Click here to view my published article on Joonbug.
Located within the quaintness and charm of the West Village, Presstea™ is a staple to this trendy neighborhood. Not only do coffee lovers willingly convert to tea fanatics at this café; Presstea™ completely revitalizes and changes the way we look, taste and think about tea. The unique signature tea drinks are made with a creative modern technique, comparable to an espresso machine: “it presses the tea leaves to release concentrated shots, extracting more of the tea’s flavor than traditional methods.” Say goodbye to bland teas and sugary coffee drinks from chain cafes…because once your taste buds meet Presstea™, you will never want to go back!
I had the pleasure of sitting down with Presstea’s™ inspiring co-founder and co-owner, George Kuan, over a delicious sampling of teas, pastries/tea-infused treats and the shop’s notorious Ramenrrito, which incorporates the most savory aspects of burritos and ramen. When sitting with Kuan, he emphasized, “When someone puts passion behind anything, it shows. Everything is dried, cooked and processed in-house; a ‘labor of love.’” It is completely refreshing that in a world of unhealthy hidden calories and sugar levels, all of the pastries at Presstea™ are absolutely delicious…and you don’t have to feel guilty when snacking on them! Presstea™ even has a delectable selection of gluten-free pastries. Say hello to guilt-free indulgences at Presstea™; everything is made from scratch daily with fresh ingredients.
From the cordial, hip service, to your first sip of tea, you can tell that much devoted passion goes into the making of each and every tea drink and pastry at Presstea™. When referring to healthy snacks, Kuan stated, “It has to taste like a treat, but be healthy.” The divine half-pound cookies, including Jasmine Green Tea-infused with white chocolate chips; Earl Grey tea-infused with pecans and dark chocolate; and the Milk Chocolate Walnut cookie are seriously to die for, and pair superbly with either a cold or hot tea drink. The financiers are also unique, delicious treats, made in both matcha and chocolate raspberry. Maybe I am a bit biased after my visit to Presstea™, but tea-infused pastries are always so much tastier than regular ones! We absolutely loved the matcha and Earl Grey madeleines. Other pastries include savory scones, brownies, croissants and more.
Let’s take a look inside a typical cup of tea at Presstea™. One of the major and basic mentalities behind Presstea™ is, “To introduce proper etiquette and understanding tea.” It is the shop’s goal to bring this to the masses through every cup of tea they serve. Kuan emphasized how critical it is to extract the proper amount of tea into one cup without making it acidic or burning it. At Presstea™, there is a unique, sinfully delicious tea drink for everyone. The styles on the menu are partly inspired by traditional coffee preparations, and include Pressed Tea, Tea Latte, Tea Macchiato and Tea Cappuccino. From the Rose Black Tea Cappuccino and White Chocolate Chai Tea Mocha to the Caramel Rooibos Latte, every palate will experience a delightful journey. If you’re in the mood to refresh and rejuvenate, try one of Presstea’s™ iced teas or tea sodas.
Presstea™ truly embodies the passion of bringing an incredible, top-notch product that is properly made. Not many (if not any) tea/coffee chains can proudly wear that title.
Cutting edge, scrumptiously divine and ever-so-healthy… Presstea™.
Lexx in the City 