher st, and Fairways (they have a small selection). I think Zabars also sells loose tea by the pound. Whole Foods also sells loose tea by the pound, but it is pre-packaged and only one specific brand I think (can't remember the name...maybe Rishi?). Tue Aug 05 10:58:06 -0700 2008 3931669 17095 twiggles 2 3931799 It sounds like Ten Ren may be the best choice for what I'm looking for. I'm basically looking for the best I can find. Do they have full leaf? Tue Aug 05 11:01:49 -0700 2008 3931784 74508 trev80 3 3931971 Yes, they have full leaf, many different grades. They specialize in Chinese teas. Tue Aug 05 11:51:03 -0700 2008 3931799 17095 twiggles 1 3931826 Try the T salon at Chelsea Market! Tue Aug 05 11:10:10 -0700 2008 3931669 171775 Feaster18 1 3932168 Kalustyans had some nice teas if I remember correctly, though tea isn't the primary focus. The tea bins were located upstairs. Tue Aug 05 12:49:53 -0700 2008 3931669 216167 chargeorge 1 3932212 The Tea Gallery http://www.theteagallery.com/ Tue Aug 05 12:59:34 -0700 2008 3931669 10763 Miss Needle 2 4480105 McNulty's on Christopher St. is like taking a step back in time. The staff is extremely knowledgeable without being snobs. I'm a tea novice and they introduced me to a number of teas and coffees which were just right for me. I visit often just to enjoy the aromas and the atmosphere; it's like being in a turn-of-the-century coffee/tea monger's shop. Fri Mar 06 11:52:35 -0800 2009 3932212 270888 shaogo 1 4480836 Besides being a great place to enjoy a brewed tea, Amai Tea & Bake House has a great loose tea selection, some of which is from Itoen. It's on 3rd Ave just north of 16th St on the east side. Fri Mar 06 15:35:11 -0800 2009 3931669 10340 Peter Cuce 2 4651370 I read on Eater that Amai just closed. Sad. http://eater.com/archives/2009/04/the_shutter_53.php Sun May 03 19:56:17 -0700 2009 4480836 258819 thegirlnextdoor 1 4482873 I'm not a big tea drinker but I recently heard someone rave about the teas sold at Takashimaya. Apparently very pricy, though Sat Mar 07 14:04:32 -0800 2009 3931669 177314 uwsgrazer 1 4623875 Here's another tea place. I've never been myself. Radiance Tea - West 55th between 6th and 7th http://radiancetea.com/ Thu Apr 23 19:57:09 -0700 2009 3931669 177314 uwsgrazer 2 4625502 I went here with some co-workers today. it's a nice quiet place to sit and have a cup of tea and some light food. not sure if i'd make a trip to buy tea here, but they did have a descent selection of green teas and flowering teas for sale. but unless i missed something, it looks like it's just by the container, not by the pound. it was a nice (but a bit pricey) place to have a relaxing lunch. Fri Apr 24 11:42:43 -0700 2009 4623875 17095 twiggles 1 4624039 Tea Gallery for high-end Chinese teas, but call to confirm when open. If you must go to Ten Ren, your best options are not those in the impressively enormous tea canisters on the shelves, but the seasonal teas, as "Spring Tea," "Winter Tea," whatever's seasonal. Sold in canisters which hold vacuum-sealed bags for freshness, at about 3 different price/quality levels. Usually a low-to-medium oxidized (greenish) Taiwan oolong. There's a good store in Flushing, Queens (Fang Gourmet Tea) on Roosevelt Ave., but it's a bit of a trek. For Japanese tea, Ito En at Madison and 69th (I think). Thu Apr 23 21:56:51 -0700 2009 3931669 124191 comestible 1 4624572 it depends how "into" tea you are. If you are really into it - for example i really care about specific darjeeling estates, and typically shop for top grade dar, puer, and oolong - then none of the suggestions on this thread will make you happy. PR Coffee Co, McNulty's (huge disappointment), Teavana, sell mostly commercial grade non-origin specific teas. Some dress it up a bit (like teavana) others do not. But for the most part all of this tea is very sub-par, and you can get the same taste emptying out a bag of liptons into a teapot. I have found one excellent place - Silver Tips tea room in Tarrytown (15 minutes north of manhattan) this carries a few very good teas - particularly the maikabari spring first flush darjeeling, and the jade oolong are really good. If