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Miro Tea; photo by Jeannie Liu<\/p>\n
in Seattle\u2019s metropolitan area brings a traditional Chinese teahouse into modern America.<\/p>\n
Owner Jeannie Liu said, \u201cI wanted to create a space that was not like your typical quiet Zen teahouse, or fall into any kind of stereotypes that people believed about teahouses.\u201d Her father spoke of teahouses in China as being quite modern, trendsetting and bustling gathering spaces for the community where people would talk about the news, share poetry and discuss politics. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t what a lot of Americans viewed teahouses to be\u2014a meditative sanctuary space,\u201d Liu said.<\/p>\n
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Miro Tea sign; photo by Jeannie Liu<\/p>\n
She added, \u201cBeing Asian but growing up in the U.S. I was very sensitive to the stereotypical teahouses that weren\u2019t necessarily opened by Asian people, and I had a problem with those because I felt like they were not really reflective of how Asians actually drink tea in Asia.\u201d At the other end of the American teahouse spectrum were the Victorian British style. \u201cI didn\u2019t relate to either type,\u201d Liu said.<\/p>\n
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Liu likens the atmosphere of tea houses of China to the social environments of coffee houses in the United States. She feels tea is more conducive to conversation since it helps to wake people up while simultaneously keeping them calm. \u201cIt made sense to me that it would be this liquid for connecting people,\u201d Liu said.<\/p>\n
After graduating from University of Washington with a degree in International Studies, Liu managed a coffee shop to get experience and learn about what worked. She also had experience working at her parents\u2019 restaurants since childhood and then helped them open Oasis, the biggest bubble tea business in Seattle with five locations. \u201cOpening Oasis gave me a sense of how creating a business and seeing it come to fruition can actually be a very creative process. I really enjoyed that,\u201d Liu said. \u201cI decided to venture out on my own.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Miro Tea; photo by Jeannie Liu<\/p>\n
Liu resolved to create a traditional Chinese teahouse environment in a modern setting that reflected her taste while meeting customers\u2019 sensibilities and being inviting and uplifting.<\/p>\n
After three years of research for the perfect space, in 2007 Liu opened Miro Tea in Ballard, Washington\u2019s brick building and tree-lined historical district northwest of Seattle. Historically, Ballard was known for being a predominantly Scandinavian fishing community and in recent years it has become a popular family-friendly neighborhood.<\/p>\n
Miro Tea\u2019s d\u00e9cor is bright and comfortable with neutral colors and clean lines, a high ceiling, white oak tables, floor and shelves and marble countertops with plants accenting the space.<\/p>\n
She describes Miro\u2019s atmosphere as lively and busy, especially on weekends when people gather there with friends. At times it can also be quiet and relaxing enough for people to work on laptops. \u201cI\u2019m happy to see it\u2019s being used in the way I imagined it to be,\u201d Lui said.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, Seattle had an abundance of coffee drinking options but not many places where tea drinkers could gather, so promoting tea drinking was another one of Liu\u2019s goals. Liu feels the best way to welcome new tea drinkers is to make the process enjoyable, to not overcomplicate the beverage and to never talk down to a customer so they are not intimidated by tea.<\/p>\n
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Miro Tea pastries; photo by Jeannie Liu<\/p>\n
Miro Tea has nearly 200 different kinds of tea. About one third of Miro Tea\u2019s tea menu is organic. Liu personally sources teas from Japan, Taiwan and China, and herbs from Russia. Gaiwan tea service is offered.<\/p>\n
The food side of Miro Tea\u2019s menu has several delectable crepes, sandwiches and freshly baked pastries.<\/p>\n
Miro Tea also hosts tea tasting and art walk opening events. Art work by local artists is displayed and Liu donates the teahouse\u2019s percentage to local non-profits that help children.<\/p>\n
Miro Tea; photo by Jeannie Liu in Seattle\u2019s metropolitan area brings a traditional Chinese teahouse into modern America. Owner Jeannie Liu said, \u201cI wanted to create a space that was not like your typical quiet Zen teahouse, or fall into any kind of stereotypes that people believed about teahouses.\u201d Her father spoke of teahouses in<\/p>\n