May 25, 2006

Tavalon Tea ... The Future?




So today started out absolutely amazing. Not only did I get in some yoga but I also got in a little belly dancing. After this, I felt the need to try a new place - something tasty. So, we all remember when I talked about LOVING Herb + Ginger which has those amazing tea accessories and teas that can be purchased online? NYC has an AMAZING tea shop as well in Union Square called Tavalon "The Future of Tea".



Located on 14th between 5th and University, this tea shop is like a comfy lounge complete with a DJ and also knowledgeable staff as well. I loved that they had tastings outside and of course being someone who is extremely visual, I thought their displays of teas that you could purchase in larger quantities were presented well. After looking at the extensive tea mix, I decided that I would try the Tropical Peony, which is white tea with a tropical blen of pineapples and conut. All of their mixed and remixed teas are available as a hot or iced (add .50) option which is awesome.






The guy behind the counter which was super sweet suggested that I pair this with a pineapple bar. That wasn't what I had a taste for after I saw mini green tea cookies. Each one was .75 or 3 for $2. As a whole, this tasty treat came to $5.25!! My 12oz drink was only $2.75 (they have a 16 and 20 oz option for all teas). It almost seemed like my tea just appeared. Everything is so sleek and minimal that you don't see what happens behind the scenes. Your drinks appear to come from behind the scenes. Also, they have a liquid sugar which was a lot better than having granulated sugar that tends to clump towards the bottom and doesn't really get absorbed by the drink itself.


While I waited, I was interested in seeing that the baked items come from local establishments such as Balthazar, 'wichcraft, Rice to Riches and Amai Tea and Bake House (this is where the green tea cookies came from and seriously they were the best I ever had). In addition, I saw that local yoga studios must have also partnered with this boutique tea house since their literature was there as well. I think that this is a must to visit and I was impressed. Since my boyfriend lives in this area and I am always shopping around and visiting Wholefoods, I will make sure to stop in here at least once a week and more once the weather gets even warmer. Their blends seem to be great. If you are not in NYC and will not be here anytime soon, make sure that you stop by their website and order their teas and accessories online!
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Kimmie
CEO/Designer ~ Kitten Couture
Exec Producer & Hostess ~ Kitten Lounge
http://www.sikara.com

1 comment:

Jen said...

Wow this shop looks amazing, I wish we had something like this here in Sydney.
I guess it's only a matter of time.