Hiroikku Neko (.
Google
I went here yesterday and as a big tea drinker, I loved this place! I wish there were more charming tea houses like this around the US or even in the city. The service was profound, she was on top of refilling my tea when I ran low, and I felt like I was receiving Michelin star service in how she conducted herself, yet unlike Michelin service, the one gripe I have with such an environment wasn’t present. Not only was she very great at conducting an engaging tea experience, she was charismatic- something rarely seen whenever I have been to any Michelin star restaurant that I never quite enjoyed nor understood. Yet, in that regard, the service was a step above the experience and standards of a Michelin star or even a triple Michelin star restaurant, and yet, it’s not a restaurant- it’s a tea house, one that I can’t quite find the words for just how great the experience and the quality of tea is. I had about ten cups of tea, something that even in Boston, of which I reside near, who prides itself in its rich cultural history of tea and therefore has an abundance of tea houses, I rarely undertake. While the price of the tea (though Pu'er tea, a pricier tea) was a steep $34, I found myself, as stated, drinking a good ten cups of that same tea with each cup being better than the last. In that regard, I would argue $3~ a cup isn’t as bad as I would think. While the tapestry was aesthetic and petite, this could contribute to the copious amounts of tea I found myself drinking. There is a theory that smaller cups encourage more consumption, so I have heard- and now I believe. With all that said, I’d gladly pay double- the environment is engaging, I felt myself calm and collected, enjoying the tea and the surroundings. At some points, I felt an urge to meditate. Additionally, between the presentation, the atmosphere, the taste of the tea, and the service, I am blown away by this place I happen to stumble across. I have to say; with a ton of certainty, I will be back.