Tldr: Pricey gongfu tasting experience but the excellent service and quality tea makes it a worthwhile splurge for tea enthusiasts. Looking forward to coming back to try Song Dynasty style whisked teas.
I thoroughly enjoyed my tea tasting with Mei Ling (apologies if I misspelled). I typically prefer Phoenix Dan Congs, but I wanted to branch out a little. Mei Ling pointed out some alternatives and gave some brief tasting notes descriptions that were helpful. Based on those, I chose the Dong Ding Oolong. Previously, I'd been a bit reserved with Taiwanese oolongs, but I wanted to give them more of a chance.
Mei Ling was very accommodating with my photos, videos, smelling everything, and questions. I love sniffing the leaves after the steam (hot water is poured into the empty teapot to warm it and then discarded, then the leaves are added and allowed to "steam" for a bit). A yixing clay teapot was used, which I always prefer over other teapot materials. Surprisingly, we saved the rinse to drink last, which I had never done before. As a fan of Phoenix oolongs, I thoroughly enjoyed the 4 steepings of Dong Ding, which had evolving profiles of floral (osmanthus/lily?) and fruit (hawthorne?) notes. More extensive tasting notes are below. We also observed the differences in the aromas of the leaves, the glass carafe, the "tea soup", and the porcelain cup.
As much as I loved the tea, I attribute a good deal of my enjoyment to Mei Ling. We discussed our tea journeys and experiences with different teas, building a rapport I often miss in my tea experiences. Self-guided sessions can be relaxing, especially in contrast to some guided tastings that make me feel awkward or patronized, but also sometimes lonely. Chatting with Mei Ling was exactly the type of tea community I had been searching for.
I look forward to returning some day to try the whisked tea, which seems to be something truly rare and unique to experience with teas other than matcha. Thanks to Mei Ling, I even have an idea of what kind of whisked tea I'd like to try, based on what she learned about me :).
Tasting notes Aroma of dry leaves: subtle floral Aroma of leaves after steam: stronger and fruity 1st steep: milkier, osmanthus, a tiny bit of juiciness (red flat circle Asian candy... hawthorne candy?) 2nd steep: more hawthorne candy, juicier but with a bit of tart bite on the back of the tongue, floral aftertaste more forward 3rd steep: tartness subsides but fruitiness lingers, floral and creamier notes coming more forward again, cool down and fruity and tarty again 4th steep: floral and creamy with fruity aftertaste (fruit candy), a lot more blend of floral and fruiting Rinse (cooled): subtle osmanthus with the tiniest hint of fruit
Sang Eun
friend and i dropped by in in lieu of our usual dine and drink hangouts. this place is nothing short of perfection -- from the ambiance to the very sweet owner, this is a must try experience! it's a small shop but intimate and comfortable. Olivia is amazing and is clearly dedicated to her craft. my friend and i shared a pot of oolong tea and it was enough for the both of us. Olivia walked us through the history and the process of really enjoying the tea to its fullest.
i highly recommend this place. seriously, trust me. words can't describe what a cool experience this was.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tea Tasting
Brandon Kaplowitz
Incredible experience
Kelsey Irvin
Absolutely magical place and experience I will never forget. The owner is incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about tea and teaching others how to cultivate a transformative ceremonial experience. The whisked white tea was light, sweet and like nothing I’ve ever tried. Highly recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
s
friend and i dropped by in in lieu of our usual dine and drink hangouts. this place is nothing short of perfection -- from the ambiance to the very sweet owner, this is a must try experience! it's a small shop but intimate and comfortable. you'll feel tranquil the moment you step in. Olivia is amazing and is clearly dedicated to her craft and knows what she's talking about. my friend and i shared a pot of oolong tea and it was enough for us. Olivia walked us through the history and the process of really enjoying the tea to its fullest.
