Chris V.
Yelp
If you really love pure, unadorned tea or want to become such a tea drinker, then this is your spot. If you have a sweet tooth and don't mind tea, then this is also your spot.
Before I wax poetic about Tea and Whisk, I have to take a moment to state how awesome the stretch of Eastern Avenue south of 215 has become. There are plenty of new, casual eats, but I love how it's now the true mecca of tea in the Las Vegas area.
Tea and Whisk is a key figure in the tea revolution. I actually stopped by last year when they first opened . At the time, they were selling a wide variety of loose leaf teas as well as kitchen tools (mostly tea-related) and some tea-friendly pre-packaged snacks. From my understanding, they did make teas for immediate consumption, but that wasn't a highly developed part of the business. I wasn't sure what to make of the whole thing, so I shrugged and left, resolving to return some day when I had more time.
Recently, I'd heard that they'd added a tea bar an extensive menu of drinks which they make right away, which is really the kind of thing I was looking for. As owner Leo explains, they can really make anything from their wide variety of teas. The printed menu alone has a wide variety of teas, including milk teas, lattes, unflavored and flavored matcha teas, hibiscus teas, and herbal "wellness" teas. It's not a true "boba" place due to lack of tapioca pearls, but it has plenty of elements familiar to those in tune with the bubble tea trend, including milk teas, cream toppings, and even some edible add-ons.
For more traditional drinkers, they offer hot teas to-go, matcha bowls priced by grade of matcha, and steep-and-pour-it-yourself "tea experiences" with two price tiers depending on the per-ounce cost of the teas. They also freely offer samples to anyone, doing multiple steeps and multiple leaves several times even for brand-new, prospective customers. The tasting alone can be a relaxing way to pass the time, and it's a very welcome method of finding one or more new teas to enjoy. Whether you know your exact preferences or you're less experienced, this is a huge plus.
Some of my favorites from sampling are Phoenix Oolong and Blue People Oolong. The latter is an interesting variety with an herbal note or two, and both have a "sweet" aftertaste/sensation even though they're unsweetened. I've heard that this is a hallmark of great teas, so I was pleased to experience it, and I even picked up a large cold ("iced" but very light on ice) Phoenix Oolong for $6.79 for 32 oz. Obviously that looks more expensive than most places, but it was worth it, especially after I poured it out into two cups so that I could have two helpings that are equal in volume with the "regular" or "small" size of most tea bars, but higher in quality than most if not all.
I've also had the Royal Matcha Latte ($6.99 at the time, looks like $7.29 now) with a coconut latte foam (didn't get onto the receipt, but seems to be $0.50 on top usually). This was after a side-by-side matcha tasting, prompted by a mention of a nearby matcha tea bar (which is actually supplied by this shop in the form of the lowest/cheapest grade of the 5 here, then the 3rd highest). The lowest grade actually tastes very unpleasant side-by-side with the highest, and I ended up getting the highest grade, which was very low in bitterness and enjoyable even with barely any sweetener.
I did mention that you could be happy here with a sweet tooth. They have these "shakes" topped with "clouds," the former of which isn't thick at all but rather a blended, sweet drink, and the latter of which is a thick cream on which multicolored mochi (sweet, soft rice cylinders) are "floating." I'm not sure of the full price because I've had them for $3.99 tops on Matcha Monday (check web site and Facebook for a full calendar of special deals), but all flavors are pretty awesome: matcha pistachio, matcha w/ genmaicha, hojicha, and even matcha with red bean. If you like those flavors in ice cream, then try these shakes. The mochi are also a fun, atypical treat, even if don't actually fit through wide straws as easily as the more ubiquitous boba.
Some words of caution: this isn't this business's fault, but the plaza gets pretty crowded, and one particular Italian restaurant has very recently become a selfish parking hog due to offering "complimentary valet." Try off-peak hours if you can. Also, on the rare occasions where the owner is away, I'm not 100% confident in his employees. Finally, the milk teas and sea salt cream feel subpar or at best a work in progress, so ask to sample those before committing.
That said, I don't need another bubble tea / milk tea shop. Tea and Whisk is ideal for the rest of my tea desires, now that they have evolved from a "tea supply" shop into an all-purpose tea shop with a very accessible menu of drinks for immediate consumption. It must be tried by anyone from tea connoisseurs/purists to anyone who enjoys sugary drinks.
