ching ching CHA

Incredibly restful and an unforgettable atmosphere. Take a break from shopping and order the «harmony» cup of tea

Oh my, this first experience was better than expected, even after reading all these rave reviews! I highly recommend this place to any tea lovers out there. I tried the monkey king green tea and the jasmine tea, definitely loved the monkey king, and the price is worth the show given on how to make the tea starting from washing the leaves and warming the cup! The food was also spectacular! I tried the bento box with chicken curry, loved the kale, tomato soup that came with it, and the curry! And the mongolian lamb dumplings, mind blowing! Beef curry roll is very good too, but definitely get their mongolian dumplings, drooling right now thinking about it

My favorite tea shop in the DC region. Very authentic, with great service and really good teas at very reasonable prices, given the quality.
The setting is lovely and tranquil, and the small food menu is full of tempting options, prepared quickly. The food seems to include healthier options than most restaurants — less that’s fried and full of butter, etc. I’ve really enjoyed everything I’ve eaten here, and the selections really complement tea well. Perfect for lunch or a light snack.
I keep coming back here, for good reason. The people who run this shop really are delightful and they will pour your tea for you at your table according to precise methods to ensure you get the best experience of the teas. They also sell loose leaf teas, so if you find something you enjoy, you can take it home with you. Lastly, they have an extensive teaware collection that is really quite remarkable and probably worth a visit in its own right.
I have sampled all the serious tea venues in the area — and there are plenty here that are impressive — but I give Ching Ching Cha my unequivocal endorsement: it is the best.

Found this place via Unilocal and figured we should try it out since we were close by. At first, when walking through the front door my friend and I felt as though we were walking into a vintage bookstore. As we progressed through the entryway, a waiter quickly appeared and welcomed us to a table.
Now the interior of this place threw me off a little. I hate using this word, but it was very oriental. I swear there was a scent reminiscent of incenses which is odd because it’s a tea place but maybe that was my mind messing with me. Off towards the center of the café/​restaurant were a variety of books and tea available for purchase.
We were seated off to the side of the restaurant at a table. Behind me were lower wooden tables with pillows as seats instead. My friend and I ordered the peach blossom and harmony tea, as well as vegetable dumplings and the pork roll. The peach blossom tea was served in a glass mug/​cup, and the tea leaves slowly blossomed as time went on. The harmony tea was served in a small tea pot, and we were provided with one small tea cup to pour the tea into.
I wanted something fruity, so when I tried the harmony tea I wasn’t disappointed. The tea was sweet but not too sweet, definitely retaining the bitterness that tea leaves are known for. My friend and I noticed that as time went on, both of our teas became more bitter which of course makes sense, but for some odd reason passed our minds.
The food offered was mostly appetizers, consisting and things you see at many other Chinese restaurants. The dumplings weren’t completely mind blowing, as well as the pork rolls, but as appetizers they served their purpose. And as they were coupled with tea, it attributed to creating a lax atmosphere, in addition to the regular décor.
One thing I would have liked more would be a bigger food selection (entrées) since we were starving. But it makes sense since this primarily a tea house. Also, I know this place operates off of Chinese culture, but I almost felt as though the entire place was created and marketed as… too commercialized. Lastly, the lighting was a little too dim for where we sat, as compared to the other side of the café.
Overall though, this was a nice place to relax and catch up with friends. The tea was great, and everything felt warm to the heart. If I was in the mood, I would definitely come back!

If you like tea, you must come here. It is tied, or maybe even better, than the arguably fabulous Capital Teas.
The tea is phenomenal, but what makes this place stand out is the experience it offers. There are various seating areas. I sat on a cushioned floor, my legs tucked between a traditional floor seating table. It was a homey and intimate way to share tea with friends. The tea was unique and delicious. I did not order food, but most certainly will next time! The cultural tea books, cute chopsticks, and other items for sale make for good souvenirs or gifts. During the day this place is popular, but late in the evening you can have a quieter meal or tea session.
The only reason I am giving it four stars is the price. $ 6 + tip for a pot of tea was more than I’d like to pay. However, it is specialty tea so maybe the price is a value. I suppose one has to know a little more about tea before making that type of observation. Regardless, this is a lovely place which I shall return to!

What a hidden gem! Food is great, ambient is awesome and the teas are off charts. To go and spend some time worry less…
Kudos for the waiter. What a sweet girl…

Here is Oriental Chinese tea place. Tea is really delicious. I recommend Oolong tea. Additionally, the bento box is very organic. I ordered mochi ice-​cream for my dessert. It is also delicious!

