Katie
User's reviews
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Tea Embassy
The Tea Embassy is a 'must visit' place for tea fans living in or visiting Austin. The staff is very knowledgeable about their teas, and they are all passionate tea drinkers themselves. They usually have 3-5 teas brewed, so you can try them in the store. And there's a very relaxed counter atmosphere, where you can take your time ordering and asking about different teas. The teas are whole, loose leaf blends. My favorites are their Black Currant (flavored black - very good iced and everyone seems to like it), Jade Oolong, Capuccino Rooibus (flavored rooibus - excellent iced or hot and goes well with green melons), and Allergy Soother (herbal). Jonathon, one of the owners, often works the counter. He taught one section of a 3-part class, which included how to prepare different teas and a 15-tea tasting tour. That was fun, and inspired me to learn even more about tea! I recommend it highly. One of the other owners is interested in tea etiquette and accessories, and the rest of the store reflects that. There are a wide selection expensive tea pots, sets, etc. They have a small selection of less expensive teapots, and they seem to go to a lot of trouble finding the best products available.
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The Steeping Room
I love the Beautiful Coconut loose green tea. It's very unique, wonderful iced or hot, and even folks who aren't green tea drinkers or coconut fans like it. If I had just walked in, bought Beautiful Coconut, and walked out, I would give the Steeping Room the highest rating possible. It's a one of a kind, tasty blend! I can't recommend the food or restaurant service here. Or most of the teas. I've now dined twice and purchased about a dozen different teas. In the restaurant, I ordered sandwiches both times, on recommendation from the waitress -- both sandwiches were bland but edible. With so much wonderful food in Austin, that doesn't work. And the wait staff were perhaps too busy. One waitress had trouble remembering my order, so she had to check it twice. When tea is served in the restaurant, two people serve it. The folks who brought it out to me were uncomfortable and uncoordinated with the whole thing. Maybe they were new to the process. The tea blends I've tried have smelled wonderful (including Jasmine Blueberry Green, Chocolate Banana Treat rooibus, Blackberry Patch), but they just don't drink well to my taste. I even went back and purchased larger quantities, so I could experiment with brewing the teas differently. I just couldn't get them to come out as pleasant-tasting, to me. I rated 'Service quality and cheer' as 'good' because the folks behind the tea counter have been very helpful and friendly every time I've been in there. I really wanted to love this place. I live close by and am a big tea drinker. Stick with the delightful Beautiful Coconut!