ICHA TEA

I’ve been getting my tea from here since they used canisters/tins for all their loose leaf tea products. Unfortunately they seem to have discontinued selling the snowy rose jasmine loose leaf tea for a long while now. Thankfully it is not discontinued on their menu though. This location is small and can get crowded on weekends but depending on the order they can be pretty quick with their service. If you want to dine in I suggest going early, going on a weekday, or visiting the other location on queen and ossington as it has a bigger seating capacity compared to this one. Otherwise a 5-15min wait depending on order and queue. My favourite things about Icha Tea so far have to be their seasonal drink rotations, tea tasting events, and loose leaf. I highly recommend trying various types of teas. Not just the matcha (the tearista’s poor wrists!!). I’m loving their seasonal rotation as I get to try different teas, not just as traditionally, but paired with other flavours like coffee, juice, and soda. They also offer 5gram options for most of their loose leaf if you want to try in the comfort of your own home. Their desserts are quite nice paired with tea bar options. My fav are the rose jasmine pudding and osmanthus rice wine cheesecake. Apart from tea and tea snacks they also carry items (in store) made by local creators such as candles, jewellery, plants, pottery, art and more. Side note: I’ve noticed they have ice level options now! Since when did that happen? I’m guessing the matcha craze, increase of customers, and demands had a play in that? Not complaining, I prefer less ice and not watered down tea… Overall a great place to introduce yourself to traditional Chinese teas or hang out with friends.

I have been meaning to check this place out for a while now because so many have been raving about it, and it did not disappoint. It looks quite small from the street but there’s a large tea room in the back where you can sit and enjoy your drink. Since it was so hot when I went I got the iced strawberry matcha, which definitely is a fan favourite! It was what almost everyone was ordering. I added cheese foam on top and it is making my mouth water just thinking about it writing this. The teas came out quickly, but it also helped I was ordering a popular drink that was getting made in batches. Drinks on the menu are labelled by caffeine level and you can adjust the sweetness too 😋

Great variety of teas, comfy atmosphere with nice decor, and nice desserts. Speaking of, those rolls are really good (the best ones I had) and they pair excellently with the teas. I even liked the sesame tofu cheesecake which seemed like a weird combination for a dessert at first. But the first bite made me change my mind. As a result, we’ve been coming back every day for about half a week, trying as many teas as we can while we are in Toronto. Highly recommended, a great alternative to bubble milk tea if you’re feeling classy!

Waited 30 minutes to place an order on a weekend. The drinks were okay, but not worth the long wait, the matcha taste was not really strong. The staff mentioned that the back area was reserved for customers ordering a pot of tea, but when I looked around, not everyone seated there had ordered one. This felt a bit being discriminated. Not a pleasant experience. If you're looking for a place to sit and chat with friends, I'd recommend choosing a cozier café instead.

🍵 Matcha lovers, assemble!Waited 30 minutes in line but finally got my hands on the Strawberry Matcha Latte from ICHA – absolutely worth it! Their new Summer Breeze drinks are perfect for sunny days – light, refreshing, and beautifully crafted. My fave? The Sunny Matcha Cheesy – bold matcha meets airy cheese foam. It’s layered, aromatic, and SO satisfying ✨ Must-tries for summer season: 1️⃣ Blush Breeze – lychee, sparkling water, rose petals 💗 2️⃣ Peach Camellia Americano – floral + fruity 3️⃣ Jade Breeze – fresh green tea vibes 4️⃣ Sunny Matcha Cheesy – matcha meets creamy cheese top

Strawberry matcha latte was very nice and definitely om the sweeter side - it's more of a jam so less tart (which is great for me personally). More seating if you go past the tea bar and into the back, but the lighting is a bit dim because no windows + not very strong overhead lamps

From the outside, it looks deceivingly small but as you walk in, there’s a huge sitting area in the back! The teas were delicious. We order the roasted oolong milk tea, matcha latte and matcha latte with strawberries. Refreshing on a hot summer day. Will surely come back again to try the other flavours.

It was super busy during my visit but the line was very well organized and moving pretty quick, as the staffs are very effective. The price to volume ration is fair (I do soy milk substitute so +0.8). The bonus point is that you can choose your sweetness level!!! They also a diverse menu with notes of caffein in each drink, which is another bonus mark! I got the strawberry matcha latte and just look at how beautiful she is!!! Taste is not that bad, I would say 8/10 because they were out of oat milk so i got the soy milk instead. Would visit and try again with oat milk for sure!!!