When in Georgetown it seems like my bf and myself always have to enjoy a cup of tea and the fun part is whenever we go to Ching Ching Cha… we always try a different one. Then again how can you not considering there are so many selections. We still have yet to try food selections there but they always smell so good perhaps at the next visit we will try their tea and bento combination.
The staff here is always so attentive and friendly and i love how they tell you how to brew each individual tea since not every method is the same. I don’t think I’ve tried a bad tea here and I love that they have an option for tea on the floor with patted pillows. I always forget to wear the right shoes so its easy to take off… But there is always another visit.
They also have a lovely selection of loose leaf teas that you can purchase in bulk along with different tea pots and cups.
Favorite tea was definitely the first one we tried which was the harmony
was amazing how there was no added sweetener but the fruit inside the tea gave it a natural fruitiness and sweetness.
For those who are tea snobs and just want an all natural warm beverage this is your spot. Whether you need to catch up with a friend… need to grab lunch read a book be zen with yourself. This place is peaceful enough to do so. Truly a georgetown gem.

As I walked into the tea house, the little corridor definitely reminded me of the traditional chinese restaurants in NY. It was a nice oak smell, full of tradition. I wasn’t sure what to do as I walked in bc all you saw as you walked in were tea. A gentleman walked up dress in the traditional Chinese outfit and said his greetings. There wss floor seating and table. My backed ached so I chose the table. :)
I wasn’t very hungry but I couldn’t help but order some food. I had the vegetable dumplings. Nothing fancy, simple. My friend had the curry bento box so I tried some of her veggies. The kale and cabage were cooked enough to hold the crunch and was flavored with a soy dressing. It was refreshing.
Now for the main reason for coming. TEA TEA TEA… The energy of the place is very nice. Serene, grounded and complete. I loved all the different type of tea sets and cups. It was like walking to a museum of tea! I had the 8 treasure tea. Medium flavor, lots of different ingredients but not bitter. I enjoyed it. It was nice, I can’t say much about the other teas but I look forward to trying them all!

A wonderful find in the Georgetown area. Thanks to Unilocal.I liked the ambience of this tea house /​restaurant. Looks rather like a Chinese tea house. :) You have an option of a table or floor seating with pillows. I had the mapo doufu bento, and the Ginseng Oolong tea. They explain the Chinese tea preparation wth the supplied tea ware (also for sale). They offer 70 variations of tea. The food was really good especially the green tea mochi. I will return if I’m in the area again.

I love this place as soon as you walk in you can feel the essence of calm. People are quietly having intimate and engaging conversations. You look to the right there is an assortment of loose leaf teas and other tea related products for purchase and to the left and around a divider lots of open seating. There is lots of space between the tables, which is nice because you get some privacy.
We were seated in an open area, and behind us is a space where you can remove your shoes, step up on a platform space and relax on a few pillows (on the floor) and drink your tea at a coffee table.
This tea house has lots of dumplings to choose from, apparently they must be good, because when we sat down around 6 pm, the dumplings were all gone. So I went with 2 croissant pastries one with chicken on the inside, the other with beef. They were pretty good/​average, but I much rather to have had the lamb dumplings. *the reason for 4 stars instead of 5.
Next time!
There is an art to the way tea is served in Asian culture. The staff is very kind and patient; both of these virtues are displayed here as our server came over and carefully poured our tea and told us precisely when we should add more water to our cups. They know exactly when to come by and check up on you without interruption.
Lovely…my peach blossom tea opened up right in front of me, so beautiful to watch. A work of art and nature in every sip!
The sign of true tea mastery is when every round of tea tastes exactly the same and at ching ching CHA there was an un-​cut ribbon of flavor with every cup. So worth the trip!

Took advantage of my personal day and spent it here and around Georgetown. For worry-​free parking we went to garage next to CB2 via the Spothero app. We were the first ones there on that dreary morning and spent 2 minutes trying to decide whether to peel off our soggy shoes or to take the regular tables. When we finally settled on the tables, we were greeted by sweet ladies who recommended the Chamomile Tea.
For starters, we ordered the veggie dumplings (liked that the filling had noodles, but no remarkable flavor) and marble tea eggs (takes 3 days to make, tasty– but crazy overpriced). I ordered the chicken curry with snow peas, squash, and kale and my friend had the all veggie version. Our food took a little long to arrive (though we were warned) and I was accidentally presented with the salmon dish. Glad I said something, because the chicken curry was so comfortingly hearty I wanted to drench all my veggies in the sauce. Also, THE KALE was so good– crispy and sweet after having been boiled and blanched.
Overall, definitely not the best bang for your buck, but you leave feeling refreshed and without additional layers coating your arteries. Would like to take my family here because I can’t think of another place quite like this in the area.

