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With her tea ceremony shop on the street, Ms. Yen has transformed solemn traditional rituals into a friendly and intimate experience. Inspired by the communal beauty of Vietnamese tea culture, she has created a "tea ceremony" space that still retains a simple, rustic feel and is easy to immerse yourself in. From the menu featuring teas made with everyday ingredients to the handcrafted tea-making utensils, everything exudes the authentic and warm spirit of Vietnam.
Amidst the hustle and bustle of city life, Ms. Yen's "Tea Ceremony on the Street" emerges as a tranquil yet captivating stop, where tea culture is encapsulated in the interplay of tradition and modernity, between the solemnity of East Asian tea ceremony and the close-knit community spirit of the Vietnamese people. "While Japanese and Chinese tea ceremonies often emphasize solemnity and hierarchy through small details like the size of the teacups, with the host's cup always placed in the most prominent position, Vietnamese tea drinking doesn't prioritize formal rituals but rather focuses on community, where people can naturally sit together, chat, and share," Ms. Yen explains.
Enjoy Vietnamese tea culture in the city center for just 5,000 VND.
Ms. Yen began her journey of learning about tea in a simple way, self-taught, exploring information from domestic documents and spending years studying with a Chinese tea master. From that, she concluded that Vietnamese tea is not just a beverage but a way of sharing, a way to connect people. Therefore, when she opened her tea house on the street, she didn't aim for solemnity but wanted to make tea a part of everyday life. For her, the "way" in "tea ceremony" is not about ritual but about interaction.
Vietnamese tea culture
Vietnamese tea culture has long been associated with the image of a mat, without distinction between rich and poor, and without emphasizing the master or the servant's cup. Vietnamese people enjoy tea together, offering each other a cup as a way to connect and bridge any distance. This very spirit has been recreated by Ms. Yen at "Tea Ceremony on the Street," a space where everyone who comes can feel peaceful and at home.
The tea shop is decorated in a simple, welcoming style.
At Ms. Yen's tea shop, there are no strict rules, no distinctions in seating or teacups. Each cup of tea is like an invitation to connect. Customers come not only to enjoy the drink but also to chat, watch the people go by, and temporarily forget the worries of daily life. Alongside the teacups are small cakes, peanut candy, and hand-painted pictures created and gifted to the shop by the tea drinkers themselves, all creating a distinctly Vietnamese atmosphere.
This painting of a tea drinker was given to Ms. Yen as a gift.
The intersection of tradition and modernity
The menu at "Tea Ceremony on the Street" is unique, reflecting Ms. Yen's creative spirit in blending the characteristics of Vietnamese tea with simple, familiar ingredients. Under the "Harmonious Tea" section, there are special teas brewed with familiar agricultural products such as passion fruit, mulberry, or kumquat. Ms. Yen also cleverly named one of the drinks "chè chít," which also means bitter tea. These small details all demonstrate her deep love for Vietnamese produce and culture.
The Tea House menu on the street features drinks that are both creative and familiar.
The tea ingredients here are carefully selected from famous tea-growing regions in Vietnam such as Lao Cai, Ha Giang, and Yen Bai – highland areas with ideal climate and geology that have nurtured distinctive teas such as Shan Tuyet tea, Mid-mountain tea, and Oolong tea.
Shan Tuyet tea is an ancient tea variety, growing naturally in high-altitude, cold-climate regions, especially in Ha Giang and Yen Bai. Shan Tuyet tea has large leaves and buds covered in a layer of white downy hairs like snow, creating a rich and refreshing flavor. Mid-mountain tea is mainly grown in mid-mountain and lowland areas such as Phu Tho and Thai Nguyen. This type of tea has a slightly astringent taste, is easy to drink, and is popular in Northern Vietnam. In Vietnam, Oolong tea is mainly grown in the southern highlands and Central Highlands such as Lam Dong and Bao Loc, where the climate and soil conditions are similar to Taiwan – where Oolong tea is highly developed.
Handmade tea brewing tools
Crafted right here in Vietnam
Beyond focusing on tea quality, Ms. Yen also invests in handcrafted tea-making tools to support and honor small-scale artisans in Vietnam. From teapots and teacups to tea trays, all are products of local artisans, embodying simplicity and rustic charm while remaining refined. These tools contribute to making the street-side tea house unique, blending traditional and modern elements.
Every small detail at the tea house holds a special meaning, reflecting Ms. Yen's meticulous care in creating a unique tea ceremony space that is still deeply rooted in Vietnamese culture. From the handcrafted menu, meticulously handwritten with each tea item, to the tea trays and teacups, everything evokes a feeling of intimacy and familiarity.
Meeting place
For Ms. Yen, the tea ceremony is not a solemn ritual but a way to socialize and connect people. In "Tea Ceremony on the Street," tea is a bridge that allows strangers to become close, a place where every story and every smile can begin with a cup of tea. Here, things once considered solemn and formal have become more approachable and commonplace, becoming a part of daily life.
Each visit to the tea house is a fascinating cultural experience. In every cup of tea prepared by Ms. Yen, drinkers can easily sense her appreciation for Vietnamese culture and her love for the art of tea. Each gentle sip, blended with the fresh air and peaceful surroundings, evokes a feeling of the timeless beauty of Vietnamese culture. This is a place where people can enjoy tea in the most natural way, without formality or pretense, leaving only the connection between those who share a common love for tea.
