Downtown LA just got a new tea shop and it’s cuter than I thought it would be.

To be honest I didn’t know what to expect from the shop prior to walking in, but after viewing a few photos of the drinks on Instagram I was eager to find out. Looking around Weller Court of Little Tokyo, my friend Lauren and I couldn’t find the shop. It was only after scanning the area back and forth and from left to right a few times that we were finally able to locate our destination. Nestled in the corner of the bustling plaza, was TeaShot.

TeaShot held a soft opening last week with a grand opening to the public on Saturday. Visiting the new store during its soft opening meant I got the chance to check out a few of their drinks while it wasn’t overwhelmed with customers. With that luxury, Lauren and I looked over the quaint shop, analyzed the menu, and ordered a few items.

After ordering our drinks we stepped outside and stumbled on two teas that were staged for photos. The layered Butterfly Pea ($5) and Rose Tea ($5) drinks were so pretty and vibrant in their color that it was impossible not to be captivated by the sheer look of it all. I would have stopped to take a sip except they weren’t mine and those which I ordered were ready.

From the drinks on the menu that caught our eye we ordered the Peach Oolong ($4), the Lychee Green ($4), and the Blueberry Lemon ($4). Sampling each drink we found flavors that fell flat and flavors that stood out. With the first tea, the peach oolong (not pictured), it was clear from the initial sip the drink carried a prominent bitter taste that was unable to be balanced with the available agave syrup. The semi-sharp taste wasn’t one that I wasn’t interested in and as a result I focused my attention on the Lychee Green tea. Lauren’s drink was perfection from the very first taste of it. It was casually sweetened without being aggressive, incredibly refreshing, and the addition of Honey Boba ($.50) was the delicious lasting taste I could have asked to have. I was tempted to finish it, but considering that it was Lauren’s order I didn’t. Instead I tried and quickly fell in love with my Blueberry Lemon with honey boba. It had such a fruity taste and minty accent that it was the perfect drink to have on such a warm day.

The last order of the afternoon was a Red Cookie Shot ($4.50) with Vietnamese milk coffee. The shot was cute and picture worthy of course, but I quickly realized that it can be a bit of a mess if you eat it incorrectly. To avoid that: take a sip of the shot, bite the cookie, sip, bite, and repeat until finished. Taking a bite of the full shot will spill the coffee on your clothes and on the ground and ultimately create a cookie-coffee disaster. The cookie itself is nice, slightly dense, and sweet and the milk is smooth and calming, but this wouldn’t be something I order frequently because I don’t think the price is worth the item. If you’ve never had one before I would say you should get it. But when it comes to a repeat purchase I wouldn’t suggest it. At a dollar or two less I think it would be good decision, but at close to $5 I don’t believe it’s worth the value.

I’m glad Lauren and I were able to find TeaShot and explore a few items on the menu. While the Peach Oolong and the Cookie Shot were items that I was glad to try, I wouldn’t order them again because I wasn’t fond of the taste and didn’t see value in the price of the items respectively. Instead, I would easily and quickly return for the Lychee Green tea and the Blueberry Lemon. I think those were two delicious drinks that exceeded my taste expectations and showcased the shop nicely. As well, on the next visit I’ll get my own Butterfly Pea and Rose Tea drinks so I can finally try them out for myself.

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Address: 123 Astronaut E S Onizuka St Suite 101D, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Phone: (213) 628-3886
Hours: Monday through Thursday – 9:00am to 9:00pm, Friday and Saturday – 9:00am to 10:00pm, and Sunday – 10:00am to 9:00pm.
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