Always so fast and so good! Best bubble tea around, and its customizable with ice / utensils, etc. My husband also raves about the mint iced tea, which is crazy because he doesn't generally like craft n/a beverages! Also try the egg sandwich & every one of the desserts. Dont change a thing and this will continue to be my go-to to-go spot! read more

Upstairs/ordering area is pretty small and very cramped when busy/trying to order, but they have a large seating section downstairs that gives off college library vibes. Definitely a place you can come for a meal and study session! I think the prices are mostly fair, nothing is too highly priced and the portion sizes are appropriate. I appreciate all the different tea flavors to try - they have hot and cold so lots of options! A cute place to try at least twice to get the feel! read more

We wanted a nice hot meal and cup of tea while visiting the Smithsonian on a cold and rainy day in DC and decided to stop by Teaism. It was bustling around lunchtime, but seemed to have plenty of seating in the main floor area and downstairs as well. Counter service is available and quick for food to come out. The food overall was just okay. I tried the okonomiyaki or Japanese cabbage pancake - the pancake itself was good (it was my first time, so nothing to compare it to really), however there was just way too much sauce on top and in my opinion ruined the flavor of the whole thing. My husband had the veg udon soup which was disappointing - the broth felt flat with no unification of flavor rather that it was veg broth and a few sauces had been tossed in before serving. The veggies did not feel cohesive with the whole soup, though I appreciate the amount of veggies that were in there. Green tea lassi - not a favorite, way too sweet in my opinion. And then lastly, a pot of oolong tea - just fine, honestly there wasn't really a calming enough environment in the main dining area for me to enjoy it, a lot of seats crammed together near each other. I think the best thing in the whole meal was the chocolate salted oat cookie for me - don't expect it to taste like a gooey chocolate chip cookie and you will enjoy it. Take it for what it is! Anyway, it was an overall okay meal, not very memorable to me but they have a lot of asian fusion options, some better than others. read more

The tea was tasty and priced well. I will be back to try other items on the menu. There's a good amount of seating.

A great spot for a quick bite to eat or for settling down to study / work / chat with a nice pot of tea! Sandwiched between a row of the Smithsonians and Ford's Theatre, Teaism is a breath of calm, fresh air in the hustle and bustle of downtown D.C.'s tourist attractions. It's a wonderful, quiet spot to study or have a long chat with someone without being interrupted or feeling rushed by a constant stream of people. The few seats upstairs tend to be a bit busier with guests coming in and out, ordering at the counter, or picking up food / dropping off dishes; however, they have a huge downstairs section with a bunch of seating where you'll be completely undisturbed. I love how expansive their tea menu is, and the staff is super patient and friendly; they're happy to help you decide which of their many hot / iced teas to go for (as well as list out a number of back-up options for your next visit)! The hot tea comes in a small teapot, and you can enjoy 5-6 cups. If you're in the mood for food, Teaism also has a number of affordable and tasty dishes, including their bento boxes. I'm a huge fan of their Grilled Salmon Bento, which centers on a perfectly grilled fillet of salmon, which pairs delightfully with their citrusy yuzu dipping sauce. It comes with their classic bento sides -- broccoli with another citrusy sauce, miso sweet potatoes, and a hearty scoop of brown rice. The sides rotate every now and then based on the season, but every single one is incredible. To round out the meal, their Hempheart Cookie, despite sounding terrifying, is not only gluten-free, but also delicious -- it's not overly sweet (and has absolutely no hemp flavor), and I love the dried cherries. All in all, Teaism is a great spot if you just need a quiet place to decompress from all the tourism, chat with a friend, or work / study. They have a fantastic selection of tea, as well as a tasty and relatively cheap selection of food items. Teaism has definitely made it onto my usual rotation of quick lunch spots / weekend stops, and I can't wait to come back and try out more of their wonderful teas! read more

I bought loose leaf jasmine tea and hojicha at next door tea retail shop. They let me smell the tea leaves and answer my questions on different types of oolong tea. I went to the Teaism restaurant and tried the buying oolong tea and liked the smoky taste. read more

My favorite tea is Now and Zen. It's the perfect tea for relaxation in the evening. I've tried a couple of culinary grade matchas for making lattes at home and the brand Teaism sells is of very good quality; a nice bright green. The price is reasonable too. read more

Ever since the pandemic, their tea quality has downgraded significantly. The tea that they have has been watered down now. Although I'd choose their bubble tea over other vendors that use powder to make bubble tea, it still had slight watering down on the drinks on some occasions. Their boba is better now, though the tea quality has inconsistencies; sometimes on good days it's not as watered down as usual. Around 6/10 for now. read more

