San Francisco

Imperial Tea Court. Powell St., I think, on the edge of Chinatown.

/Lew

They also have a new shop in the Ferry building, at the eastern end of Market St.

Dean

Many thanks

On Washington street between Stockton and Grant, on the south side of the street there is a little shop with a wall full of tea. As you enter, the tea wall is to the right. I don't remember the name, but they had some nicely aged uncooked Yunnan Puerh (at least it tasted older, smoother and sweeter than the same tuo cha's I got from IPC) for $1.50, and a nice Lung Ching in a green tin with goldfish on it for around $5. It wasn't the very best Lung Ching I've had, but for the money was very, very nice. If you happen to go there, please let me know the name of the shop. I'd like to order some more tea from them. It's not the shop that is more of a Chinese herbal store, this one was mostly tea. Ten Ren is north of there on Grant and Yau Hing Company is south on Grant. I didn't purchase or drink any tea at You Hing, but it looked like they had a nice selection.

Blues

Imperial Tea Court - corner of Broadway and Powell (on NW corner on Powell) Call in advance - 415-788-6080

Sasha.

I am back in the UK now from San Francisco where, alas, there was no time to go down-town to your suggested tearooms. Had a quick brew in Monterey in a Cafe, which wasn't too bad, but in Palo Alto the tea was pretty bad. This was not the fact that there were only teabags but the water tasted terrible, with a distinct hint of brackish, saline. Mind you, the coffe was even worse. The great thing there was the sourdough bread!

JB