There's a proper tea shop that sells not only good tea but also books about tea and tools you need to have a proper tea! I went back to get the set i was eyeing for, but i missed the opening hours. Will have to come back again. Check it out if you are a tea drinker! read more

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Ate here for several months, and it was very consistent. The jasmine bubble tea, oat cookies, creme brulee, salmon, and veggie kebab were always high quality. Their weekend matcha raspberry croissant is also out of this world. If you use their points system that helps in the long term. The people at the front are usually stressed out. read more

I had a great time at Teaism's 30th anniversary celebration with small batch ice cream from Snow Crane. What an excellent celebration. Everyone was kind and patient. I loved the downstairs seating with the music,too. read more

I came here with some friends and I love the variety of food that they have. The food itself is alright - nothing to rave about. But it's good enough and a great place for a big group since everyone can get their own thing. read more

Teaism Penn Quarter - Asian Fusion Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

It would be very dangerous for me if I lived close by this restaurant. I'd be here like every every day. I came twice on my trip to DC since it was so delicious. Their Boba tea is amazing - - especially the blue jasmine Boba. I really love the Thai chicken curry dish and how it came with a wonderful vegetable skewer. The udon soup was phenomenal as well. I really enjoyed the broccoli tots with the goat cheese dipping sauce-- holy wow. And don't forget the gelato. Oh my! I had some caramel gelato and it was so good. We were quickly greeted and our order was taken promptly upon arrival. Food and drinks came out pretty quick. There's a good flow of patrons coming and going yet they keep up with the service really well. Pretty chill ambience. read more

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Excellent choice for a high quality quick service meal in this area if you're not also looking for booze. Tons of tea selection but no booze here! We knew that going into it. The okonomiyaki with shrimp was yummy. My friends liked the salmon bento box and the vegan cheeseburger. There's ample seating in the downstairs area. read more

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Nice spot for dinner if you're looking for something casual in the area before catching a show at The National or STC. The breakfast okonomiyaki with eggs was fantastic and a good price so double win. The boba tea less so but not surprising given that their focus seems to be more on brew tea - I expect the boba is an afterthought to appease the boba masses like me lol. But it was a pretty weak milk tea so I'll stick to ordering off their food menu next time I visit. They have a downstairs space but there was some sort of event or meeting going on and it wasn't clear if we could go down there so we made do with the seating up top. read more

Teaism Penn Quarter - Asian Fusion Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Delicious tea and limeade. I had a bubble tea--done in the classic style with milk rather than coconut milk. My friend had the ginger limeade. Both were refreshing in this 90 degree weather. There are food options, but we're going out later. This is just to tide us over from sweating and walking. You can sit at small or medium tables to eat or relax a bit. There's even a jug of ice water to keep everyone hydrated. read more

Teaism Penn Quarter - Yay!! Bubble tea! - Asian Fusion Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Fantastic food, fast service, cute ambiance, what's not to love! The salmon cake sandwich is masterful, the perfect mix of sweet and savory. Great texture too. read more

Teaism Penn Quarter - Panko Fried Salmon Cake Sandwich - Asian Fusion Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Representing T for 2019 is T is for Teaism. I visited one time on a first date in February 2019. This is a cute place with a good variety of teas on their menu. We went to a lower basement level, which was a nice escape from the craziness of downtown DC. Tea was very good with a nice staff. read more

This location of Teaism is a little more spacious than its counterparts with two levels of seating and largely the same menu items made in an open kitchen layout. However, the service and quality are hit or miss. Moreover, the aesthetic could be improved--the boarded up door(s) make it look less welcoming if not potentially dodgy. read more

This was the perfect stop before a day of museum sightseeing. We ordered a variety of entrees and drinks. My husband wasn't the biggest fan of his sandwich but my salmon Okonomiyaki was fantastic along with my daughters Thai chicken curry. The presentation on both were well done as well. And of course the drinks were delicious! The sweet matcha honestly wasn't too sweet. The ginger lemonade and pomegranate spritzer were oh so refreshing! The restaurant was busy around 12:30 on a Monday afternoon but still had plentiful seating downstairs. read more

Teaism Penn Quarter - Okonomiyaki with Salmon - Asian Fusion Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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You really can't go wrong with Teaism. Great selection of herbal teas and I love the shopping selection they provide for your personal tea making at home. Great quality restaurant and tea house. Good food, good ambiance, and good tea!! read more

Loved that they have several creative healthy vegetarian and vegan options that are beautifully presented, ample seating for large groups, as well as many snacks and teas. Also super convenient location right by Gallery Place! read more

