Nom Wah Tea Parlor

Last summer I read Untapped Cities "Death by Dumplings" blog post and learned about Nom Wah Tea Parlor located on the infamous Doyers Street in Chinatown.  In the early twentieth century, the pronounced curve in the short street was known as the "Bloody Angle," the scene of many tong wars.

Nom Wah was first established at 13-15 Doyers in 1920 and served Chinese pastries and tea.  The parlor moved to 11-13 Doyers in 1968.  I did not eat at the restaurant when I visited it last summer though I noticed an open cupboard of teas above the register.  An article about the restaurant's re-opening in January 2011 by the New York Daily News reported that the tea parlor would serve "10 traditional Chinese teas" in addition to "more Western flavors, like Earl Grey."  Owner, Wilson Tang observed that tea is "integral to the dim sum experience [...] because it washes away the oily taste of the dumplings before the next dish."

I like the pink and green color palette used in the parlor's new signage but am pleased the owners preserved the old sign.

Tea Shop - David's Tea

The new tea kid in Greenwich Village is a David's Tea outlet on Bleecker Street.  My first attempts to visit the store failed as I could not navigate the crowds with a stroller.  Sans stroller and with Rotea in tow, I visited on a calm day.  The interior of the store is unusual for a tea shop.  The walls are painted stark white, it is brightly lit, and it does not feel cozy.  On the positive side, the staff was friendly and the selection is extensive.

The Chocolate Chili Chai sample smelled amazing but it was sold out. You can read Sagaci-Tea's review of this tea here. We bought a Chocolate Rocket to-go and two ounces of English Breakfast.  We would buy the English Breakfast again.  The smell of the Chocolate Rocket promised more than it delivered, at first.  As the tea cooled I was able to detect more than the chocolate.  I would buy Chocolate Rocket again but for home brewing.

Because our tea service was slow, we were given a coupon for a free cup of tea.  Which tea should I try next? Here's the tea menu.

Discovering new things tea

At the end of last year, we visited David's Tea on Bleecker Street, one of two stores recently opened in Manhattan.  The company is based on Canada.  Stay tuned for a review of our experience. 

Only four days into the new year, I have discovered two, new-to-me tea blogs.  The first is not purely a tea blog but Kathy YL Chan writes regularly about tea and her posts on the subject can be read here.  Following a link from Kathy's post about tea pairings at Union Square Cafe, I found Le Palais des Thés's tea blog, Discovering Tea, written by its founder François-Xavier Delmas.   

Have you discovered new tea shops or tea blogs?