625707 Sat Jun 06 15:03:56 -0700 2009 4 2 Los Angeles Area 0 4748749 I'm familiar with tea sold at markets like Nijiya, Mitsuya etc, I am also familiar with Lupicia in Century City. None carry the quality I remember even in a neighborhood store in Tokyo let alone the fancier ones in Kyoto (such as Ippodo). On this board I've seen references to Haru in Encino - but that's the only one (and a bit of a trek from the west side). How come it is so much easier to find great Chinese and Taiwanese tea in specialty tea shops in LA but not so for Japanese tea?.... Perhaps - as with any other precious product - the good stuff is kept for local consumption. Still.... I'm thinking that now is a good time to look for shincha, (the new - spring - tea), which should be getting to our shores about now - allowing for a two week delay from the Japanese "season". Any suggestions? Sat Jun 06 15:03:56 -0700 2009 322461 antonis 1 4748756 There's a tea stand in the huge Torrance Mitsuwa that seems to have a pretty big selection. They also make really tasty macha iced green teas. Sat Jun 06 15:09:14 -0700 2009 4748749 212178 noahbites 1 4748862 I have not been to Haru in Encino, nor to the Torrance Mitsuwa, since neither are convenient to me. If I can't buy tea on the Westside, I'd rather order it online. Here are links to two other threads about Japanese tea, which may be of interest. http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/489246 http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/605571 By the way, I recently ordered online three different teas from Ippodo in Kyoto and they were mediocre. I'm wondering if they are only shipping the dregs overseas on the theory that Westerners think green tea is green tea and wouldn't know the difference in quality between a great tea and a pedestrian one. Sat Jun 06 16:03:40 -0700 2009 4748749 27951 omotosando 2 4749082 Many thanks for the links, omotosando! Looks like hibiki-an would be worth a try (though I am always reluctant to buy tea online). My experience with ippodo is only by going to their store where they can brew a sample cup for you or you can sit at their tea room and taste different products. I don't know what they sell online. What I bought was impeccably packaged, especially the high end gyokuro in tin cans. They also supply very specific brewing instructions, which can make or break a delicate cup of tea. I hope you'll let us know if white crane is worth considering. btw ... since you are on the west side: Lupicia may be worth a visit just to explore the options there. My comment above was just to say that I didn't find tea like the kind I love in Japan, but there are infinite other possibilities. They are in the recently-renamed Westfield mall. And thanks for the Torrance pointer noahbites - I got to do the trek one of these weekends... Sat Jun 06 17:49:15 -0700 2009 4748862 322461 antonis 1 4749029 I've purchased excelent Gyokuro at Palais des Thés in Beverly Hills Le Palais des Thés 401 N. Canon Dr. Beverly Hills, CA 90210 310-271-7922 www.palaisdesthes.com Hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Saturday Sat Jun 06 17:17:24 -0700 2009 4748749 28703 RicRios