Teaism Penn Quarter - Vegan Black Bean Cake Bento - Asian Fusion Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Grilled chicken bento and lemongrass iced "tea" were almost $30 after tip. Kinda steep, but this is 2025 DC, baby. It was a great, well-portioned, and fairly quick and healthy meal. read more

Teaism Penn Quarter - Asian Fusion Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Yes, it's expensive around $6 for a pot of tea. But they have a wide selection of pretty high quality leaves and they brew for you until it is a nice strength. This also means you can't refill the teapot with hot water though. They also have a selection of bento boxes and tea inspired desserts. All are pricey but it's nice to have a counter serve casual coffeehouse vibe place to enjoy tea and snacks amid the hustle and bustle of DC. read more

Teaism Penn Quarter - Read - Asian Fusion Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I got the veggie udon soup and the jasmine silver needle (white tea). Honestly this is one of the better veggie udon soups I've had! Sometimes they can be flavorless once the meat is removed. It also came out super fast. I thought the tea was nice. I didn't realize it came as more than a cup, which explains the price. The employee was very nice when I couldn't decide what to get and kept changing my mind. I came here on a whim after walking to rice bar and finding it was closed, but it was a nice place to sit down and eat. read more

Teaism Penn Quarter - Veggie Udon Soup and Jasmine Silver Needle (white tea) - Asian Fusion Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Food served fast and appears clean. Easy call out of the number on your receipt. Tea can be hot from a pot or ice in a glass. Get your own utensils. Fight for your own table- but on a week day, I did not have any issues. Water free- serve yourself. Leave your plate at your table when finished and they bus it, so you should leave a tip. Metal and reusable plates. Excellent soft chicken, seared vegetables, crispy tots, a little bit cold veggies as sides for broccoli on the bento box. Kiddo likes the box. read more

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I'm really disappointed in this store. I recently got a gift of a "matcha kit" from this store. It all fit perfectly in the box with a partition in the middle. In the box was a chasen (matcha whisk) and a "matcha bowl," which isn't really a matcha bowl at all because the bottom is too narrow to properly whisk the matcha. I'm unsure if it all came together or not because I don't see it on the website. The person in the store recommended a matcha powder to go with the kit to my friend, but it was a matcha FOR FOOD. I actually drove an hour into DC to exchange the matcha because I intended to use it to drink, not cook or bake. I explained the situation to the sales person and she kept telling me that the Marukyu Koyamaen Rindo that I received is best for lattes and is actually the matcha their store uses in matcha lattes. That's just wrong. Food grade matcha is made from older, coarser leaves that have more bitterness and astringency. It is much lower quality and will be much grittier. On top of all of this, she wouldn't let me exchange the matcha because "it's food" even though it was unopened (literally sealed shut) and unused. A tea shop should know better. I'm incredibly disappointed in this store and will never go back here. read more

The service was adequate, and I appreciated that the staff member taking my order wore gloves. However, the open kitchen layout raised some concerns regarding hygiene. Additionally, the establishment was quite crowded with a lack of attention to clearing tables, and the tea I ordered was unfortunately quite dull and lacked flavor. read more

Teaism Penn Quarter - Asian Fusion Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Every time I walk past I will stop for their boba! The classic tea is great, but the mango lassi with boba is a treat! We also love the bento boxes and hot teas! read more

Teaism Penn Quarter - Thai Chicken Curry and Salmon Cake Sandwich with mango lassi boba! - Asian Fusion Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Teaism is my go-to when I am on the National mall. You order at the register and pick up your food at the counter. Seating is upstairs and lots of choices downstairs. The food does not disappoint! The glass noodle bowl is so flavorful, a little spicy but you can just remove some chili flake if you want. The classic boba is sweet but has the most wonderful caramel flavor. I always leave so happy! read more

Teaism Penn Quarter - Spicy Glass Noodles & Tofu // Classic Black Milk Tea Boba - Asian Fusion Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Got drinks at multiple locations. Consistent, delicious, high quality. Aesthetic building, love it there. Service was decent. Food: I only got drinks, but the drinks I did get were spectacular! One was a butterfly pea flower lemonade and the other was a matcha. I adore their matcha style. The one I got was sweetened with no milk. It was a sweet, earthy, beautiful cup! But very sweet. The butterfly pea flower was the perfect amount of sour with the perfect amount of sweet with the perfect color. Will have to try the food next time. Atmosphere: very cute, very calming. Great place for studying, working, or catching up with friends. Final thoughts: best matcha I've had in the DMV! read more

