Bird Pick Tea & Herb

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With the closing of two of my favorite zen tea places in LA– Zen Zoo & T-Salon– I’ve been on the lookout for a new tea destination. I recently tried the tea at Bird Pick and it definitely fits the bill, though it does not have the organic food options like the Zen Zoo once did and is not quite as close to West LA as I would like. I visited the location at the Westfield Culver City Mall (the old Fox Hills Mall).

The name Bird Pick originates from a legend told about an ancient practice of cultivating the finest tea leaves. “Extraordinary birds with acute senses would pick out the best leaves for their own nourishment.” The stores also strive toward this standard in making their special blends of teas. Bird Pick imports their fine tea leaves directly from their own estates around the world, one of which is an organic tea garden, in Guangzhou, Zhejiang and Fujian Province in China.

I love the decor of the stores, I was literally drawn into this one. The shop has a very zen~peaceful setting, everything is beautifully displayed and the ambiance has the feel of a shop you’d visit in China. There is a wide assortment of loose teas, packaged teas, tea bags, blooming teas, honey, etc…, as well as tea sets and teaware. The tea sets are all beautiful, ranging from traditional to modern, and very tempting to purchase. The staff is very eager to help and educate, they are generous with samples and can describe the difference and health benefits of all the teas– white, green, oolong, black, herbal… I could get lost here for hours….

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At the tea bar they can whip up your pick of fresh brewed hot teas and iced tea fusions. I tried one of the tea fusions, the Lychee Oolong Iced Tea. I asked for it to be unsweetened, so the sweetness only came from the lychee fruit in the drink. It’s high quality and very refreshing. The prices are comparable to other tea shops in LA, my iced tea was $3.75 for a large.