One of my favorite tea houses in the Washington DC area, I always look forward to my visits here when I am in the area.
The tea is amazing, the food is wonderful, and the staff is always attentive and helpful. I love bring people new to the tea house experience here because I know they will enjoy it and the staff is always more then happy to explain the process of enjoying specific types of teas.
The only downfall at Ching Ching CHA is there are only two zashiki style seating (sit on floor at low tables) configurations, all the the rest of the seating is traditional western style table and chairs.
I will be back again and again! Thanks for the wonderful experiences in the past, the present and in the visits to come in the future!

This is a unique and quaint little shop with some cute tables tucked inside a tiny shop selling tea and cute related accessories.
The service is wonderful– very polite and friendly and welcoming!
The food is great too. We had a little bento box that was perfectly and lightly seasoned, flavorful, and delicately presented. The teas we had were wonderful. Very true to the titles, and not overly sweet or ‘dolled up’ like American teas. They were pure and strong and enjoyable.
I would highly recommend this place for an afternoon snack or light dinner with a friend. It’s quiet and quaint, perfect for good conversation and lots to look around at in the shop itself.
Would definitely return if Im in the area again!!!

Loved the iced tea mixed with fruit juice! I got the apple (with jasmine). So refreshing and tasty! AND it came in a giant glass (like German beer garden boot sized).
The Bento box was decent, especially the curry, although the vegetables were a bit bland. Mongolian dumplings also good, if you like lamb. They’re not as juicy or tender as pork dumplings.

Love coming here for tea! It’s on the pricier side but it’s real tea. The deserts are good too. But, I wouldn’t eat the food here. It’s not that great. Come here for tea only.

Stopped by for a cool drink on a hot and humid day and got a hibiscus tea w/​sugar for myself and a jasmine green w/​o sugar for the bf. We got them «to-​go» so I can’t speak to the food/​menu or customer service, but the cashier was polite and friendly, all smiles. Each drink was $ 2.50, with $ 15 credit minimum. The drinks came out in a few minutes, and both were crisp and refreshing. My hibiscus was tart and sweet with floral hints… perfect thirst-​quencher for the weather. My bf enjoyed his jasmine tea as well; steeped perfectly with the roasted flavor of tea without being too overpowering.
Wish we weren’t in a hurry… I would have loved to check out all the loose-​leaf teas and teapots and other tea related merchandise they had displayed… maybe next time! :]

In a word… unique!
Cate and I were thinking of walking the trail at Great Falls. I mean it was 74 degrees yesterday… today it was like winter wonderland. So, since it was Saturday we decided to check out this place after reviewing several Unilocal posts.
We did the traditional chinese tea service, removing our shoes and sitting on the floor, with pads of course.
Our Server Man Yee was so very nice and helpful. She explained the various tea’s and the menu and made suggestions. Cate had the Jasmine Blossom and I had the Jasmine Pearl They were both just terrific.
We shared the Salmon with Kale & Cabbage and we each had a bowl of Miso soup.
What a great way to spend a Saturday lunch and make it a special experience.
I would highly recommend as a way to entertain out of towers.

As a tea lover, I can say that this place is just perfect. During a rainy Saturday stroll in Georgetown, I stopped in for a bit of warmth. This place is half loose tea shop, half tea salon. Everything is done in the Chinese traditional manner, which was fascinating to me, as I was never initiated to Chinese tea rituals.
They have regular tables, and a couple of low tables where you sit on cushions. Welcome change of scenery from the DC busy life — take off your shoes, sit on a cushion, and put your worries away.
Their tea list is a great selection of all kinds of teas, for all tastes and all budgets. I treated myself to an Iron Goddess of Mercy. My waiter was extremely pleasant and helpful, showing me how to use each of the tea utensils that my little tray came with. The whole ritual is enjoyable — by focusing on the different steps, you put your thoughts away for a while. And the tea was exceptional, of course.
I also chose a marble egg, for my tea break. Great savory afternoon snack, I loved it.

I’d prefer stopping in to pick up some tea to go next time. It’s cute inside, but with tables in close proximity to one another, it’s difficult to have any sort of intimate conversation.
If you’re not familiar with traditional tea, it is worthwhile to check out their tea service. It will vary with your tea selection, but if you happen to select a tea with fresh tea leaves, they’ll wash the tea leaves with an initial pour of hot water before allowing the leaves to steep.