Cha-An

Such a cute tea house and dessert spot! The place is very charming with wooden and bamboo décor that provides a serene atmosphere. Space is small but intimate and cozy. We waited 20 minutes for a party of 4 late Sunday night. I can imagine the wait being a lot longer during peak hours
We came here just for the desserts. The server recommended the Chef’s Selection Dessert Sampler ($ 20) as it was our first time and for us to try a little bit of everything. Everything was delicious and beautifully presented. We enjoyed the black sesame crème brûlée, jasmine ice cream, green tea short bread cookies, and also ordered the Sakura Flam ($ 9) to complement the dessert sampler.
The desserts were not overly sweet and not super rich/​heavy which was very refreshing.
It is a bit pricey but definitely an experience worth trying as it is an authentic Japanese teahouse and a popular spot in East Village.

Super awesome dessert place in East Village, matcha green tea latte was definitely a highlight. The vibe and atmosphere is really cool and perfect after a full day in the village.

I had super high expectations before visiting this place but was quite let down. While their service is the best of the best and all their waiters were super sweet, the desserts were just mediocre.
I ordered a Mochi Mochi, which was Hojicha ice cream with rice balls and green tea mochis. The ice cream was so good and refreshing and the rice balls and green tea mochi were as expected and quite good. The reason I give this place a three star is because of the sweet syrup they add in my dessert (pools at the bottom of the bowl). The syrup was WAY too sweet and sadly ruined the dessert for me. :(
I also tried a bit of my friend’s sesame crème brûlée and it was also too sweet and repetitive.
Wish their desserts weren’t as sweet, otherwise, I would definitely return to try more of their desserts.

Great dessert place!
I enjoyed the desserts here, but not a big fan of their food items. My favorite has to be the black sesame crème brûlée! It was so delicious!
The restaurant is quite small but cozy. Just be ready for a line, we had to wait a while before being seated.

Such a cute and comfortable area to have some dessert! I had been around the area several other times, trying to come in, but due to there being a crowd of people ahead, had to go back out to find an alternative. The last time I visited was with my cousin, and thank goodness for not needing to wait cuz we finally got seated! Yay.
I forgot what exactly we ordered, but I know we got a set and some other dessert to try, and no regrets. Deliciousness. The whole time, it was «oooohh» or «mmm.»
At first, it can feel a bit expensive because the food comes in a small size, such that if you’re with a guy, he may gobble everything all up in a bite or two. Definitely not food that you’d be full over, but good for a chatting and munching session.
I would like to come back to actually enjoy their teas and other menu items. Not too excited for what I may need to pay, but it’s all for the experience to try the tea in a tea-​based environment.

Before attending a show last week, a friend suggested us to get tea. When we first got there, I asked for a table for four. Three of us were here, waiting on one friend. She said we’d have to wait. Then asked me for my name to add us to the waitlist. There was a huge language barrier as I had to spell my name super slowly only to see the lady have down ‘Sydia’ on the paper .-.
Anyway, we got a table right after our last friend arrived. The menu was extensive and looked really great (all the desserts) and the tea too. The process of the tea was interesting. Pricey place and not really a place worth my while coming back to for a while.
We ordered:
— Black Sesame Créme Brulée (best of the desserts but I wouldn’t come here alone to eat it– I like my dessert in small bites, not in bulk – most memorable of all things we ordered though!)
— Honey Oolong tea — yummy — sweet & woody
— Peach Oolong — ehh… didn’t taste peach at all? Honey oolong wins.
— Green tea parfait
— Green tea ice cream with mochi

Everything looked so amazing on the menu I wish I came in here hungrier. I only ordered the green tea latte deluxe (which comes with matcha ice cream and red bean). Delicious! Not overly sweet as most ice creams and lattes are, the matcha is perfectly balanced with the latte and red bean, the only thing that’s awkward is that they use ice cubes which makes it hard to eat the ice cream.
Would defiantly want to come back to try their lunch and food, the eel, fish, and small desserts look amazing!

Came back again to show a visiting friend one of my favorite dessert spots in St. Mark. Fortunately we got seated immediately. Ordered the Black Sesame Crème Brûlée again and loved it just as much as the first time! One thing that bothered me was how long it took to even put our order in and to flag down a waiter… the only waiter. It wasn’t even peak hours. Friendly staff but they need more people working front of house.

