East Village Tea House Walking Tour, Village Beat

By David Z. Teich

Right now, there are several teahouses in the East Village and the surrounding area. Three are Asian and specialize in bubble tea, one was created by the musician Moby, one is a storefront shop, and one used to be a vintage clothing store. Each comes with its own specialties and unique decor.

In April, a rock-and-roll themed East Village clothing store transformed into a teahouse. Physical Graffiti became Physical Graffi-Tea. It’s still located at 96 St. Marks Pl. and still owned by Illana Malka — but everything else is different. “Tea is a passion of mine,” Malka says. “Teahouses, unlike coffee houses, attract people who are calmer and aren’t in a rush.”

Physical Graffi-Tea
Hours: Mon-Sat, 11 a.m. – 10:30 p.m., Sun, 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Address: 96 St. Marks Pl.
Tel. 212-477-7334

Eight steps down into a darkened one-room shop that feels like a grotto, a brick wall faces a long wooden counter with stools. The display shelf holds dozens of tea tins. The dried leaves, which are from around the world, are sold by the cup. Recommended: the ready-made, tangy organic green iced tea, spiked with lemon myrtle, natural essential oils of bergamot, orange, tangerine, and jasmine flowers.

TKettle opened last year. A placard just inside the door notes that bubble teas, which are the specialty here, received their name for two reasons: the bubbly foam that forms on the surface when the drinks are shaken, and the tapioca pearls, or “bubbles,” added to the mix. TKettle’s look: Black tiles, red lighting and wooden tables and chairs. Speaking of red, the red bean bubble tea is a treat: Along with tapioca pearls, actual chunks of sweet red beans emerge through the wide colored straw. A two-page menu with Taiwenese appetizers and entrees is the final perk.

TKettle
Hours: Mon-Sun, 11 a.m. – 1 a.m.
Address: 26 Saint Marks Pl.
Tel. 212-982-9782

TKettle opened a year ago. A placard just inside the door notes that bubble teas, which are the specialty here, received their name for two reasons: the bubbly foam that forms on the surface when the drinks are shaken, and the tapioca pearls, or “bubbles,” added to the mix. TKettle’s look: Black tiles, red lighting and wooden tables and chairs. Speaking of red, the red bean bubble tea is a treat: Along with tapioca pearls, actual chunks of sweet red beans emerge through the wide colored straw. An extensive Taiwanese menu is the final perk.


Saint’s Alp Teahouse
Hours: Mon-Thu, 11:30 a.m. - 12 a.m., Fri-Sat, 11:30 a.m. - 1 a.m., Sun, 1 p.m. - 11 p.m.
Address: 39 Third Ave.
Tel. 212-598-1890

The neighborhood’s oldest bubble tea purveyor, Saint’s Alp Teahouse, is part of a chain, and opened here in 1999. The East Village venue is fairly large and notable for its clean industrial design, including exposed piping and vents, black tiled floors, and sleek black wooden tables and chairs. Saint’s Alp has an extremely wide selection of bubble teas.The tea-coffee melange is delicious; not too sweet, it tastes the way it sounds: like coffee mixed with tea, only thick like a milkshake, and flush with tapioca pearls.


Kung Fu Tea
Address: 241 E 10th St
Hours: Mon-Thurs and Sun, 12 p.m. - 10:30 p.m., Fri-Sat, 12:00pm
Tel. (212) 777-3747

This tiny shop, which opened six months ago, has just two stools near the register, and caters to tea drinkers on the go. Here, process is transparent and automated. One machine behind the counter shakes tea and milk to a frothy foam; another seals off plastic cups with an airtight plastic strip. A note of caution: skip the passion fruit iced tea, which tastes too much like sugary fruit juice. Stick to the classic black milk bubble tea, and you’ll be fine.


ThirsTea Cafe
Hours: Mon - Sun, 12 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Address: 280 East 10th Street
Tel. 212-260-0436

This cozy storefront shop, which opened two years ago, has stools up front. Tea tins and tea bags line wooden shelves on two walls and behind the counter. Stock includes tea paraphernalia, including a variety of pots and cups, along with an international selection of tea available by the cup. Hot recommendation: the Chinese Flower, a strong citrusy blend of green teas and flowers. Cold recommendation: Black bubble tea with tapioca, a nicely understated version of this popular brew. ThirsTea is the only stop on the tour that is equally deft at classic teas (hot and iced) and bubble teas.