When traveling to Downtown Los Angeles, you’re to expect traffic inside and outside every shop and facility – parking can kill, and your fashion explains exactly what you’re doing there. Rarely do you think of the trees, or water fountains, or tea. Luckily, Little Tokyo does. And the best place for it is the Chado Tearoom.
This fancy treasure is nestled between E. 1st Street and S. Alameda St., within the Japanese American Museum. With a staircase and handicap-friendly entrance, Chado Tearoom welcomes you with the scent of their exotic teas from China, India, and Japan.
When brunching there, I find myself always greeted with friendly faces, and a stunning collection of teas, stacked from the ground-up in vats of tin. Their indoor seating is cozy, with a touch of elegance, as much of the walls are filled with modern art, tea sets, and of course, tea. Their outdoor seating is a marvel, far from comparison. As it is within the Japanese American Museum, the area is a beautiful Japanese Garden, with a long water fall, streaming across the grounds. Umbrellas cover you from the sunny filled cafe setup, and their menu compensates for any inconvenient change in weather. With their trained staff, you’re choice of tea and meal are served in the exact amount of steeping, in the finest remedy of the freshest sort. If you wish for a green tea, they not only can serve it to you hot or cold, but they can also explain how fresh and what type of green it is. From Sencha to Genmaicha, they are experts in their leaves. I highly recommend you explain your palette to them, in requesting for their recommendations. I cannot express how amazing they are in preparing their teas.
On the down side, I cannot recommend their black teas. My preference is always to add two lumps of sugar and cream, and the Chado Tearoom is too fresh for such British practice. If you’re to order and Lapsang Souchong or Assam, or a traditional Earl Grey, please take heed that the preparations for that kind of cuppa would be best in another shop. Please read my review of Rose Tree Cottage for your British needs. Not to say that they do not have sugar, honey, cream, or milk; in fact, they have boba and taro, if you’d like? They’re ready for all your palette’s needs.
For dates, if you’re with a Hipster or a master blender, please bring them here. Anyone with a strong nose can enjoy this wonderful oasis in the middle of the Little Tokyo Arts District. Much of the patrons for this shop are mainly female, so anyone looking for a haven for your delicate needs are served by “Cerdy” men, with a gentlemanly demeanor.
Chado Tearoom is a tea connoisseur’s dream.