It is the first time i am here. It is a tiny place for Japanese dessert. there is usually wait b/​c the place is tiny. We ordered chef’s selection and green tea latte.
I am not sure why this place has such high review on Unilocal,but i thought the dessert are just alright and its service is really bad. We had to ask our server for water after sitting there for 20 minutes. and our server dropped our dessert plate when she was serving our dessert plate and she didnt’ even apologize for it. Its service is really horrible considering it is a JAPANESE restaurant.
The price is on the higher side vs other dessert places in NYC.
I would not come back again b/​c of its poor service, average quality dessert, and its price

Some many options at this place for desserts and teas. Great for a nightcap or to chat with some friends. Can get a bit crowded, so make a reservation before heading over. They have bar seating but, again, it’s limited. What to get? Try anything really. I got the green tea affogato because I love affogatos. So follow your stomach-​heart, and you should be okay.

I came to Cha-​An one afternoon to kill a little time before meeting a friend. This spot was great for a little bit of me-​time on a Tuesday afternoon. No wait and fairly calm atmosphere.
I ordered Flower Craft Tea ($ 9 yikes) which was fragrant and light. I noticed some other Unilocal comments about people getting charged extra for refills on hot water, but I had two refills with no extra charge.
On my second tea refill I decided to try the seasonal flan ($ 9), cherry blossom. Boy did it jiggle! I give this dessert an A+ on texture. The flan itself actually tasted like green tea, but there was a cherry blossom on top, which was compliment because it was a bit tart and had a floral plum taste.
Overall I had a nice experience and considering I spent over two hours here nursing one cup of tea and a dessert I don’t really mind that the bill was a little «steep» (tea pun!) Since i was on vacation, it was worth it to avoid a bunch of kids with their laptops at a Starbucks.

Most of the reviewers for Cha-​An focus on the desserts, but there’s more here, all nicely done.
The restaurant is on the second floor, up a rather dark staircase to a small waiting area/​landing, then thru the hanging curtain to the restaurant.
The room has been very thoughtfully designed and decorated — butterflies in wall recesses, a small semi-​private room, a nook, with rich wood, the light from outside muted — very inviting, and reflecting the theme of the restaurant. The rest of the experience is similarly thoughtful and nicely executed.
In addition to the desserts cited by so many reviewers, they have a small selection of meal ensembles — seven grain rice or porridge, mackerel or salmon or tuna or eel, pickled lotus root, seaweed, tofu, all served at once in a bowl donburi or in a set of small dishes. The food was fresh and tasty, well prepared, and very traditional.
We also ordered a «salmon toast» which was a large chunk of sliced bread, delicately toasted, with a generous portion of smoked salmon on top — no dainty toast points here.
Cha-​An offers a wide variety of teas, as you might expect, with tasting notes for each to provide some guidance. On the day I visited they were out of the oolong type that I requested, but the waiter was up-​to-​date, and could suggest an off-​menu alternative.
The tea service itself comes with all the trappings — small cups, a slotted tray to discard rinses and cold tea. This could be intimidating, but the waiter was willing to explain it all. The waiter and waitress were patient, courteous and responsive.
The desserts were rich — we sampled five — and enjoyed them all — I’ll leave the details to other reviewers.
The tables are a bit small, especially when you factor in a set of dishes and tea cups and tea pots and strainers and hot water carafes and napkins and chopsticks and spoons and… but on the other hand there is a wide central aisle and the room doesn’t feel overcrowded or claustrophobic, as so many places do. There’s also a bar at the end of the room with a few seats.
Bottom line: If you enjoy Japanese food, tea and culture, and don’t mind the crowded tables, Cha-​An is a nice, relaxing restaurant to get a good healthy meal, to catch up with friends over dessert and tea, or just enjoy something different.

