Vital Tea Lounge

Vital Tea Lounge opened in June in Seattle's International District/Chinatown.  Located on the corner of South Jackson Street and Maynard Avenue South, this is the third branch of Vital Tea in Seattle and the first to offer a tea room setting.

Upon entering the tea lounge, visitors are warmly greeted and may enjoy a complimentary tea tasting at the tea bar.  My visit began with a sample of Lychee Black Tea. 

Beyond the tea bar is the lounge area and retail space where teaware and a selection of teas including green tea, white tea, oolong, black tea, puerh, herbals, and tisanes are available for purchase.

Guests who would like to stay and enjoy a pot (or more) of tea will be guided to one of three tables on the main floor.  Though the room is small, it flows well, has plenty of natural light, and doesn't feel crowded.  

Rather than charge by the pot, Vital Tea Lounge utilizes a table fee system.  For each 4-person table, there is a fee of $15 for the first 1-2 guests with a $3 fee for each additional guest.

Each table holds a tea tray, a pot of hot water on a warmer, a filter, and a teapot.  Once you've selected your tea from the menu, it will be delivered in a specialized brewer or you may request a gaiwan.  The brewer is placed over the teapot and hot water is added.  When the tea is fully infused, usually in less than a minute, a button is pressed to decant the tea into the teapot, leaving  the infused leaves in the brewer.  The result is a full-bodied gongfu-style tea.  Service is attentive and fresh leaves and water refills will be provided over the duration of your visit.

For this visit, my friend and I selected Blue People Ginseng Oolong which is always a treat.  Since this particular oolong is spent after the first few infusions, fresh leaves were provided promptly.  To conclude our visit. we were treated to a complimentary pot of Lychee Black Tea.  

In addition to seating on the main floor, there are more tables for overflow in the loft upstairs, as well as two private tea rooms upstairs.  Private Tea Room I if available for $40 for 2 hours and can accommodate up to 6 guests.  Private Tea room II is available for $60 for 2 hours and can accommodate up to 10 guests.

Address: 

651 S Jackson St., Seattle, WA 98104

Hours: 
11:00am to 6:30pm Monday-Saturday

12:00pm to 5:00pm Sunday

Note: Table and private tea room prices were current as of July 2016 and may be subject to change over time.

Tea Review: Blue People (Vital Tea Leaf)

Blue People
Vital Tea Leaf
Type: Flavored Oolong
Origin: Taiwan
Product Description:  This popular house blend contains medium-bodied High Mountain Oolong with Panax ginseng powder and licorice root. It is beautifully balanced with a vibrant and complex aftertaste that engages the whole palate long after each sip.

Temperature: 195° F

Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 3 minutes

The dry leaves are blended with ginseng powder and licorice root.

The infusion is light yellow with a sweet aroma of licorice and ginseng and a taste of sweet, cool, licorice and ginseng with a long, sweet, mouth-watering finish.

This oolong produced the same results through three identical steepings with no fading of flavor and the long, refreshing finish is particularly nice. I'm reminded of the Finnish sweet licorice I tasted recently.

Tea Review: Milk Oolong (Vital Tea Leaf)

Advent Tea Calendar Day 13

Milk Oolong
Vital Tea Leaf
Type:  Oolong
Origin:  Taiwan
Product Description:  Milk oolong is in the Jin Xuan Oolong family with an earthy tone and buttery creamy fragrant. It is lightly roasted and semi-fermented bringing out an amazingly clean and smooth aftertaste. This tea is great for experienced tea drinkers those prefer intense flavor without bitterness and clean notes. Most people enjoy the second or third infusion the most because of the fruity essence.

Temperature: 195° F
Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 3 minutes

The dry leaves have an aroma of sweet cream with a hint of green.

The infusion is pale yellow-green with an aroma of sweet cream, and a sweet, buttery taste with a long velvety finish and no astringency.

The rich, bold flavor and aroma becomes slightly more subtle by a second and third infusion as the leaves unfurl and it leaves behind a pleasant aftertaste.    

Vital Tea Leaf (Seattle)

Vital Tea Leaf is located in Seattle on the corner of 1st Avenue and Union Street, across from the Seattle Art Museum.

The tea shop is split into two rooms by the shopping center hallway, so be sure not to miss out on half the experience.

One room features an extensive selection of teaware, supplies, artwork, and furnishings.

The second room is where you will find the tea. Most of this room is taken up by a long teabar with plentiful seating, where you can rest while you take part in a free tea tasting. This is a great way to discover new favorites. In addition to trying teas you might already enjoy, I highly recommend letting the knowledgeable staff introduce you to a variety.  You may be surprised to find that your tea collection has expanded by the end of your visit.

During my visit, I was invited to taste several teas including a High Mountain Oolong, Blue People, Puerh, Heicha, and Milk Oolong.

Here you can see a type of Heicha, which is a post-fermented dark tea like Puerh. It's worth noting that what much of the world refers to as black tea (Assam, Keemun, etc) is called red tea in China due to its color in the cup, leaving the black tea label to Heicha. 

I left with two new teas to try and I'm looking forward to returning for future tea tastings.  

Address:
1401 1st Ave, Suite A & B, Seattle, WA 98101

Hours:
10:30 am to 7:00 pm

The First Avenue Tasting Room closed in December 2016, but you can still visit their Western Avenue Tasting Room and Jackson Street Tea Lounge featured here.

Tea Review: Supreme Dragonwell (Vital Tea Leaf)

Supreme Dragonwell
Vital Tea Leaf
Type: Green
Origin: China, Zhejiang Province
Product Description:  Dragon well or "Long Jing" is a green tea from Hanzhou in Zhejiang province. The leaves are put in a big wok, and then allowed to pan fry to stop oxidation. Resulting in a naturally nutty and crisp tea that can also be enjoyed by eating. Being one of the most popular teas, it has earned the China Famous Tea title. One grade higher than our Westlake dragon well, this tea is smoother and more crisp.

Temperature: 175° F

Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 3 minutes

The dry leaves have an aroma that is toasty, sweet, and nutty with a hint of cocoa.

The liquor is pale yellow-green with a toasty, savory, edamame green aroma.  The taste is savory and toasty with notes of edamame (soy bean) green and a long, velvety green finish.

While this tea has the traditional elements I appreciate in a Dragonwell, I found the flavor to be smoother than I expected and repeated steepings produced a lighter tea similar to Silver Needle.  Once I noticed the white "hairs" at the top of the cup, I was pleased but not surprised to find young buds among the steeped leaves.

This tea was purchased by me.