Came here with a friend who used to work here and was very excited to try the food he was hyping up. Right when you walk in you immediately get the smells of the kitchen which was so delicious, made me even hungrier. The inside dining looked cute too. I order the Panko Chicken Bento box, it came with some spaghetti squash, broccoli, some furikake rice. The chicken was so flavorful with the dipping sauce and complimented all the sides of the dish. I also got some ginger limeade which was delicious and then a pack of the oatmeal cookies. Highly recommend for a perfect lunch not far from everything. read more

Teaism Penn Quarter - Chicken Bento with Ginger Limeade - Asian Fusion Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Tried this place based on a recommendation from someone at the box office of Woolly Mammoth ( in the next block). The food is good, fresh and it came super quick. You can eat in or take out. The person that I placed my order with was very nice and recommended some menu items. read more

Teaism Penn Quarter - Cilantro scrambled eggs with tea-salmon, flatbread and a side of miso sweet potatoes - Asian Fusion Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

this place has a lot of seating downstairs so don't be fooled if all you see is the tiny area of seating on the first floor. i ordered the milk tea, yunnan gold tea, brisket bento box, and chicken katsu bento box. pretty disappointing for both drinks and food. the drinks were pretty watery and the boba was tough to chew on. the brisket was really dry as well and there was barely any sauce too to make up for it - both on the side and on top of the brisket. the steamed veggies on the side and small portion of rice was also not worth the combined $15 that i paid for. the chicken katsu was also overcooked. i wish they had better options for sides, or wasn't so lax with just steaming broccoli for the price point. overall, i would not recommend coming here unless you want to spend $$$ on average food and watery tea :/ read more

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Absolutely love Teaism - their tea selection is exquisite and all their bites are delicious. My favorite is the salmon bento box - each element has a different flavor or texture and makes for the prefect bite. It might look deceivingly small but this plus a tea filled me up for lunch. The service is quick and they have lots of seating with the downstairs area. read more

I like the baked salmon bento box for lunch. Salmon is cooked perfectly and is decent size without being to big for a lunch portion. The sweet potato with miso dressing is a nice side, although with that I don't see the need for more carbs via the rice. I don't like that a tea focused place does not have unsweetened ice tea. They claimed to me that they don't use much sugar, but that's not the point. I want zero sugar. read more

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

Came here for lunch and ordered the Salmon Bento Box and a Jasmine Iced Tea. $15 is a little steep for the bento box; you get a small amount of salmon, rice with furikake, and some broccoli and sweet potato. I've definitely had bento boxes for cheaper at other places, especially during lunch time. The taste was fine, though. The Jasmine Iced Tea was pretty good for $4; I'd probably come back again just for the tea. The wait time wasn't long at all, which was nice! read more

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

Teaism is a great place to grab lunch or even a light snack. The restaurant had two levels with a coi pond on the lower level. They have everything from scones and cookies to small side dishes and bento boxes. It's a very eclectic selection. I have been to this location once before and because it was so busy it took a while to get our food so this time we ordered it for pickup and then dined in since it wasn't crowded. The Thai chicken curry was very flavorful and rich. The ginger scones had just the right amount of bite and sweetness. The ginger limeade was the perfect refreshing drink on a hot summer afternoon. read more

Teaism Penn Quarter - Thai chicken curry with chargrilled vegetables - Asian Fusion Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Food is good but the price are high. I typically order the chicken curry but the last 2 times, they failed to give me extra chicken despite me paying for it. Other problem is lack of seating upstairs. Most patrons sit downstairs, but it's risky to carry your tray down those steps. read more

Teaism is a cozy space to catch up with people while drinking delicious teas from cute lil teapots. The location near the Mall/Chinatown is great and there's plenty of seating downstairs, along with a koi pond. The food is Asian fusion and tastes aite. I got the Korean brisket sandwich, which was not very Korean- essentially just brisket with gochujang and some cabbage/veggies. I probably wouldn't come back for the food, but I do like the tea and the location. read more

Teaism Penn Quarter - Iced Moroccan Mint, Korean Brisket Sandwich, Thai Chicken Curry, Pu-er Tuocha Black Tea - Asian Fusion Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Stopped by during our trip to DC. Loved the scones and sencha green tea! Reasonable prices, cool menu, great place.

