There’s always this one place in your neighborhood you passed by everyday, but it seems secretive from the outside with tinted black glass and lack of signage that you only wondered and never ventured in. After I heard RP mentioned Hwa Sun Ji being a traditional Korean teahouse, I’m in!
Rose Tea ($5) and a mix plate of Korean cookies ($6). I was expecting a stingy 4 pieces mini-plate, turns out it’s a huge plate. Even my big stomach can only eat half of them.
There seems to be only a variety of green tea, I didn’t see red nor black. However there’re many medicated Healthy drink (ex: deer’s young antlers), herbal tea, Fruit Tea, ginger, ginseng…etc. You can also reserve a Tea Ceremony for $10. The inteior is a very quiet, bright, colorful and peaceful, drastic contrast from the cold exterior and busy Wilshire street. The bamboo screens gave privacy to each table. Good find, now I know where’s the idea place chill with my reading and sketchbook. I’m still looking for a good traditional Chinese & Japanese teahouse in LA…
Hwa Sun Ji Tea & Coffee: 3960 WLSHIRE BLVD
Wow the interior looks nice! Is parking reasonably convenient, or did you walk there from your house ^^? I heard the waitress wears traditional Korean clothings there, not true?
My brother and I always talk about opening up a traditional tea shop in LA for matcha and wagashi (traditional J-tea sweets). But we’re lazy. Still waiting for someone to open one up for us!
Cool! I love teahouses.
Yeah RP I walked there, but they have parking in rear I think? There was only the owner and she dressed normal…^^;; maybe you’d see them only during Tea ceremony…?
Jeni, Isn’t it amazing that of all places, LA being one of the most ethnic diverse place in US, doesn’t have a proper Japanese teahouse (especially with wagashi!). We’re all waiting for someone to open one…
Should be good business to be the ONLY Japanese tea house in L.A. Don’t even have to make difficult stuff, just some sweet beans and mochi and matcha ice-cream would do fine.
I have bought those Korean cookies before…they don’t taste that great, right? ^^;; Do they serve food in the teahouse?
No food that I see…the Korean cookies, like most Asian sweets…aren’t something I would craved for… ^^;;;