Teaism Penn Quarter - Asian Fusion Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Nice tea place. There is seating in the main area and more downstairs. I sat upstairs so I wouldn't have to carry my udon soup down the stairs. The udon comes with a choice of chicken, shrimp, or veggies. I got shrimp, and the soup already came with leafy greens, mushrooms, ginger, scallions. It was a delicious mushroom broth. The udon noodles themselves were hot and chewy, my favorite. I drank most of the soup even when I was already full! It was a really good, hearty, hot soup for a cold rainy day. I also tried the blue jasmine tea with boba, the jasmine flavor came through subtly at first but I tasted it more and more as I drank it. I think sipping it while having my salty udon at the same time made my taste buds miss some of the delicate flavors of the jasmine. The boba flavor was good, but the boba were a little too big and a little too soft for my taste; I like it chewier and smaller. Service was excellent, there were plenty of available utensils and napkins, and someone helped to clear the table immediately when you were leaving. read more

Teaism Penn Quarter - Udon with shrimp - Asian Fusion Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I've been to the DuPont circle location a few times but it's my first patronizing the Penn Quarter shopfront. I tried the Tisane French verveine tea which tastes really interesting and this ochazuke (salmon) which is essentially hojicha poured over rice, salmon, dried seaweed etc. I was intrigued by their menu containing items such as okonomiyaki, which is one of my fave food from Hiroshima. Self service and it's really quick. The shop gets crowded quickly on a Saturday afternoon and I dropped by the shop later to peruse their swag / merchandise. read more

Teaism Penn Quarter - Ochazuke - Asian Fusion Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I prefer the store next door to the actual shop. The tea came out very fast and the service was great. I just wasn't feeling the atmosphere of the shop as there isn't much seating, the seating is uncomfortable, and every time the door opened I got very cold. The shop is awesome. The customer service and product selection is great. If you're a tea lover, it's a must visit. read more

This is always in the work lunch rotation. Great food, kind staff, and usually good space to meet up with a colleague or eat solo.

I've always enjoyed my salty oat or chocolate salty oat cookies, but I loved my salmon okonomiyaki and chai latte, too. read more

Teaism Penn Quarter - Asian Fusion Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Undeniably great place for pearl milk tea or bubble tea. They have a great selection of authentic teas that can be enjoyed in shop or to go. If one decides to dine in, they provide the tea in a reusable cup with delicious boba, the option for oat milk, and compostable straws. They also have a selection of bento boxes and dessert options! My preferred is their beef brisket and classic milk tea. Otherwise, the boba can be on the sweeter side, but they don't add much extra sugar into the drinksm They also offer a delicious Jasmine Creme Brulee, which honestly is to die for! Everything is self-serve. You order at a counter and pick up a tray when your number is called Note that there is extra space in the basement, and it is a lovely spot to get some work done or enjoy a meal! read more

Teaism Penn Quarter - Jasmine Creme Brulee - Asian Fusion Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I personally love this place as a study spot - though it won't have windows, there are always tables and outlets at the basement. Foodwise, I personally love their jasmine creme brulee. Nothing like it in DC. The udon is definitely closer to just a noodle soup and has mushrooms, tomatos, and some vegetables that threw me off (it also doesn't taste like traditional udon) but it's not bad! The fried chicken bento is so good. I love their sweet matcha but am such a sucker for jasmine and their butterfly pea jasmine boba is great. read more

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Teaism Penn Quarter is a little deceiving if you don't know about the spacious downstairs. You may walk in, see a bunch of people crowded near order placement and pickup windows, notice that there are no seats available, and decide that's not the place for your group of colleagues. You'd be wrong though. The delicious, hot food comes out pretty quickly for the line and just down the stairs to your right is a large area of two-person, four-person, and even a six-person table with lots of corners to keep things relatively quiet and suitable for conversation. There's also WiFi. read more

Teaism Penn Quarter - Udon noodle soup with chicken - Asian Fusion Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

The udon (they only have one udon dish on their menu) is good; hearty, nice soup base, jumbo prawns. Okonomiyaki is great (you can add protein on top of the Japanese pancake, such as salmon or shrimp). Salmon bento box looks good though food is really simple: salmon + sweet potato + broccoli + brown rice, and a few pieces of dried seaweed. Quite sad compared to "real" bento boxes. Nice ambiance and setting, interesting fusion dishes, great location, grumpy kitchen staff who either don't speak English or choose not to interact with any customer who asks simple questions. The staff at cashier is reasonably nice. read more

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Got the Blue Jasmine Pearl boba tea. It was delicious! As soon as we walked inside we were delighted over all the sweet savory smells. We just settled for tea as we were on our way back to the train station. Service was quick and staff were friendly. read more

