NYC Boba Then vs Now Latest Update: April 25, 2026 – Bubble tea’s still NYC’s obsession. Just yesterday, I tweeted about Xing Fu Tang opening in FiDi across from Printemps. Their brown sugar deerioca milk tea takes the classic to new heights—more on that below. Back in 2011, I first encountered bubble tea in Flushing, Queens. Every…
Ten Ren on Mott Street was my first stop for Taiwanese oolong in NYC. What I bought, what the shop is like, and how the city’s tea scene has changed.
Updated with current notes from Mariage Frères (2026) Kawanecha Meicha is a Japanese green tea from Mariage Frères. I first discovered it in Paris at the boutique near Place des Ternes on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré. The shop felt elegant, quiet, and welcoming. The aroma of tea filled every room. It quickly became one of…
Pouchong, or Baozhong, is a lightly oxidized oolong from northern Taiwan with a floral taste close to green tea. Notes on Ten Ren’s Third Grade Pouchong.
The first time I’ve heard of Yixing Clay and Yixing teapots, it’s was like “Love at the first sight”. I know it sounds kind of extreme. But, if I was a collector of anything, that would be ‘THE’ thing for me to collect and decorate my entire house with. Yes this is a true passion,…