Came here with my bro for dessert. We got here a little after 2 and there were already a few people waiting on line to be seated. The lady will ask you for your name and how many people are in your group and then give you a very accurate estimate of how long the wait time will be. For us (group of 2), it was about a 10 min wait. The décor is very nice! I really liked the Japanese decorations and the seating. Everything was also very clean. I’m sure the atmosphere would be absolutely amazing/​tranquil with less people. But, this place is popular and is always packed so it can be a little on the noisier side, thus disrupting the zen lmao. Service was pretty attentive.
I was stuck between ordering two desserts or getting the Chef’s Selection Dessert Sampler. However, as a true foodie and lover of trying new things, I just couldn’t resist getting something with the word «sampler» in the name lol. It was $ 20 and comes with 5 random mini desserts. For our sampler, we got:
Black sesame crème brûlée– It was pretty good. The top had a nice and crispy charred layer. The crème had a nice consistency and was bursting with black sesame flavor.
Black sesame ice cream– Very refreshing. Most of the black sesame ice cream that I’ve had elsewhere was too heavy. The one here was very light but still retained the same great black sesame flavor.
Green tea and chocolate shortbread– It was alrightt. Nothing special.
Citron cake– I would say was my favorite one in the sampler! The cake had a nice citrusy taste to it and was soft but slightly chewy as well! Comes with a cream and citrus sauce on top that had a good balance of sweet and sour.
Red bean mochi– Wasn’t a fan of this.
I think I would’ve liked this place more if I had ordered 2 desserts instead of the sampler. While I did like most of what we got in the sampler, the portions were just too small. The sampler is obviously meant to be shared since you’re not going to eat $ 20 of desserts yourself but between 2 people, we only got like 1 – 2 bites of each dessert. Looking around, the portions of the regular desserts seemed much bigger yet still shareable. Overall, I would say this is a nice place to visit with a friend or a date but I would suggest ordering the regular desserts and skipping the sampler since it wasn’t really worth it.

We had some dessert at this place. It is such a cute place. It is intimate inside==tiny space.
We came in 2pm on a Monday, quite a lot of people in already. We had the green tea parfait, which is huge, I enjoyed it. And also a seasonal flan, which I couldn’t tell the taste of it. I don’t like flan in general, so I would pass that one.
The tea is really good. But after asking for adding hot water for 3 times, I was told it would be charged!!! Oh well, I guess they just don’t want us to stay there forever chatting. Fine, then I will leave.

Excellent desserts, both times I’ve been here I’ve enjoyed the sweets.
The deluxe matcha latte was a cold matcha drink with the addition of tasty vanilla ice cream and sweetened red beans. Without the ice cream and beans the drink would be a little plain.
The mochi mochi, had good hojicha ice cream (very mild flavor), with soft, white mochi (shiratama) and warabimochi (green tea mochi with a much softer, squisher, almost jelly-​like consistency.)
There is a cute, little teahouse atmosphere here with traditional Japanese decorations. Use of wood throughout, small teahouse front in the corner, bamboo-​like décor.)

Location:
Cha-​An is hidden on E 9^th street. A small door and a long upstairs will lead you to your final destination of Cha-​An. Small, but japanese, Cha-​an is decorated with clearly beautiful japanese styles, including their inner design and their bar.
Food: We have the menu for a while because we did not know what to order. Clearly, there are very limited options for late-​night hanging out. My friend wanted some brunch entrée, which they do not offer. We ended up with a green tea parfait, mochi, and hot mocha. Very very very delicious! I love their green tea parfait, deep green tea inside the ice cream, with crispy cereal, with red beans, and green tea cream. It ‘s balanced but I wished that they could have two scopes of green tea ice cream, and no crispy cereal…
Mochi is randomly assigned flavors by them. They do provide green tea, and we also have a chocolate one.
Pretty dense I would say, but still worth every penny to try.
Service: there’s always a line waiting inside and outside. When you got there, they would take your name you phone number and tell you that they will contact you once there’s a place to seat. We waited about 10 minutes and but during brunch time, waiting time would be longer.
Overall: I will settle with 4 stars.
Interesting but only worth one-​time visit.

One of the most popular dessert spots in East Village. Always a long wait on weekends.
If one is looking for real Japanese matcha experience, definitely get the Hot Green Tea Latte with red bean paste. This is one of the very few places in NYC that have it. Although most people like to get the iced ones, actually the hot one is more authentic, close to what I had in Japan (Traditional Japanese Cha-​Dou). Be mindful that it will be pretty bitter, but with a strong refreshing tea scent. The sweetness of red bean paste perfectly balances the bitterness. It will be a joyful experience for tea lovers.
I like the desserts here too, although most desserts with green tea ice cream taste similar, I usually only get one dish with ice cream.
Service here is decent, except for they tend to push customers to check and leave right after finishing the food. Which I don’t blame them, cuz there are always many people waiting in line.

This place was packed when we got here around 10, we were told it would be a 30 min wait, came back in 30 and they told us everyone else would be waiting another 20 or 30 mins and there was a line down the stairs. Once we finally were seated after they gave us a call to come back, everything tasted great. We were not disappointed. Definetly be prepared to wait and walk around a bit but this place is worth it!