Teaism Penn Quarter - Boba Tea - Asian Fusion Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Teaism has been around for a while and has been a staple at Archives/Penn Quarter. I was obsessed before, but I'm obsessed even more now that I can appreciate the menu even more... Vegan options, jasmine boba tea, jasmine creme brulee, and more. It's just a pleasant, awesome place to relax, treat yourself or have good food that you don't feel too guilty about. I'm so glad they were able to withstand covid and other strongholds that took other businesses away. read more

Teaism Penn Quarter - Tofu/bok choy/crispy onion dish - Asian Fusion Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Despite its name, do NOT come here for its boba milk tea. Maybe their actual tea is better, but their milk tea literally tastes like if I were to brew a packet of black tea in water... Maybe a dash of coconut milk. Apparently they don't even do real whole milk in their premade boba, it's half and half. You have to specifically request for whole milk or oat milk for dairy-free. But don't worry, it won't taste like there's any milk in it anyways. Just completely watered down. The only saving grace is at least the boba tastes like boba. Nothing special here, don't come here if you're craving boba because you will just leave disappointed. read more

Teaism Penn Quarter - Boba "milk" tea - Asian Fusion Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

The food is consistently very good I love the tea service and the very large dining room downstairs. The staff are usually helpful and somewhat friendly. I wouldn't say the food is great value but it's a decent value for current Washington DC prices. The Teaism brew shop next-door, which I never realized was there until 2024 because the signage is so inconspicuous, has some really fantastic selections. Their buyer/curator has excellent taste ! read more

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The hand roll salmon bento box was amazing! Get there early as it gets crowded. The place has some seating that is kept clean.

Been here a couple of times - the first time about a year ago to get some bubble tea and an appetizer for a snack, and again a few days ago for a more substantial meal. (I think I even came here many years ago, but back then, their menu was very limited. It's definitely grown a lot since then.) The bubble tea, I remember, was very good and a step up from your run-of-the-mill bubble tea shops that barely use much real tea, and I was able to ask for it to be made with less sugar and with non-dairy milk. The other day, I got their Spicy Glass Noodle & Tofu dish. It actually wasn't that spicy, but it was still delicious. A good portion of grilled tofu, LOTS of bok choy that was perfectly cooked, all over glass noodles tossed with a chili oil sauce. The bottom of it ended up being VERY oily and greasy, so I ended up not eating all the noodles. But I gobbled up all the tofu and bok choy and very much enjoyed it. A nice vegan lunch. Boyfriend got their brisket sandwich and enjoyed it as well. There's a handful of tables upstairs, but a larger dining area downstairs that was much less crowded. It was clean and well-kept. You can order on their kiosks or with a person - the people taking orders were helpful with answering questions and customizing our dishes. read more

Teaism Penn Quarter - Spicy Glass Noodles & Tofu - Asian Fusion Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

$17 for a bento the menu does describe what's in the dish but fails to mention temperatures. The sweet potato and broccoli are both served cold. Overall this experience as ok nothing tasted bad but I wouldn't necessarily call this a genuine asian spot. Everything was very light seasoned and the flavors are quite interesting with the broccoli being tart the sweet potato being salted miso. This is definitely not somewhere I'd visit a second time for food but maybe for the teas. The boba milk tea I got was ok I could taste the tea flavor but my friend did say it taste like something out of a can - the boba pearls itself was overcooked and mushy like it had been sitting out. Overall this wasn't a great experience and not something I'd justify spending $17 on it kinda just tasted like ingredients with squirts or sauce. read more

Teaism Penn Quarter - Asian Fusion Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Monday lunch. Chose a bento box with an intriguing name "handroll tea soaked salmon". Turns out these are pieces of lux ( regular smoked salmon that is tasty on a bagel with cream cheese but not so much when you roll them into very dry nuri sheets ). Size wise it can be a good appetizer but not enough if you come in hungry. A pot of hot Jasmin tea at $6 is a low quality , not very flavorful tea. Teaism food pre-Covid years was better in my very subjective opinion. Overall, solid 3. Good lunch option if you want a light lunch and don't want unhealthy fast food . The prices are reasonable for the prime central location, lunch service is very efficient ( though very indifferent), plenty of sitting downstairs. You order first at the counter and pay. At the same time they want you to add the tip ( before you are served). Not sure what I am expected to tip for. There is literally no service. You pick up your food yourself, collect the utensils, pour water, take it to the table, then clean up the tray from the table. Plus, the service is literally robotic, on the boarder of unfriendly. All staff look like they are annoyed by your presence. It is truly a healthier version of a fast food but with an expectation of tipping read more

Teaism Penn Quarter - Hand roll Bento box - Asian Fusion Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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