i highly recommend this place. seriously, trust me. words can't describe what a cool experience this was, just see for yourself.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tea Tasting
Imogen
Always so pleasant
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Rachel Callahan
Amazing tea. Services so fast and quick. Highly recommended!!!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ross Jacobs
Authentic Gung Fu Cha. I got a citrus Pu Erh, and highly recommend the place. It has the best atmosphere of any tea shop I've been to in the US, beating places in San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Austin, Boston, etc.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tea Tasting
Zohra Zahir
I wanted to write a review but instead I wrote a poem. Hopefully this poem tells you about the amazing experience I had in this tea heaven:
A golden cup of tea:
I sat on a wooden chair And suddenly, the world opened up in front of an invisible door The intoxicating, unforgettable, irreplaceable aroma of tea kissed my lips I drowned I became intoxicated I came back to myself Another sip Another sip And once more I opened my eyes, and the intoxicating aroma took hold of me again A piece of my soul, like a small fluid drop, fell into the teacup And every sip of tea drew a small part of my soul inside I was sitting on a small wooden chair Facing a door that opened to eternity And the golden teacup danced in my hands
Oh, my dream lover, I draw you in As you draw me in
And this thirst for unity Comes from the scent of your yesterday, from the scent of your today, and from the scent of a thousand years ago
I am still sitting on a small wooden chair In the middle of 25th Street Where an invisible door opens And the scent of happiness draws you into a golden cup of tea.
Jin Yun Fu - New York - July 25th, 2024
Recommended dishes: Tea Tasting
Kyle McMindes
A wonderful little Tea shop with great teas and tea supplies; also the shopkeeper is very informed and caring. Highly recommend trying an evening tea gathering!
The tea was amazing, and I loved her explanations and care in making our tea.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tea Tasting
Max Coleman
A wonderful experience! I would highly recommend it. The owner has been doing this for nearly 30 years, and told us she was the first to set up a traditional Chinese tea shop in Fujian (Fuzhou) many years ago. She has been in her New York tea shop for around 7 years, I believe.
We had the gan pu’erh, which is a fermented ripe (shou) pu’erh that is aged inside a small tangerine. It was lovely!
Note: This tea shop is on the 2nd floor of the building, and it’s a bit difficult to find, so ask around if you need to.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Amber
What an amazing experience at Jin Yun Fu! I am still tea drunk from all the amazing tea we had here. Tea Master Olivia is truly a beautiful soul and a wonderful teacher. We spent two hours here learning about tea and talking with Olivia. She taught us so much! We did the white tea flight, as well as the whisked oolong tea. Both were some of the best teas we’ve ever had, everything was thoughtfully prepared and very high quality! Can’t recommend enough!
Tldr: Pricey gongfu tasting experience but the excellent service and quality tea makes it a worthwhile splurge for tea enthusiasts. Looking forward to coming back to try Song Dynasty style whisked teas.
I thoroughly enjoyed my tea tasting with Mei Ling (apologies if I misspelled). I typically prefer Phoenix Dan Congs, but I wanted to branch out a little. Mei Ling pointed out some alternatives and gave some brief tasting notes descriptions that were helpful. Based on those, I chose the Dong Ding Oolong. Previously, I'd been a bit reserved with Taiwanese oolongs, but I wanted to give them more of a chance.
Mei Ling was very accommodating with my photos, videos, smelling everything, and questions. I love sniffing the leaves after the steam (hot water is poured into the empty teapot to warm it and then discarded, then the leaves are added and allowed to "steam" for a bit). A yixing clay teapot was used, which I always prefer over other teapot materials. Surprisingly, we saved the rinse to drink last, which I had never done before. As a fan of Phoenix oolongs, I thoroughly enjoyed the 4 steepings of Dong Ding, which had evolving profiles of floral (osmanthus/lily?) and fruit (hawthorne?) notes. More extensive tasting notes are below. We also observed the differences in the aromas of the leaves, the glass carafe, the "tea soup", and the porcelain cup.
As much as I loved the tea, I attribute a good deal of my enjoyment to Mei Ling. We discussed our tea journeys and experiences with different teas, building a rapport I often miss in my tea experiences. Self-guided sessions can be relaxing, especially in contrast to some guided tastings that make me feel awkward or patronized, but also sometimes lonely. Chatting with Mei Ling was exactly the type of tea community I had been searching for.
I look forward to returning some day to try the whisked tea, which seems to be something truly rare and unique to experience with teas other than matcha. Thanks to Mei Ling, I even have an idea of what kind of whisked tea I'd like to try, based on what she learned about me :).
Tasting notes
Aroma of dry leaves: subtle floral
Aroma of leaves after steam: stronger and fruity
1st steep: milkier, osmanthus, a tiny bit of juiciness (red flat circle Asian candy... hawthorne candy?)
