Tea shops · Seattle, United States
A family shop by the Historic Chinatown Gate, founded in 1996, selling Taiwanese high-mountain oolong by the canister and green tea by the pound.
Illustrative image
The house
Seattle Best Tea has been at 506 S King St, beside the Historic Chinatown Gate, since 1996. It is a family business: the owner, Chester Hsu, imports the high-mountain oolong, jasmine, Ti Kuan Yin and black teas from Taiwan and travels to the organic farms himself to watch how the leaf is grown and packed, with a few organic Chinese teas alongside. Phone orders go through Lydia at the counter, which tells you the scale of the place.
The shelf is split by roast rather than by country: light oolongs for Ali Shan, Li Shan and Jin Hsuan, heavy ones for Dong Ding, plus aged pu-erh going back decades. Formats are full canisters or the pound, not samples, so this is where to buy a tin you will actually finish. A 5.3 oz canister of Ali Shan is 65 US$ and one of Jin Hsuan 45 US$; a pound of gunpowder is 45 US$ and a pound of organic jasmine 41 US$, the cheapest pound on the list.
Free tastings at the counter are part of the visit, and the same leaf feeds a bubble tea menu — oolong milk tea, jasmine milk tea, taro, brown sugar — plus smoothies and ice cream made in jasmine and oolong flavours from their own tea. There is a second branch in the University District, at 4505 University Way NE. Hours move with the season: 10:30 to 20:00 every day in winter, 10:00 to 22:00 in summer.
Seattle · United States
506 S King St, Seattle, WA 98104
Beside the Historic Chinatown Gate on S King St; a second branch sits on University Way NE in the University District.
Published hours: Every day · winter 10:30–20:00 · summer 10:00–22:00
Directions to this location →Check with the house before visiting. Published hours may include appointments, seasonal schedules or temporary closures; live status, where available, applies only to the named location and does not account for exceptional closures.
The FindMeTea edit
01 · Oolong tea
Jin Hsuan is the Taiwanese cultivar behind what gets called milk oolong, and it comes in the same 5.3 oz canister as the Ali Shan for a good deal less.
US$ 45· 5.3 oz
Explore this tea →02 · Green tea
Certified organic jasmine green sold by the pound, the cheapest pound here. Jasmine is the house's other Taiwanese import beyond the oolongs, and it also feeds the jasmine milk tea at the counter.
from US$ 41· 1 lb
Explore this tea →03 · Green tea
Rolled green by the pound, the largest format on the list. It keeps better than an open green tea bag because the pellets are tightly rolled, which is the point of buying it this size.
from US$ 45· 1 lb
Explore this tea →The one worth the trip
Ali Shan is the light-roast Taiwanese high mountain the whole shelf is built around, and this is the most expensive thing the shop lists: a full 5.3 oz canister, not a sample pouch. The owner buys it on his own trips to the farms, and the counter will brew you a cup of it before you commit to the tin.
US$ 65· 5.3 oz
Explore this tea →Prices
Prices are indicative. Each price keeps its currency and pack size; this selection does not necessarily cover the house's complete range.
4 prices
| Tea | Type | Price / pack |
|---|---|---|
| Organic Jasmine Tea | Green tea | from US$ 411 lb |
| Gun Powder Green Tea | Green tea | from US$ 451 lb |
| Jin Hsuan Oolong Tea (Light), canister | Oolong tea | US$ 455.3 oz |
| Ali Shan Oolong Tea (Light), canister | Oolong tea | US$ 655.3 oz |
Indicative prices, with each product’s pack size. Prices may change; check with the shop. Price verification dates: 2026-09-11.
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