Love this place. Located in a hip neighborhood with Japanese cuisine galore this is a great afternoon tea/​dessert spot :)
The desserts have the authentic sweet qualities of Japanese sweets and very kind service. Also clean amenities which are always a plus!

Sweet and chill. Two words to describe this wonderfully tucked away slice of heaven in the East Village. Cha An is a Japanese eatery known for its desserts and relaxing atmosphere of wood, branches, and traditional Japanese screens. They also serve lunch specials, but I only had the honour of trying their desserts and tea service.
Cha An’s signage is slightly sedate so you have to be on the look out for it. However, once you get in, it’s like a whole different world. My friends and I came right when they opened at 2 pm so we wouldn’t have to wait. One of my friends had already been there and he wanted to take us there to experience it. What a wonderful choice. We were seated relatively promptly and that’s when my dilemma occurred– every dessert looked and sounded so delicious! I have a major sweet tooth so I wanted everything on that menu. In the end, my friends both ordered their black sesame crème brûlée with black sesame ice cream and a black sesame wafer on top while I ordered the hojicha (a type of tea) ice cream with amitsu. And of course, I also had to be bad and order a second dessert, the ice cream sandwich with green tea rice crispy wafers as the ‘bread’ of the sandwich.
Everything was sublime– nothing was overpoweringly sweet and the presentation was immaculate. My only criticism would be with the ice cream sandwich wafers which were too hard to cut into and they were a little too stiff when biting into them. If it was more soft like a traditional rice crispy, it would be perfect.
All the ice creams of hojicha, green tea, and black sesame had strong profiles– you could taste the tea or the black sesame. My favourite dessert in the end was the black sesame once because of that burnt wafer which complemented the sweet cream and ice cream well since the wafer was slightly bitter.
To make sure you don’t have too much of a sugary aftertaste, I would recommend the silver needle tea that we ordered– a light but strong tea that was able to balance out the sugary confections.
Service was polite and efficient and they got our orders out promptly. They were really nice at explaining each dessert and they refilled our tea constantly, though we did have to ask them to do that. Anyhow, on my next trip to NY, I will definitely return here to try some more yummy parfaits and I hope you will too.

Located on E9th, this was a hidden gem. I came for their desserts after my dinner. They are affiliated with soba-ya.This is a tea house so they have all sorts of tea flavors. They also have savory food ranging from toasts to smoked salmon dishes. Their sweet desserts are pretty good here. The ambiance is casual. The lighting is dim and with subtle decorations.
My friends and I ordered the Black sesame crème brûlée, the ice Cream Sandwich, Green tea parfait and a cold matcha drink. Aside from the black sesame crème brûlée, everything was green. The presentation for each dessert was done nicely. It was clean and looked appetizing.
I had the green tea parfait. it came with these plain white mochi. It wasn’t to my liking. It was extremely bland. Other than that, it was quite good. The green tea flavorful was definitely there throughout the entire dish.
The black sesame crème brûlée and ice cream sandwich came with this black sesame garnish on top. It was not to any of our liking. It tasted heavily burnt and bitter.

Been dying to come here for month after browsing through all the cute Unilocal photos of the food and ambience. Finally got the chance to after eating across the street at soba ya tonight (haha). From what I hear, the line is usually long here and sometimes even extends up the stairs, but at 7:30pm on a Friday night this place wasn’t too packed. Came here in a party of 3 and was seated around 7 minutes upon arrival. The seating is so atmospheric and cozy; the culture really resonates throughout the restaurant.
I thought Cha-​An mostly served tea and pastries, but I was excited to see all the different dessert options they had. Green tea seems to be a special entity here, so if you’re a green tea/​matcha lover like I am, this is your spot! I didn’t order anything from the many different types of matcha drinks, but I know what I’ll be doing the next time I come here, hehe.
I got the hojicha anmitsu, which was a small bowl of green tea jelly, green tea ice cream, red bean, some sweet yellow thing I don’t recall, and some dough balls. I was surprised at how different green tea jelly tasted from what I had expected; it was far more bitter than I liked, but only left me wanting more. The green tea ice cream was indescribable; it’s rare for me to find «authentic» green tea ice cream, and I think I found it here tonight. It was sweet and extra creamy, with a strong yet delicious after– taste. The dough balls reminded me of the ones my mother makes during the Chinese holidays, which added to the combination of deliciousness and nostalgia.
My friends ordered the 3-​set mochi: black sesame, green tea, and red bean, and a black sesame crème brûlée. I didn’t have much of either dessert, but one bite was enough to satisfy my curiosity. Somehow the desserts just seem to carry a strong flavor and the chefs get to your taste buds just right.
Would love to come back and try the salmon toast. I definitely recommend this place for anyone looking for a small restaurant to just chat, drink tea, and eat fine dessert with friends :)