I've been trying to venture out to more tea shops in the DC area but unfortunately, this spot fell short. I believe this might be a college tea spot or something of that variety because there were a lot of college students studying when I was there or just catching up with friends. Definitely got some nostalgia when I visited haha. I tried there Yunnan Gold for $4 and felt super disappointed. Yunnan Gold: honestly tasted like Lipton tea. It had a super bitter taste to it that I couldn't finish it. Overall: I don't think I will be coming back because of the wait (lines were through the door) and also quality for what you're paying. read more

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

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While exploring the city, we ran into this little spot. It seemed pretty busy and the menu looked decent however, I am not sure if the customers were returning customers because the food was horrible. I personally would never return for the food especially the udon, the soup's flavor was sour and just not what udon is supposed to taste like. I know they call this place fusion but wow, I think they really need to try their own food before it goes out to customers. I'm only leaving 2 stars because the customer service was great and the staff was friendly. The prices are pretty standard for the city but paying for bad tasting food is a BIG pet peeve of mine. I will not return here for food but maybe I'll try the tea next time. read more

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

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Overall, I think Teaism is a nice spot but the food didn't wow me and was a somewhat small portion. They do have lots of seating downstairs and quick service. read more

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

The line may look daunting, but it goes by fast. The sit down area is pretty large - you can walk downstairs for even more seating. It feels similar to going to Panera. I didn't order any food, but the tea itself was good and standard price. I ordered an oolong, and my boyfriend ordered a lemonade. Really close to the National Mall, which is perhaps why it was so crowded on a nice day. It's very convenient to stop at and sit a while or hang out with friends! read more

Teaism is a great choice for quiet from the bustling downtown area. I've been to this location many times over the years at various times (morning, late afternoon, etc.) The layout has two levels and I've never had issue finding a seat. It is more dimly lit, which can be a pro or con depending on the experience you're looking for. The most positive part of my visit was the ambiance. For food, I typically have had breakfast, which has been fine. On my most recent visit, I had the Grilled Salmon entree and Jasmine Tea. My dish was enjoyable and I loved having my own teapot. Nice touch to really enjoy your tea! My sister on the other hand didn't enjoy her meal at all. She wanted a sandwich but was told that they weren't making sandwiches at the time and a bento box was offered instead. All in all, Teaism is a good spot for quieter conversation (aka you can hear one another) and privacy. read more

Teaism Penn Quarter - Grilled Salmon entree w/Jasmine tea - Asian Fusion Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Services: You order at the counter and get a number for them to call when the food is ready. We got our food pretty fast, but the restaurant wasn't busy at the time. Ambience/interior: it's pretty chill inside the restaurant. Jazz music in the background. There is another level downstairs but they closed it due to Covid. Food: I have somewhat mixed feelings for this one. On one hand I think they are tasty and look appealing. On the other hand, not very authentic. I got the udon noodle soup and even though I like it, it's nothing like udon except for the noodle. Anyway, perhaps it's their intention given this is a fusion restaurant. A small tip. There is a cute tea shop next door that you should definitely check out! read more

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

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We decided to try Teaism for lunch on a day we planned to go to the Smithsonian. There are a lot of nice places to choose from, but we wanted a closer location and somewhere we could eat a bit more quickly. When you walk in, there are many tables on the main floor and a counter where you order. Breakfast is served all day and there is a Japanese and East Asian orientation to the menu. I chose the Udon Noodle soup that was very tasty. It has a ginger figure in a really good mushroom broth. And it's not too salty, that's hard to find. The noodles were great and the kale was soft and tasty. I had the grilled vegetable kabob along with the soup that was really good. The veges were fresh and nicely grilled. My wife choose the Dream Salad that was also excellent. The ingredients were fresh, crispy, and the medley of flavors went together really well. She chose the grilled salmon side which she put on top. For her, it made the salad a full meal. For what it is, Teaism is an excellent restaurant for a satisfying meal. The food is high quality, and it's not inexpensive. read more

Teaism Penn Quarter - Our lunch. Udon noodle soup, vege kabob, Dream salad and salmon. - Asian Fusion Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Lots of space with the downstairs seating. Quick service for during Sunday rush. Didn't order any food but solid boba.

I only got the boba tea from Teaism but it was delicious and very reasonably priced! The bubbles were perfectly done and the flavors mixed very well! read more

I keep it simple here The egg sandwich, sometimes with the chicken sausage, a cookie or two (or a bag if I want to share) and maybe a drink. I haven't tasted much of the rest of the menu and it seems like there's a ton to choose from. What I've had so far is excellent. read more

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Absolutely amazing. The food came out quickly and was great for a could windy day. They also have a huge selection of tea. Make sure you ask for more than one cup. They gave me enough for two people but only one tea cup. They have a lot more seating downstairs so if it looks full when you walk in check downstairs. Definitely a favorite spot. read more

Perfect place to go for a quick healthy meal! I wanted something that was light but filling for lunch. I got the grilled salmon entree, which came with Indonesian-style chard and brown rice. My order took less than 5 minutes to come out, and it tasted great! The salmon was perfectly cooked, and the chard was in a delicious green curry. If you want to work/read during lunch (which is what I did), downstairs would be the best place to do so! Afterwards, I went browsing through their store next door. You can buy all the tea they serve in the restaurant, as well as cute bowls, cups, etc..! read more