you search their website - they have a lot of their teas listed. prices are great as well... worth the trip up. Fri Apr 24 07:25:12 -0700 2009 3931669 285790 vedelman 2 4636306 Vedelman said: "But for the most part all of this tea is very sub-par, and you can get the same taste emptying out a bag of liptons into a teapot." That's not only a wild exaggeration but patently false. Lipton is VILE. Virtually any loose-leaf non-origin-specific tea is far better. Heck, Trader Joe's teabags taste far better, even if they're considerably weaker (since Lipton is disgustingly heavy and blunt, like a hammer to the face). That said, thanks for pointing me to the Silver Tips site, which is very alluring, but I'm rarely up around Tarrytown and I like to smell my pricier teas before buying. I'm curious to know what you think of T Salon in Chelsea Market. I'm very impressed with the scent of their Earl Greys, but the prices seem a bit steep, coming to roughly $39/lb. I notice that even some of the Earl Greys at the Silver Tips site are cheaper than that. Tue Apr 28 12:08:39 -0700 2009 4624572 12799 Ike 3 4650560 OK....I was exaggerating :) I have bought serviceable tea at the places listed, and its certainly better than Lipton, which I agree, is the tea equivalent of drinking Starbucks' burnt swill if you are into coffee. One thing I liked about Silver Tips is that their prices are normal. Teavana, for example, is just offensive. I'm happy to spend on a quality tea - but trying to sell me Golden Monkey Assam for $60/pound (!!!) and insisting that it was "the best assam in the world" is not just wrong, its obnoxious... I smelled the Earl Grey at Silver Tips - and it is good, I believe it is based on a white tea, so a little different than some that mix the bergamot into darjeeling for example (like teavana). The scent is a little more subtle than others I've smelled, so if you like your earl grey strong - this might be a bit light. The tea's I've tried at Silver Tips are the Darjeeling (maikaibari), which was $4/ounce, and Jade Oolong at $8/ounce (and the most expensive on the menu). Their Ceylon was quite good as well, and very well priced at $2.50/ounce. If you were to buy those online - I would suspect you'd be happy, but I can't recommend the earl grey as i haven't tried it. I've been to T Salon - its ok, but to your point - the prices are ridiculous. The same for that spot in Soho on W. Broadway (right off grand). Sun May 03 13:53:57 -0700 2009 4636306 285790 vedelman 2 4648276 I would also recommend Lu Yu Tea @ Northern Blvd, between Main and Union St in Flushing. The store is at the basement level: not so easy to spot. I think the store might have an English sign, or you might want to look for something like 陸羽茶 on the curb sign. They are same level of quality as Tea Gallery but with more emphasis on top-line Taiwanese teas. @vedelman: They most certainly carry the HsinChu whitetip: no need to get out of town for that. Sat May 02 10:53:37 -0700 2009 4624572 260841 diprey 1 4651385 My new favorite place for loose leaf teas (the only kind I'll drink) is Amanzi Tea in Tribeca. You can find a review on my blog. I second Ito-en for Japanese teas. Alice's Tea Cup and Teany have decent loose leaf selections as well. if you can't find what you're looking for in the city, Tea Guys is a great online resource: http://teaguys.com/ homesweetnyc.blogspot.com Sun May 03 20:05:05 -0700 2009 3931669 258819 thegirlnextdoor 1 4934861 Suggest Kam Man on Canal St in Chinatown; the tea section is downstairs. Loose leaf teas at extremely fair prices. Check out the loose leaf teas in tins there too. Found Pouchong and Alishan from TenRenTea very disappointing, esp. at their prices. Fang Gourmet in Flushing has excellent high mountain teas but be prepared to pay. For more on prices, see my tea blog, www.readingthetealeaves.com. (I used to be a tea buyer for an importer.) Mon Aug 10 18:05:02 -0700 2009 3931669 1098137 lydiafortea 2 4936032 I thought most of the teas at Kam Man were stored in glass jars, which is not good for the shelf life of the tea. am i remembering incorrectly? Tue Aug 11 07:16:28 -0700 2009 4934861 17095 twiggles