2nd steep: more hawthorne candy, juicier but with a bit of tart bite on the back of the tongue, floral aftertaste more forward
3rd steep: tartness subsides but fruitiness lingers, floral and creamier notes coming more forward again, cool down and fruity and tarty again
4th steep: floral and creamy with fruity aftertaste (fruit candy), a lot more blend of floral and fruiting
Rinse (cooled): subtle osmanthus with the tiniest hint of fruit
friend and i dropped by in in lieu of our usual dine and drink hangouts. this place is nothing short of perfection -- from the ambiance to the very sweet owner, this is a must try experience! it's a small shop but intimate and comfortable. Olivia is amazing and is clearly dedicated to her craft. my friend and i shared a pot of oolong tea and it was enough for the both of us. Olivia walked us through the history and the process of really enjoying the tea to its fullest.
i highly recommend this place. seriously, trust me. words can't describe what a cool experience this was.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tea Tasting
Incredible experience
Absolutely magical place and experience I will never forget. The owner is incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about tea and teaching others how to cultivate a transformative ceremonial experience. The whisked white tea was light, sweet and like nothing I’ve ever tried. Highly recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
friend and i dropped by in in lieu of our usual dine and drink hangouts. this place is nothing short of perfection -- from the ambiance to the very sweet owner, this is a must try experience! it's a small shop but intimate and comfortable. you'll feel tranquil the moment you step in. Olivia is amazing and is clearly dedicated to her craft and knows what she's talking about. my friend and i shared a pot of oolong tea and it was enough for us. Olivia walked us through the history and the process of really enjoying the tea to its fullest.
i highly recommend this place. seriously, trust me. words can't describe what a cool experience this was, just see for yourself.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tea Tasting
Always so pleasant
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Amazing tea. Services so fast and quick. Highly recommended!!!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Authentic Gung Fu Cha. I got a citrus Pu Erh, and highly recommend the place. It has the best atmosphere of any tea shop I've been to in the US, beating places in San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Austin, Boston, etc.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tea Tasting
I wanted to write a review but instead I wrote a poem. Hopefully this poem tells you about the amazing experience I had in this tea heaven:
A golden cup of tea:
I sat on a wooden chair
And suddenly, the world opened up in front of an invisible door
The intoxicating, unforgettable, irreplaceable aroma of tea kissed my lips
I drowned
I became intoxicated
I came back to myself
Another sip
Another sip
And once more
I opened my eyes, and the intoxicating aroma took hold of me again
A piece of my soul, like a small fluid drop,
fell into the teacup
And every sip of tea drew a small part of my soul inside
I was sitting on a small wooden chair
Facing a door that opened to eternity
And the golden teacup danced in my hands
Oh, my dream lover,
I draw you in
As you draw me in
And this thirst for unity
Comes from the scent of your yesterday, from the scent of your today, and from the scent of a thousand years ago
I am still sitting on a small wooden chair
In the middle of 25th Street
Where an invisible door opens
And the scent of happiness draws you into a golden cup of tea.
Jin Yun Fu - New York - July 25th, 2024
Recommended dishes: Tea Tasting
A wonderful little Tea shop with great teas and tea supplies; also the shopkeeper is very informed and caring. Highly recommend trying an evening tea gathering!
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tea Tasting
Restaurantji Recommends
Really lovely experience
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tea Tasting
Thank you!!! This needs to be on little red book.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The tea was amazing, and I loved her explanations and care in making our tea.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tea Tasting
A wonderful experience! I would highly recommend it. The owner has been doing this for nearly 30 years, and told us she was the first to set up a traditional Chinese tea shop in Fujian (Fuzhou) many years ago. She has been in her New York tea shop for around 7 years, I believe.
We had the gan pu’erh, which is a fermented ripe (shou) pu’erh that is aged inside a small tangerine. It was lovely!
Note: This tea shop is on the 2nd floor of the building, and it’s a bit difficult to find, so ask around if you need to.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
What an amazing experience at Jin Yun Fu! I am still tea drunk from all the amazing tea we had here. Tea Master Olivia is truly a beautiful soul and a wonderful teacher. We spent two hours here learning about tea and talking with Olivia. She taught us so much! We did the white tea flight, as well as the whisked oolong tea. Both were some of the best teas we’ve ever had, everything was thoughtfully prepared and very high quality! Can’t recommend enough!
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