Presstea
Contact Info:
Address: 167 7th Ave S (Perry St)
City: New York, NY
Zip: 10014
map: View the Map
Phone: (212) 888-6666
Email: info@presstea.com
Website: http://www.presstea.com/
Hours:
Sunday - Thursday: 7am - 9pm
Friday - Saturday : 7am - 10pm
Food Info:
Menu: View the Menu
Cuisine:
Tea/Tea Rooms
2nd Cuisine:
Desserts
Takeout:
Yes
Catering:
Yes
Payment:
Accepts Credit Cards
Cititour Review:
Not your average cuppa', Presstea give the world of tea a whole new spin. The beverage here is made with a proprietary method that uses steam pressure, resulting in a drink as dark and full-bodied as coffee while retaining the distinctive flavors and aromas of tea. The caffeine content provides the same zing as tea with styles, partly inspired by classic coffee preparations, including Pressed Tea, Tea Latte, Tea Macchiato and Tea Cappuccino.
The Presstea approach employs a gadget that appears similar to an espresso machine, calibrated to release concentrated shots that extract more of each tea's flavor than standard methods. The Mont Blanc Crème is a big seller, which I enjoyed iced. Mont Blanc has a thick, foamy head made with several dairy products that give it a taste hovering between sweet and salty. A caramel Rooibus latte was served warm and delicious with just enough sweetness to encourage repeat sipping. The iced passion fruit green tea was slightly sweet and entirely unique with the tea-fruit combo hitting a refreshing note.
Pastries, made daily in- house by co-owners Patty and George's sister, Teresa, pair beautifully with the tea offerings (or coffees if you insist but you'd be missing the point). Cookies, like the Earl Gray-infused almond with chocolate, are scrumptious, seven-ounce wonders that beg to be shared. I found the tea-infused Madeleine a little sweet for my palate although the Jasmine Green Tea White Chocolate Cookie is TDF. There are also scones, brownies and croissants.
For those craving a more substantial bite, the Asian-fusion Ramenrritto, a burrito bursting with cooked ramen noodles flavored with cilantro and garlic, comes with a choice of pulled pork, chicken or skirt steak, all from grass-fed and/or free range animals. My pulled pork ramenritto also included a large, sort of poached egg --the whole thing is enormous and tasty albeit slightly greasy. If you're on the Paleo bandwagon, there is Paleo zucchini ramen served with salsa, mixed greens, cheese and cucumber pickles that comes wrapped in a tortilla or in a bowl
Folks from the 'hood are naturals here but, according to co-owner George Kuan, people from Connecticut, New Jersey and even further afield are patrons, drawn by the unique qualities of place and offerings.
The West Village shop is charmingly eclectic with a mix of high stools, low chairs and sofa seating with clever Asian toile-du-joie wallpaper as well as many outlets for plugging into Wi-Fi. The spot, from concept to offerings, is so not a bland, on- every- corner chain, it deserves a round of applause for ingenuity. The effort seems to be paying off as there are plans afoot for other locations and a broadened range of items.
Presstea is open Mondays through Thursdays from 8:30 am to 9 pm; Fridays from 8:30 am to 10 pm, Saturdays from 9 am to 10 pm and Sundays from 9 to 9. Takeout, delivery, private parties and catering are all available.
Review By: Mari Gold
Comments:
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