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Amai Tea & Bake House - CLOSED
Categories: Food Coffee & Tea Food Bakeries Coffee & Tea, Bakeries [Edit]
171 3rd Ave(between 16th St & 17th St)
New York, NY 10003
Neighborhood: Gramercy
(212) 863-9630
- Nearest Transit:
-
3 Av (L)
14 St - Union Sq (4, 5, 6, 6X)
Union Sq - 14 St (L)
- Price Range:
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$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
53 reviews for Amai Tea & Bake House
Review Highlights
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"Very creative), earl grey and hojicha." In 16 reviews -
"I could never find the elusive 'green tea cupcake." In 7 reviews -
"I got the chai almond cookies and they were phenomenal." In 4 reviews
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53 reviews in English
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Review from Pamela S.
Updated - 4/10/2009
I was just at Amai a moment ago; there's a sign inside that says that April 19th will be their last day -- they just weren't able to make it in this economy.
There goes a little bit of what made this neighborhood great. We will miss you, Amai!Listed in: Hot Black Liquid Fuel, Cupcakes! (and other sweets)
2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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6/27/2008
I was studying in Amai recently one weekday morning and the staff invited me and the other patron… Read more »
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Review from Courtney P.
New York, NY
11/18/2007 ROTD 5/14/2008
"Do you have iced coffee?" the girl next to me asked.
"No. We don't have ice, " came the reply.
"Do you have flavored coffee?" she countered.
"No. Sorry."
My inner cynic chuckled with some irrational glee at the thought of a coffee drinker getting refused caffeination.
"Can I get a large genmai matcha to go?" I asked.
"Sure."
And that was it. $2.90 for my roasted brown rice green tea. For years we tea drinkers have been marginalized by the coffee drinking masses. Every two blocks you can get a high maintenance"Grande extra-shot caramel soy hazelnut frappa-crappa-cino" but when it came to tea it was Black, Green or Herbal. "What type of herbal?" always received strange glances. Well, OF COURSE, it was that magical herbal tea that might be chamomile one day, mint the next... covered in dust, located behind the crappa-cino machine.
But marginalized no more. This tiny store smells like cakes, and has a ton of teas to boot. What the hell is "NYC Breakfast" tea? Shit if I know... (I always thought NYC breakfast was left-over Chinese food, but I doubt that is the case here.) They've got a couple kinks to work out... tip jar on the side where no one stands... milk hidden in the corner. But for $3 I felt I like the tea drinkers of the world had made one more step in a coffee drinkers' society. -
Review from hope f.
New York, NY
5/2/2008
I live near 3rd avenue and it's been a pretty dreary little zone until now. Wow. Amai Tea & Bake House opened a while ago and is single-handedly transforming my view of the nabe. It took them a long time to open, they proceeded so carefully. Then, they held classes and were obviously training their staff as carefully as any place can that must get a high staff churn.
Now, I have trouble staying away.
In addition to a dizzying selection of teas, they have literally ama(i)zing sweets. I haven't tried the pudding category yet (I love that they take pudding seriously. I love pudding, and it's funny that I do. Because I once read that men orient more to pudding-like desserts and women to cakes. I am definitely a woman, despite my pudding tendencies. And one of best friends is definitely a guy and has to have cake every day at 4 or he'll die!)
The little cupcakes, especially the green tea one, are amazing. And that's a key point -- there's a roster of green tea sweets. Little shortbreads, green tea muffins (OMG, made the authentic Japanese way, steamed) and the exquisite cupcakes ... so that people who drink green tea, a hard flavor to "combine," actually have wonderful things to go with. The only other place I know that has green tea things (muffins, only in the a.m. & they sell out fast) and good biscotti is Panya on Stuyvesant Square. But, truth is, they're not as good as Amai's.
I bought the pre-packaged (24, asstd, great presentation -- altho a tad over-produced for today's eco-conscious sensibilities) cookies to take to a client meeting and they were a RAVE. Made selling creative work easier! (Kidding, I think ...) And, they have delicious, inventive sandwiches too, so if you're at the Greenmarket and want to stop by, you can find something wonderful at any time. It's pleasant to sit in, especially the windowed front. The back is a little dark, but cool wallpaper, sconce & quiet make it good for laptopping or hushed gossiping. One of the best bathrooms in the city, too, for those who like an amenity with their tea! -
Review from Nina C.
7/18/2008
I remember coming in here after a long day of errands last fall. I was sick and just felt awful. But, I had heard about this tea house and wanted to try it. I was cranky and really just wanted to go home. I was in such a foul mood that I walked past this place and had to double back, which just made me feel worse.
But, as I approached the door and stepped over the threshold, a sense of calm washed over me. I don't know if it was the mixed scents of teas and baked goodies in the air or the look of this place, but I immediately felt better. I scanned the tea drawers and fell upon a jasmine green. JASMINE GREEN - my favorite! Yay! The drawers are cool too - they remind me of a library catalog.
So, I got my jasmine green and a lychee brownie and was off, feeling a whole lot better. I even got a cab right away for my ride home, so there I sat, smiling, in the back seat, with my hands around a cup of comfort. -
Review from Nicole A.
Jupiter, FL
2/24/2008
A most excellent bakery even if you don't like tea. My best friend loves a good bucaneer tea and vanilla cookie, so I came with her to this spot. Lo and behold, I was introduced to the salted caramel hot cocoa and all was right with the world.
There is a little sitting room in the back - no more than 10 people seem to fit in here at once. And there are even some fresh baguette sandwiches that looked very appetizing. I would come here again with a good book or friend...even though I don't like tea.Listed in: Is butter a carb?
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Review from Vicky L.
Updated - 8/20/2008
Why is this place soo good??!
I went last Thursday and I'm still craving it today!
- Cherry Brownie
- Cupcake with Nutella
- Strawberry Iced Tea
- Hampton's Iced Tea
It isn't cheap, but it is delicious.
I left wanting more - and sometimes, that is exactly what good food should do.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/8/2008
My type of place -
Lemon cupcake
Earl Grey Currant tea cookie
Green Tea cookie
Almond cookie
Lychee… Read more »
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Review from Katee L.
Brooklyn, NY
7/14/2008
I had the papaya and pineapple iced green tea something or other(special summer drink?) and it was fairly tasty. It comes unsweetened but you can add simple syrup.
The green tea cupcakes definitely taste like green tea which I like. I got the tea cookie assortment and those were pretty good but $24 for a box of the earl grey, black currant, green tea, and lemongrass. The cookies are small, but light and crumble in your mouth.
I also got some fig chocolate ball and that was not so tasty. Dry and crumbley. -
Review from seth n.
NY
11/16/2008
Another place I am sort of torn on. I love the teas, the selection and I also enjoy the selection of sweets (cookies, scones etc...). No idea how authentically 'japanese' they are.
What gets me is the inconsistency of the staff, they can alternate between nice to flaky to downright incompetent. For ex, over the summer on a sweltering down Im walking by with some friends we see they have on their sign ice cold vanilla lemonade - sounds great! We go in, they are out of it - mind you the shop has been open like 1 hr or so. The next week same scenario, so I say you guys run out pretty fast, the cashier responds, we never had it, but its a pain to change the sign! Haha jokes on you the customer.
That along with other flaky service has prevented me from going back in awhile, but I will give it another shot as the winter approaches because other times the staff was pleasant and all the other elements of a cozy tea spot are in place -
Review from Devon F.
New York, NY
10/31/2008
I had a date here actually... I was confused at first when I walked in and only saw 3 tables... psssst there are more in the back. The line gets kind of long 12:30ish, but luckily I came in a few minutes before.
I had the steamed green tea/red bean muffin it was pretty tasty. I also had an oolong tea that was out of this world... the date was pretty decent too :) -
Review from Katey G.
9/6/2008
I stumbled upon this coffee house quite randomly. I was very pleased with the find. It has a delicious selection of loose leaf teas that range from black, green and red. I didn't see any whites, but I may have not noticed. They also have coffee - I'm not sure how its brewed though, it was one of those dispenser/thermoses near the counter.
The baked goods were extremely tasty. I had a dark chocolate brownie - it was rich, chocolately but not too sweet and just the right size. There were also a variety of cookies and other brownies to choose from. They all looked good!
There is place to sit, but not much. Still, I would feel comfortable chilling for a while sipping and chatting and maybe reading.
The staff was extremely nice, helpful and quick.Listed in: Tea for Two
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Review from Eran B.
New York, NY
2/10/2008
I was here one afternoon when it was not very crowded. It was a lovely cozy little place. They have beautiful and tasty cookies of many varieties that are a perfect bite size and less than a dollar each. The lady behind the counter was friendly and helpful in picking out my cookie smorgasbord. The tea was very nice and they let me pay with my credit card without blinking an eye even though I spent less then $10.
Would even go out of my way to go back again. -
Review from Melissa P.
New York, NY
1/16/2008
Amai is my new go-to writing spot. Teeny tiny, the place still packs character. The staff is always very friendly and helpful, and they stock the coffee bar with organic and naturals sweets, coffees and tea. The coffee is fresh and has very rich flavors. One caveat: no decaf coffee, so if you want a late night decaf, you're out of luck. However, they do offer a free refill on each cup of coffee in the shop!
Many of their sweets and baked goods are tea themed (i.e. the earl grey and currant cookies), and adorably organic. I particularly like the banana bread, which is different from any I have tried before - It has a brown sugar crumble toppings and is light and fluffy like a tea cake more than a dense bread. A pot of tea is just $3.75 and comes with your choice of a tea sweet - one of the tea flavored cookies.
Three two person tables line the front window, and there are three tucked behind the coffee bar at the back of the shop. This is where I like to go because it is like a private nook. One wall is lined with a beautiful deep rose colored wall papers with etchings of trees in gold. The other wall is a deep warm grey color, and the long dominating wall is in the shop. The mix of textures feels very homey and comforting, and the candle atop each table creates a cozy feel. Simple white saucers and cups, elegantly iron footed wood tables and thin high-backed dark wood chairs make me feel as if I have stumbled upon a comforting old friend's place. While tiny, this place is easy to find peace and quiet in, or to meet with a good friend for coffee. My only complaint would be that the music can be a bit repetitive on the dance beat, and thus quit distracting.
Also- they now have free wi-fi! -
Review from Liz E.
Flushing, NY
3/26/2008 3 photos
This place is very soothing and pretty inside, with a slightly hidden seating area that evokes a sense of privacy and, dare I say? romance...
Unfortunately, I only got something to go, and I was impressed with the wealth of variety, along with all of the tea-based concoctions. I finally settled upon a flourless chestnut cake which, with only eggs to support it and no gluten, had an attractive way of collapsing in on itself, proving that the center must be soft and moist.
I shared it with my friend a bit later, and was slightly disappointed. The middle was, as I expected, very soft and moist, though the outside was a bit dry. However, this isn't what bothered me; I was most disappointed by the lack of chestnut (and even chocolate, as I believe it was described as having it) flavor, and though there were pieces of my favorite nut scattered throughout, I only got a true taste of it in the very last bite. Oh well, the girl behind the counter didn't look particularly enthusiastic about it to begin with.
That's another reason for the slightly low rating. When asking the girl about which she thought were the best sweets, and what she thought of, in particular, the Earl Grey scone and said flourless cake, she seemed wholly unenthusiastic, even describing the scone as "kinda dry." I don't know whether to recognize her honesty or be disappointed.
Regardless, there is something in me pulling me back to Amai, particularly because I'm intrigued by the fruity brownies and their specials. Expect an update soon.
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And here's your update. I had a lychee brownie which had actual pieces of the fruit in it. It was good when I got a bite with lychee, and I actually could taste the floral notes, but without it was a simple, but admittedly good, chocolate brownie. In conclusion: more flavor needed!
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Another return had much better service, and I was very pleased with my chocolate fig cookie. A hard and crispy ball, it had the chew of figs mixed with pieces rather than measly flakes of coconut. Best of all, it was super-chocolaty. Their earl grey scone was oddly addictive despite its lack of flavor, but the chocolate chip cookie, shaped like a delicious hockey puck, delighted me. Strewn with chocolate chips that stained its doughy innards like shit stains on a sheet (well, much tastier than shit), it rocked my world for the few moments it took to consume it.
I also tried a green tea cookie which, green and leaf-shaped, was good but tasted nothing like green tea. Magically, the earl grey and currant shortbread tasted like tea in cookie form, and was a perfect button of deliciousness.
If you're in the mood for breakfast, grab their muesli with yogurt, honey, dried fruit and hazelnuts. It's not too sweet, which is why I love it, and served in a teacup, it has a marvelously creamy and chewy texture. The mango/yogurt parfait triumphs in the thickness and rich flavor of the white stuff, but lacks in the mango department.
***UPDATE 6/3/08***
For lunch, the grilled vegetable and tzatziki sandwich is very small but extremely tasty. What might fill you up is chasing it with their chocolate walnut scone which, though dry and prone to crumble-action, is chock-full of gooey chocolate chunks and buttery flavor.Listed in: The Cookie List, Brownie Bitch
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Review from Ariel K.
New York, NY
5/1/2009
oh sweet rice teas and unique green tea cupcakes I will miss you.
Such a small, quaint place I would have loved to read in. Too bad it wasn't open past 9 pm. Too bad it shut down. -
Review from Michelle H.
New York, NY
4/12/2008
Green tea muffin = wonderful!
I love tea, so anything tea flavored gets my vote. The uniqueness of the products served here deserves 4 stars. I haven't been to any other place in NYC that serves tea flavored items. Although the muffin is the only thing I tried, I really liked it. Next time, I may try the green tea cupcake. Along with the cookies. Mmm....
If you're a tea lover like me, you may want to stop by for a yummy snack. -
Review from Simona S.
Manhattan, NY
2/8/2008
Had to knock off a star because I thought the service was a little off, there were two girls at the cash register but one was completely ignoring my friend who was waiting to order.
But the matcha tea latte was intense. I didn't get it sweetened and it was quite bitter-- but in a good way. Crisp, like the girl told me it would be. I got the chai almond cookies and they were phenomenal. I think my friend enjoyed her chai tea as well.
I'll probably come back here and explore their other teas, pastries are a little on the pricey side though... -
Review from Jennifer L.
New York, NY
6/21/2008
What a darling little tea shop and bakery! I dropped in after an early morning trip to the Union Square Greenmarket and picked up a green tea muffin (has red beans in it), and an assortment of their special tea cookies. The muffin wasn't too exciting, but it definitely tastes like matcha, and mine had plenty of red beans in it. The cookies were very unique, with just a hint of tea, combined with really interesting ingredients that compliment the tea. They are buttery and very very crumbly. Really cool, loved all of what I tried. Would have liked to try a green tea cupcake, but they didn't have them when I went in.
My only complaint here is that those little nuggets of yumminess are mighty pricey - $0.75 each, or 3 for $2, for cookies that are barely bigger than a half dollar coin. This is probably a fun place to hang out and have tea, or catch up with a friend, but it's a spendy little joint. -
Review from L S.
New York, NY
6/28/2008
Amai is where I first got acquainted with the perfect cup of tea - I'm a huge fan of tea generally but this cup... light, crisp, delicately floral with clean citrus notes to balance it out... just perfect.
I'm also a big fan of their sweets. When my brother graduated, I stopped in to buy 3 of everything in their display case as a graduation present! Their larger bakery items are also tasty - recently tried their angel cheesecake and now it's hard to go in there without getting that - even though everything else always looks so good!Listed in: Sweet Tooth
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Review from Jasmin G.
New York, NY
3/12/2008
once, a long time ago (read: about 2 years), i read about 'green tea cupcakes'. Since then I kept imagining what it might taste like. Would it be as good as green tea ice cream? I found a boxed version of green tea muffins and attempted to quell my curiosity by baking a batch. Alas, a muffin and a cupcake are not one and the same. Searching high and low..from Balthazar to Tavalon..I could never find the elusive 'green tea cupcake'.
So, imagine my surprise when, 2 years later, I happen to go to a tea shop and i see these tiny cute green cake delights topped with a dollop of matcha-flavored icing! so exciting! (yeah..i like food..don't make fun of my melodrama over a baked good :p )
not only are the cupcakes pretty to look at ..but they taste good as well! the icing is really soft and the cake itself is good too.
i had my cupcake with a cup of some sort of green tea w/ jasmine - i couldn't really taste or smell the jasmine..but it was still good tea..esp. with that cupcake!
i really want to try the brownies at some point to. all the baked goods are a good size - i.e. - not obscenely huge like at some places. i've had their cookies at tavalon, and they are also great - i definitely recommend a green tea cookie with a green tea latte. yum.
the space is cute, they have seats in the front as well as in the back, and they even have a few magazines for customers to peruse as they sip. (Some of their magazines include People, Healthy Living, and a vegetarian magazine). Magazines focusing on celebrities and vegetarian food to peruse while indulging in green tea flavored desserts?
I feel like Amai was made with me in mind. -
Review from phong-lan h.
New York, NY
4/17/2009
So happy, I made it before they packed up shop and move out west:
"They're moving out --to Cali"
I have to admit --sometimes I am so indecisive that I'm sure I am a pain... But not here:) The woman behind the counter took time out to go over the tea list, pulled out the samples, smell the leaves, told me her favorites including all the baked goods. Ah what a delight not to get rushed.
It was between the Tisane, White or Green Matcha and I actually chose the later. (Rather unlike me b/c of the caffeine intake at 5pm) The pot was perfect nice, round matcha flavor....
The selection in the case was pretty bare -Guess ppl wanted the last of the goods (out of the pretzel pc/and green tea cupcake) but as I sat there I overheard the woman next to me saying "oh they are putting out more...." so I jumped and ordered:
Green Tea cupcake -chewy first bite then suttle hint of green tea cake (which was a bit dry), then the buttercream frosting similar to CupCake Cafe's but lots of matcha also rich like eating Crisco in a good way.
Yuzu cupcake -saving it for tomorrow's breakfast.
Chocolate cookie -rich similar to a gourmet Toll House version.
Will miss Amai, I enjoyed the pleasant experience and I wish them lots of success!!! -
Review from Mike Y.
10/16/2008
This place was cute.
Came here for tea and biscuits.
Spent 14 bucks on:
black tea latte
a cappucino
pumpkin cupcake
2 strawberry and white tea cookies
2 strawberry ginger (i think) cookies
1 green tea cookie
Obviously, I like cookies with my tea. The best cookie was the green tea. I think I liked it the most not because it tasted Green Tea-y (which it really didn't) but because it tasted like a sugar cookie. Num! The cookies are small-ish so don't think PLUS size jumbo cookies but more...chips-a-hoy size, two-biters.
The place was a bit small as well or cozy rather, since it wasn't a cramped small. But I could see how some people would be left standing since there was minimal seating room. it was convenient walking distance from union square which was nice too
im going to try and come back. -
Review from elizabeth b.
New York, NY
12/28/2008
The tea was tasty - and I loved the mugs and the fact that a cookie came with the pot (even though I couldn't eat it, so I can't review). The handle-less mugs are cute, and the space is adorable and tiny without being cramped.
However, their latte machine makes the most awful clank clank sound that overwhelms the space. Having a conversation punctuated with 30 seconds of pure clanking was really annoying. -
Review from Kat I.
1/11/2009
I love this li'l tea place.
The only problem is sometimes there's so many people it's hard to find a seat (then again, it's New York..)
They have a wide selection of loose leaf teas and the staff's friendly enough to take the time to let you even see, smell the teas you're torn between. I like the li'l cookies that come along when you get a pot of tea.
The sandwiches are also nice. I haven't tried their scones or cupcakes but they are a bit pricier.
However, I think the pot of tea is pretty reasonable, considering you'd only get a grande something or other at Starbucks for the same price. Here you get to sit with a real pot and cups! -
Review from Jess L.
1/24/2009
I came to this place because of Yelp reviews. Thanks!
I was bummed that while they had a large tea selection, the top three I was interested in were out. However, I went with an apricot black tea, which was nice.
The green tea and red bean muffin was great - a nice, small portion. It was hard to choose! I liked the Asian-inspired and/or tea nature of all the pastries.
Too little seating, but at the time - around 10am on Friday - they were not completely full. -
Review from GarGuPi L.
Flushing, NY
4/12/2009
i wanted to show some love for this Japanese/American cafe before it closes on April 19. I have always wanted to give it a try and I can't believe my final push is when I found out about its imminent closing.
I kind of see why this business is struggling - the desserts are miniscule and not cheap, the place is small and it's a tea house and we all know NYers are caffeine obssessed. But it's still sad to see a small mom and pop establishment go away because it's really a fine place.
I can't afford much, so I opt for the 3 cookies for $2 purchase. There were a few selection and as a matcha gal, of course I chose the match cookie (shaped like a leave. Very creative), earl grey and hojicha. My friend had 2 and said they were quite buttery. So more like an English biscuit.
It's tough to maintain a business in this economy now. I hope the owners would bounce back soon at another location. We need more intimate and detail oriented places like these rather than the chain monsters.
Good luck! -
Review from Rebecca M.
New Orleans, LA
11/8/2008
I just moved into this neighborhood a month ago and Amai has made me feel at home! It's so cozy inside and the space itself is beautifully designed and thought out.
As a tea enthusiast, I love the selection here. I've tried the interesting and more exotic teas, but it was the "NYC Breakfast Tea" today that truly was delicious. It had such an interesting malty flavor to it in comparison to your typical English Breakfast teabag. The baked goodies are fantastic as well. I love the tea-flavored treats, but while sitting inside today, the smell of chocolate (brownies maybe?) was amazing too.
So why only 4 stars? It can a little crowded (please don't bring your study groups here, students! there just isn't any room!) and the back seating area is a little dreary. But the goodness of everything else, including the friendly and helpful staff, make it worth returning to over and over.
My small (but unusually large) tea to-go and scone ran about $5.50. -
Review from Em K.
New York, NY
9/8/2008
I happened to stumble upon this place, while going to NYU, and it's a great place! Lovely to meet-up at, for a nice, quiet tea or conversation. They have over 50 (maybe more) varieties of teas, and delicious, adorable little tea cookies (3 for $2). I must have bothered the tea lady by asking her so many questions about all their options, but they were definitely helpful by offering their favorites among them! They recommended white peony for cool, iced tea drinks (I would recommend adding a bit of liquid sugar if you like sweet teas, or none for a pure taste). Also Fiji was a popular one.
Some of their popular cookies were: earl grey, strawberry, green tea, and chai (although all of them are pretty good). The cupcakes are good too, but I prefer the cookies.
Price: not cheap for tea, but definitely affordable~ -
Review from Madeline L.
Astoria, NY
2/20/2008
This place does make me happy! Laid back, relaxing, and clean!
I love that the teas are organized in a tea drawer, and cookies are neatly stacked in a pull out glass display case. The cookies they serve are simple butter cookies, infused with tea flavor. It's a nice place to enjoy a cup of tea, especially the fair price of 3.95 for a pot.
My favorite cookies would be the green tea and the earl grey cookie because the flavor of the tea carries through in the cookies, although I'm not that fond of butter cookies.
Some of the cookies you can't taste the tea flavor because it's over powered by the other flavors of the cookies. For example hoji-cha sesame cookie, you can only taste the sesame. It ruins the point of having it tea infused. Similarly, the botanical brownies flavors do not make sense. Lychee is an expensive fruit that has a light flavor, and chocolate has a strong flavor. If I eat a lychee brownie, I expect to taste lychee flavor. Although I see pieces of lychee and can also taste it in texture, the strong flavor of the brownie does not allow the fruit flavor to cut through. The brownie is of course yummy, but it tastes like a regular yummy brownie. It makes me want to come to a very negative conclusion that the creator was not thinking of flavor combination as much as using a posh marketable ingredient. Generally flavor combination are not well balance, however I am not here for the dessert.
The pricing of this place also perplex me. A tea cookie cost $0.75 each. A tin of 10 cookies cost $10, which means that each cookie in the tin cost $0.25 more, or that the tin is worth $2.50. Most places would charge less if you buy more cookies, not the opposite. I just prove that I can do math!
Free wifi, but no plugs.Listed in: Tea Time
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Review from Denis K.
Parsippany, NJ
10/22/2007
When I first walked in, I thought the store was still closed, never mind the open door and paper print out of "we're open" taped to the window. There wasn't much lighting inside and, with the added effect of the wood surfaces varnished a rich dark color, the mood was a bit more somber on first impressions. However, it was opening day and the tea house would naturally be a work-in-progress. In fact, as I stood there contemplating my order, a carrier walked in with an armload of flowers.
Two people were behind the counter and, since I was the only one there at the time, I had their full undivided attention. It was great because I didn't know where to start. There is a menu of their specials for the day as well as a large tea cabinet stock full of exotics teas. The girl who helped described the different types of tea on hand. She asked what I usually drink (green, jasmine) and recommended the Kaiseki Hojicha. It is a roasted green tea. Medium $2.25. Served piping hot. I had to let it cool down some, but I found the Hojicha to be rich and not overpowering or bitter. I also ordered a Vanilla Scone - so good! The scone was crumbly, as you would expect, with rock sugar sprinkled on top. The scone had a buttery goodness with hints of vanilla. Also, for a little bit more you can get some flavored butter. I went with, on their recommendation, the honey pear. It was like frosting, but more savory than sweet. Does that make sense? ( 1.84 for scone and butter)
Overall, the people working there (owners?) were extremely friendly and helpful. The lady who blogs on http://www.lovescool.com was in the back taking delivery of the flowers. She was friendly and interested in getting to know her readers. I don't really frequent coffee / tea houses that often, or at all, but that tea and scone combo was a knock out. Don't take my word for it, go and see for yourself. I know I'm wanting to go back and try different tea and biscuit permutations.
I also bought a tin of 10 Chai Almond cookies for $10, which I believe includes Chai Tea. -
Review from Liz C.
1/10/2009
Concept trumps execution at this prim tea spot. The Asian-inspired pastries and coffee beverages were nice, if not particularly inventive or delicious. With its inviting seating and wholesome oatmeal bowls at odds with undersized, overpriced, kitchy sandwich and dessert menu (green tea cookies shaped like green tea leaves?, Amai seems to struggle between homey cafe and upscale patisserie identities.
Listed in: MacBook Nooks
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Review from Pam S.
5/26/2008 1 photo
Excellent cookies, so-so brownies (weird aftertaste). The cookies crumble in your mouth perfectly, while the subtle flavors gently massage your tastebuds with delightful combinations such as.. earl grey + currant, white tea + strawberry and chai + almond. I'll come back another day to try more flavors of the cookies, along with some tea.
Listed in: Sugar! It's like crack.…
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Review from Kat W.
New York, NY
12/2/2007
A sample of perfection where Gramercy meets the East Village.
The tea sweets at Amai are heavenly!
For breakfast one morning, I had a cup of their hoijicha and their green tea with red bean muffin. It was the perfect way to start my week- the muffin was not heavy or greasy- it was light, not too sweet with just enough red bean chunks to complement the green tea muffin.
I also sampled a few of their tea cookies- White Tea Strawberry, Green Tea, Earl Grey with Currants, Hoiji Sesame. I absolutely fell in LOVE with the Earl Grey with Currant cookie- it had such a pleasant scent of the bergamot oil - it was absolutely delicious.
I've been there 3 times in the past few days and I cannot stop raving about the tea selection and the quality of the sweets.
All baked goods are made on premise with natural ingredients with care.
While having tea there this weekend, I met the Owner and Chief Baker Kelli and the Creative Director Andrew - nice people with a commitment to share the finest and freshest ingredients through wonderful sweets with a nice cup of tea.
So glad I found this place! I'll definitely be back to taste everything else.
By the way- I know Yelpers love Cha-An but I have to say, I like Amai more. Different but I like the fact that you can get high quality tea to go and not sit down for service. But- if you decide to sit, you can do that too- it is small and intimate with a few tables for seating.
Note: Coffee is now served too.Listed in: Great Date Place, Sweets and Treats
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Review from Chris J.
4/9/2008
So, um, like, tea shops are the new coffee houses. Like, this place is so cute, I just had to come here with my BFF. I don't really know anything about tea, but I can like say that the water was hot. OMG, the place where they store the tea, it's like one of those things that used to tell people where books were located in the library, you know before, like, computers and stuff. It's like, a card catalog, but it's cooler because it lookz like really old. Amai is so cozy. I know becauz I like wrote that in my iPhone, that my rich parents bought me. I don't know how to use it, but it's coolz and those girls on that MTV show have one, so I know I can accessorize it with my leggings. Back to the tea, it was really yummy. It's weird. It's like coffee, same stained water, but filtered with leaves and not, like, grounds. My BFF, she got some baked pastry thingy and she said it was fabulous.
...As all the sheep flock here. The tea is not that good. They don't do loose tea for their green tea. The two girls working behind the counter didn't know much about teas nor varieties. The seating was cramped at best. It appears that tea houses seem to be New Yorkers new favorite past time, as if they've become bored with coffee houses. Take thee to Starbucks, errr to a nunnery! -
Review from Erika C.
New York, NY
4/22/2008
Great Tea, tasty pastries, low prices, and late hours (for a tea place)! This is the perfect new york tea house. Low-key, effortlessly hip, almost hidden, adorable mini-pastries. perfect place to catch up with a friend or spend a rainy afternoon with a significant other. I hope this place gets enough business so it stays open!
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Review from Renee C.
New York, NY
2/18/2009
Amai is quite the cute teahouse. I like how you can get a little cookie to munch on while you sip their teas. I had the apricot tea, which went very well with the green tea cookies. My friend had their ginger and pear tea and also had a pastry, which had a lychee taste to it. There are only about 6 seats in the entiretly of this place, I felt a little bad sitting there for a long time if I had finished up my tea. The staff is friendly and the decor is simple yet precious. I would love to take my mom here when she visits me soon.
Listed in: Cute cafes..
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Review from Mog C.
4/29/2008
I kinda wanted to keep this place under the radar and thus had not reviewed it in hopes that it would not get "discovered". Well, needless to say, it's been discovered. Last night, I went by b/c I was hoping for a quiet corner where I could get some work done. It was right around 4pm and rainy and when I first peeked in, there was a group of three in the window and one lone female in the back. Things were looking good. I took a look at the list of teas (very extensive) and joked with the girl helping me out "What is best to put me in a studying mood?". She replied laughingly, "Well, this one has the most caffeine in it and smells like chocolate" as she pulled one of the many little drawers filled with tea. The tea did indeed smell like chocolate with cinnamon. And with a name like "The Bucaneer", I didn't think I could go wrong, so I went with a pot of it. You get one little cookie with your tea and I picked their chocolate-fig bonbon like cookie, which I've had before and quite like. For $3 and change, the pot of tea is by far one of the best buys in all of New York.
I settled in the back. There is no real view in the back and the lighting can be dim but it's a little more private. They were playing cute 80s French music and if I hadn't been intent on getting work done, I'd have been glad to sit there listening. Instead, I plugged in my ipod and turned to my work. Within 30 mins, this idyllic setting changed completely around. The place was completely packed. Every table in the entire place was occupied with the two other tables in the back crammed with 6 more people. There were even two girls leaning against the wall waiting for tables. The place is not made for sound-efficiency and the sound level was so high than even with my ipod blasting, I could hear conversations going around me. I was hoping that this was just a wave and that it'd quiet down. Just as I turned my ipod volume up, I heard a baby crying in the background. I hoped the parent would get their order fast. Baby kept on crying and five minutes later, I was packing up my work. As I left, I saw the baby crying at one of the tables in the front. I could just imagine what the other people at those tables were going through.
On the weekend, Amai is much more quiet though it is never empty. The tea selection is very good. The atmosphere is just right. This has been a great addition to the neighborhood but come at your own risk as this can go from quiet tea house to bustling tea central just like that. -
Review from Velina L.
5/10/2008
My review is based solely on the baked goods, as I did not have any of their tea. I had high expectations after reading the reviews but I was highly disappointed. I had the mandarin brownie and the green tea red bean muffin, and both were extremely dense. I prefer brownies and muffins that are more moist. The green tea red bean muffin had about 4 pieces of red bean in it, so it didn't really add any flavor or texture- it was like there wasn't any red bean at all. They had a large selection of teas available so perhaps that what you should go for if you decide to come here, but I would not recommend their baked goods.
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Review from Linda T.
San Francisco, CA
4/19/2009
awww i can't believe this place is closing!
i walk on 3rd between 14th and 30th probably once a week but have never seen this place since i always walk on the other side of the street. i found out it was closing today, and lo-and-behold, i was walking down 3rd and this time consciously walked on the other side of the street to see if i could find it (i didn't have the address with me.)
today is their last day, and i went in the late afternoon, so the selection of teas and treats were dwindling. the people there were still SUPER nice though, and gave great recommendations on teas (i got a green tea, now i don't even remember the name of it...) i also got some of the tea cookies which are sooo cute. they are quite buttery, but buttery = delicious in my book. i haven't tried all the ones i've gotten yet (i got one of each kind they had available) but of the two i've eaten already, the lemongrass ginger was pretty unique and awesome. :D
hopefully amai will come back in some form or another, and hopefully back to nyc! -
Review from Clara W.
Saratoga, CA
3/10/2009
I was really excited about finding Amai after finding the owner's blog online and trying out my own rendition of her green tea cookies, but upon finding the place wasn't all that impressed. It's very cramped (well, NYC), and the bakery goods are...okay. I tried the chocolate walnut scone, but found it VERY dry and crumbly without much walnut or chocolate taste; it was just kind of sweet and buttery. Hopefully the tea cookie I bought will be better...not quite feeling the trek to this place was totally worth it.
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Review from Sky K.
New York, NY
12/24/2007
Two words. Botanical Brownies. We needed a last minute Christmas gift and it had to be consumable. This person has everything. Luckily, he also has an insatiable chocolate sweet tooth which makes gift giving a breeze. The city is full of chocolate adventures, is even host to an annual chocolate show, but only Amai Tea & Bake House's dark chocolate botanical brownies would do. The newly opened shop claims its cupcake-shaped brownies (made with real lychee, mandarin, peach & cherry fruit) are best washed down with a cup of Japanese sencha or banchaas green tea (they also have an extensive tea menu). I personally like them with milk.
