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Puerh in NYC

I had a day trip last weekend into New York while I was out that way visiting relatives. The goals for the trip were to visit the shaving supply vendors in upper Manhattan (which was successful) and to explore the Chinatown area just because I never had while keeping an eye out for Puerh.

I found some!

The first place was Ten Ren, which had about three or four different makes cakes. The cheapest was about $18, the next (a Menghai) was $45 and then the prices got into ridiculous three digit figures. Since it was in fromt of me with no idea that I would find more elsewhere, I picked up a couple of Zhangzhou Tenfu cakes. While there I asked the lady if she knew of any other places that had puerh and she said "No." I'm sure now that she did know but wasn't telling.

I pressed on, exploring various places. At one point I went into a Chinese herbalist thinking that they might have puerh for medicinal use (weight loss). He didn't, but directed me to a Chinese grocery, while mentioning that Ten Ren is expensive. That Chinaman was difficult to understand and I wasn't able to find the place.

Later on I discovered a pottery shop that had tea wares, and for dirt cheap! Yixing pots, tasting cup sets, gaiwans, all sorts of stuff. I picked up some items and inquired about puerh from the couple running that shop. They directed me to the same Chinese grocery while also mentioning that Ten Ren is expensive.

When I found the place I realized that I had already been there, but didn't know about the downstairs area that the couple directed me to. Down there, I found lots of good tea ware and lo, on the bottom shelves of the tea wall, puerh cakes! Not just a few, they had stacks of them!

I basically grabbed one of everything to try out (a cake is a sample) figuring that I'll be back around Christmas time. Here's the score:

One each:
Menghai 7842, 7892, 7872, all in presentation boxes. $12.95 each with the 7872 being $15.95.

Golden Sail S306 and S307 for $2.95 each. And S301 Beeng Cha for $12.95

Tian Yu Cha Chang Chupin cakes, Grade A and Grade B. $9.95 and $7.95 respectively.

A Ya Chi Tian Cia (DaDuGong) in presentation box for $19.95.

I would have bought more but that was all I could carry on the subway system and train along with my shaving purchases. A highly successful day!

I hope that other locals will explore the Chinatown area and ask where they can find puerh. I suspect that there is at least one other place there, somewhere.

OH! That Chinese grocery? It is New Kam Man, at 200 Canal Street. A friendly bunch working there. I hope that others will go there and ask like I did for them to carry more factories, such as Xiaguan and Menku. If the demand is there we might get lucky!

Ouch, I expect you to leave some for me when I get back.
 

ouch

Stjynnkii membörd dummpsjterd
I've been going to Kam Man (and their sister store around the corner, Kam Kuo) for over 25 years. It's a great place for shark's fin, bird's nest, dried shrimp and scallop, all grades of dried mushrooms, you name it. It's one of the last places where I can still find Sa Cheng oyster sauce, my favorite. I've purchased cleavers, cutting boards, woks, tea sets, and some marginal but very well priced bulk tea. It's a Chinatown institution.


Are you sure about the 78xx series? Nevah hoid 'o da guys.
 
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I'm sure, just double checked the numbers and they are all 78xx.

I won't have a chance to try any of them until next week. :sad:
 

ouch

Stjynnkii membörd dummpsjterd
Smelling a rookie mistake, I sent one of my identical twin minions (not quite sure which one) to verify the above, and she reported back that these are not in fact Menghai Tea Factory bings, rather Menghai Chen Sheng or some other factory lifting the MTF name. I have published several rants about this practice.
Examples:
http://www.puerhshop.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=19&products_id=467
http://www.puerhshop.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1_29&products_id=753
http://www.puerhshop.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1_29&products_id=836
 
Oh well, intrigue always makes the Pu taste better, at least in the short run.

Jon, can you post some pictures of the cakes? Be interested in seeing them.

If you look back, I was the recipient of a counterfeit cake....made for a great conversation:

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=89507

I am interested in your impressions of the Pu. Also, massive cudos to you for finding these many puer's in Chinatown. I spent hours on my last trip searching in vain, finding nary a cake outside of Ten Ren. Strong work!
 
Hello folks,

Interesting thread! I have been to the Ten Ren stores in Chicago and Rockville Maryland (DC area). Of the puerh they had, almost all of it was cooked pu and nothing over $100. Interesting that the NYC location is different (I like the recurring theme "You can go to TR but it is expensive...).

Yes - please post pics of your Lower East End purchases. Will be interesting to see how they look compared to Menghai stuff on YS and DTH .

Taking an expansive view of what constitues New York City (not just Manhattan), has anyone been to the Luh Yu store out in Flushing, Queens (yeah that place in NYC where the US Open tennis competition is held)?

http://www.luhyutea.com/

I have ordered teaware from their online stores and was satisfied. They look to have puerh but on the more expensive side of things. Next time I am in the Big Apple, I plan to go.

Happe GFC :biggrin:,

TGY
 
As requested, here are pictures of the three Meng Hai cakes. I did not notice the stains on the wrapper of the 7872 until after I got back from my trip. That'll teach me to open the box and inspect first! Perhaps it was wet stored? :lol:

I have yet to try any of the purchases and I've had them for ten days now. It's been crazy-busy at the Green since I got back!
 

ouch

Stjynnkii membörd dummpsjterd
Ah, as reported, those aren't Menghai Tea Factory bings. This news will please my personal secretaries, who are in fear of punishment for giving me erroneous information.
 

ouch

Stjynnkii membörd dummpsjterd
The more secretaries I get, the more the paperwork piles up. Can't figure it out for the life of me.
 
Ah, as reported, those aren't Menghai Tea Factory bings. This news will please my personal secretaries, who are in fear of punishment for giving me erroneous information.

I hope to delve into those Meng Hai cakes this week and see if it was worth transporting several pounds of puerh on the subway and NJT systems. Fortunately, I have elements of the Shlongini Collection from the tea pass to compare them too!
 

ouch

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Fortunately, I have elements of the Shlongini Collection from the tea pass to compare them too!

:lol:
Careful- I have it under good authority that some of the items included were intentionally bad, to see if you're all paying attention.
 
If it hasn't been thoroughly illustrated up to now in this thread - I'm still learning. :blushing:
 

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Stjynnkii membörd dummpsjterd
By the way, I understand that Kam Man also has some "basket" tea, but I'm not sure if it's Liu An or Liu Bao. I think they're ~$9 a basket, so I wouldn't think it's anything world beating.
 
There was a huge selection of teas at Kam Man, many of which that I couldn't figure out what they were. (I don't read Chinese) It was almost a "Wall of Tea" there. There was a couple of compressed teas that looked interesting but I passed them up because of a lack of space for carrying them. Alas, most of teas appeared to be the tea bag variety.
 
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