Zen Dog If you’ve ever driven on NW 85th Street at night (leading to Golden Gardens Park), you must have noticed the house with red lanterns lit among the trees and wondered… What’s this magical place?
Well, that is how we found our way on a cold winter day into the tea world of Zen Dog. Thank you Miss Curiosity.
Zen Dog Studio is a tea house like no other – a temple to tea as its owner, Zen Dog, calls it. He will show you the Way of Tea around an ancient traditional camphor wooden tea table. Be prepared for an insightful tea tasting, yet carried with such delight and simplicity that you will feel as if you were sipping a cup of tea in the comfort of your home with an old friend.
The tea house is also a gallery exhibiting Asian Art, tea ware, nature photography; and, on the second floor, you will be surrounded by jars of loose leaf teas – white, green, red, yellow, black – and floral teas which you will have the chance to sample during the tea tasting. The tasting is by appointment only and lasts an hour, although our Zen Dog doesn’t keep watch and it is the kind of place that seems to exist outside of time and space. It’s perfect for a tea date, an intimate wedding or any other special occasion especially given the beautiful garden, Koi pond, and traditional pagoda style gazebo.
This is one of my favorite experience to recommend visitors and locals alike. Not only is it unique but also very affordable, $10 to cover the water, tea, and time. Furthermore, Zen Dog collects the water at one of the last remaining public wells himself, thereby providing the best water in the state to honor those wonderful teas.
Enjoy!
More about Zen Dog Tea House Gallery