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I'm really not sure how this place is in business because their food was not good. I dined here after seeing Instagram reels and I personally love tea. I ordered a bento box and it was the saddest food I've had. The brisket was cold and tasted old. The rice and veggies lacked flavor. The sweet potato was too salty from the miso paste. I would not dine here again. read more

This place was lovely! So many tea selections (iced or hot) and food options. The upstairs is very casual - you seat yourself and grab your food when it's ready but I believe there is also a more formal dining area down stairs. Service was fast and friendly. Can't wait to come back here again soon. read more

Teaism Penn Quarter - Panko crusted chicken sandwhich with Asian slaw and Lavender Lemon Mint iced tea - Asian Fusion Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Really delicious food and friendly atmosphere. Service is great too. I recommend this place with pleasure.

I came here via Yelp suggestions for Asian and stayed for the healthy noms and proximity since we were close to the National Mall. Teaism is in the Penn Quarter area and close to several of the National Mall landmarks so it's a quick stroll for a quick order for sips and noms. My husband and I got excited over the tasty selections, I got the okonomiyaki with shrimp kabob and husband got their sweet potato curry. Both of them were very hearty and filling and delicious! I really liked the products used, like organic chicken and transparency of ingredients. Service was easy as you get a number and when your food is ready you go and pick it up. The hardest part is finding a good table for ya! Water cups and what not are also for your convenience and when youre done eating, you clean up and head out. Good place to nom for non extravagant prices. read more

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

ALERT! Is your Chai Team Is prepared in a Microwave? I caught them cheating the customers. There are two ways of preparing chai tea at Teaism Penn Quarter, DC. One method uses a boiler (the better way), while the other heats it in a microwave (the worse way). In the latter method, they put hot water, hot milk, and some spices in a cup and heat it in the microwave. The chai prepared in a microwave is light brown with less taste and flavor. I have seen this several times but didn't pay attention to how they made it until recently. As soon as I caught them preparing chai tea in a microwave, I confronted the employees. I engaged the manager, who was not surprised and hesitated to apologize until I pushed him to do so. I refused to drink the first light brown tea, and later they gave me one from the boiler. The employee who made it didn't even apologize. It seems to be a common practice at Teaism Penn Quarter, DC i would regularly watch them how they prepare my tea. read more

teaism is an absolute blessing to DC - it is open late and serves both a large selections of hot teas and food. The environment is fairly peaceful, and it is perfect for chatting with friends or reading alone. read more

I used to thoroughly enjoy teaism for lunch. For the past 3 times I've gone to this place in Penn Quarter, I ended up paying almost $20 for the salmon bento box, to which I can't eat the salmon because it is raw and has been raw for the past 3 times. I figured I'd wait a while to go back and today I returned, only to find the same problem-raw salmon. If I could give 0 stars, that's what I would rate this. See the picture for yourself. read more

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

My coworker and I had dinner here before a special event at the National Gallery of Art, and it was good choice. There are plenty of seats on the main level, and there is additional seating in the lower level, accessible by stairs only (no elevator). The takeout area is front and center instead of the ordering counter, which is off to the left side. The counter is so high some of the employees are shorter than it and have to stand on their toes to take customer orders. I ordered the Japanese cabbage pancake (vegetarian), which was really tasty, unique, and satisfying. The mix of flavors of the various ingredients including cabbage, the scallions, and the sauces was very pleasant. The only complaint I have is that the cost seemed more than I expected for the size. It was certainly a big pancake, but it was flat and not very filling. I wanted more---perhaps a side in addition to this would fill me up. Our food was ready within 10 minutes---took longer than some of the orders that came in after mine and my colleague's. The decor is cool, particularly the wood curtains. read more

Teaism Penn Quarter - Vegetarian Japanese cabbage pancake--sooo good! - Asian Fusion Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Awful! Yes it's nice inside and the employees are nice but the food is NOT worth the price. I had the Korean Brisket Bento and it was so dry. The sauce provided didn't help. And the Mango Lassi was eh. I couldn't even finish my food. If you like wasting money, then this is the place for you. Would not recommend. read more

Love this place! Was so sad for a few weeks when the flooding closed down the shop but was so pleasantly to see it opened again the other day! I usually only ever stop by the shop to grab some tea and boba. But this time I got a dish along with tea. The Thai chicken curry was sooo delicious but they did have a big lump of not so yummy cabbage. But still otherwise this was so good. I'm just so happy they opened up the shop again! Can't wait to come back again!! read more

Teaism Penn Quarter - Thai Chicken Curry, chai iced tea, and sweet Matcha Sweet Green Tea - Asian Fusion Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia