The Best Tea To Brew For A Traditional Chinese Restaurant Experience

Chances are, if you go eat out at a Chinese restaurant, such as your favorite dim sum joint, the waiter will bring tea to your table. Sometimes, the tea, like water, is complementary, but other times the restaurant may charge you for a pot or per person at your table. Either way, you should definitely enjoy the tea since skipping it is one of the mistakes to avoid when you're in a dim sum restaurant. To maximize your dining experience, you can and should pick out the best tea to brew and enjoy. One of the more common and popular teas to brew is jasmine green tea. It's the tea my Cantonese mother and grandparents almost always order during our dim sum and Chinese restaurant experiences.

This tea is quite fragrant and subtly sweet. For those who prefer sweeter teas, you can ask the waiter for some sugar. Jasmine green tea is floral, caffeinated, and refreshing. Made with green tea leaves infused with jasmine flower blossoms, it's no wonder this tea is among the best to brew during a traditional Chinese restaurant experience. When you're at home, you can recreate the experience by brewing the tea again. Tasting Table has ranked the 15 best green tea brands, so you can find the perfect one to sip while enjoying homemade dumplings, like our favorite pork and chive dumplings in garlic-miso broth. 

Now, if you find jasmine green tea is too floral or too light for your tastes, don't worry. I have other tea suggestions for you. Personally, I enjoy a good oolong tea, especially the golden type. It has a more robust and rich taste than jasmine green tea and is caffeinated. It brews into a beautiful deep amber color, and the longer you let it steep, the deeper and more complex the flavor becomes. It's the perfect companion for heartier and meatier dishes at a Chinese restaurant. Another variety of oolong is tieguanyin, and it's the perfect blend for those who love both green and black teas. 

For those with a palate for even bolder teas, you cannot go wrong with pu'er tea, a fermented woody, earthy, and rich black tea. It's great when you're pairing it with oilier or deep fried dishes, like fried shrimp balls or Chinese roast pork. But let's say you want something even lighter than jasmine green tea? Then go for sweet chrysanthemum tea, a tea brewed with dried flowers. It is pale yellow in color and very refreshing. The great thing about having tea at a dim sum or traditional Chinese restaurant is that it almost never runs out. Be sure to also check out our guide on how to let your dim sum server know you need a hot water refill for your tea pot.