Smacha Tea in Bellvue, WA

As part of the grand weekend associated with the NW Tea Fest, some tea friends and I visited Smacha Tea in Bellevue, WA.  This shop is modern and inviting.  Clean lines, lovely teaware and a wide range of teas to taste and purchase.  Owner Jason Chen is an expert in Chinese teas and has written books on the topic including A Tea Lover's Travel Diary and  Four World-Famous Chinese Green Teas.  

The tea bar is made of beautiful wood, into which an attractive drain has been fitted (I think the drain is copper) to handle the pre-warming of pots, the rinsing, and all the liquid fun associated with brewing good tea. 

Jason has also invented the Smacha Automatic Tea Brewer (below) which simplifies the brewing process by controlling the timing and volume of water moving through the tea.  I think this is a useful solution for an office or other situation when you don't have the time to bring out all the "stuff" associated with making tea in the small pot style.

Here we are, enjoying tea and snacks. 

Jeffrey Macintosh, another really smart tea guy, is preparing tea for us.  He also explained how Jason spends a lot of time with his partner tea farmers to ensure the processing methods yield the quality of tea desired.

I brought home a Phoenix oolong, Yellow Branch variety.  

Smacha is a tea shop worth visiting.  I respect the care and attention that goes into the growth, production and selection of each tea.  The next time I visit I would like to dive into some of the Chinese greens.  See, I'm already planning a trip!