I randomly found this place because we were dining nearby and wanted emergency dessert. As it was a cold day outside, a tea house sounded perfect. I almost went into the lounge next door, but look for the staircase next to it that takes you to the second floor. Upstairs, there is a tastefully decorated Japanese enclave with a little sushi bar area and a bunch of intimate tables. I think it’s a hidden gem, but based on the number of reviews for this place, maybe not?
In any case, they have an extensive tea menu, which includes less traditional items like green tea latte and such. However, they also have an extensive food menu with a great dessert selection that are pretty unique.
1. Hot matcha latte with red bean: Loved that this came in a bowl. Be cultured and don’t ask for a spoon. Pick up the bowl and drink. The red beans at the bottom… maybe ask for the spoon after all. Who knows. In any case, it was a sweet drink, but not too sweet. I liked that it was a hot drink on a cold day!
2. Mochi mochi: It’s a little mound of 3 different types of mochi of varying flavors. There was a sesame one, but I honestly couldn’t tell you what the other flavors were. It all tasted pretty organic-​y. I wasn’t a fan of one of them.
3. Chef’s dessert platter: You have to try this because it includes the black sesame crème brûlée. I thought it was good, but the flavors are really hit-​you-​over-​the-​head. There was also an ice cream one, and a bunch of other small plates that I couldn’t exactly figure out the contents. In any case, it was all pretty good, but some with flavors that are unique and you may not enjoy as much.
Overall, very cute place for tea and dessert. Many things are good, a few things may be weird to the taste. Give it a try!

The next time you come, don’t be surprised if you find me crouching behind a bamboo screen cradling a cup of tea and nibbling other people’s scraps. I would live here, truly I would.
When our trio arrived, all the tables were taken but we were offered seats at the tea «bar» if we felt comfortable sitting there. Why not? And so we found ourselves with front row seating to a most interesting show of tea craft and muted Japanese banter between the employees. All the staff were incredibly hospitable, but service was a bit slow since it was a holiday weekend. However, we found it a refreshing place to slow down and relax within the bustling city.
We ordered several snacks and three teas to share, and the sharing part would definitely have been easier at a booth or real table. The Honey Phoenix Oolong Tea was our favorite — a tasty oolong with a delicate sweetness to it. The White Peony was a little lacking, and boy oh boy was that cup of Matcha strong! The first two teas came in teapots while the Matcha arrived in a wide ceramic bowl with a side of red beans and mochi.
There’s a few different variations of their Iced Green Tea Drink — we got the Premium one, which came with a scoop of green tea ice cream and red bean. A safe choice for those who don’t want to get too crazy with their refreshments.
Seaweed and Tofu salad arrived with two good-​sized pieces of very soft tofu. Simple and tasty, but I would only get it if you feel like you owe your gut some vegetables.
We didn’t know what to expect from the Chestnut Flan, their seasonal flavor. We had no regrets — the flan is more pudding-​like than cake-​like, but the mellow, roasty chestnut flavor really shone through. The infamous Black Sesame Crème Brûlée met and exceeded our already high expectations. You get all sorts of textures in a bite — crunchy, crispy, creamy, crumbly, custardy — and all the flavors really work in harmony. Be glad this seems to be one of the permanent items on the menu.
I have another confession: I have a bathroom crush on Cha-An’s toilette. The sliding screen door to the women’s restroom blends almost seamlessly with the rest of the décor, and this is few times I’ve ever referred to a bathroom as cozy. «Zen» might be too cliché of a term to use, but it could have been designed for a zen-​themed spa room. The giant Japanese smart-​toilet somehow jives with the earthy vibes, calming lighting, and potted plant in the corner. It is possible to find privacy and comfort in public, people.

Once you find this place, go up the flight of stairs, sit down, and relax with some tea and desserts. With the ambiance inside, it can create an intimate atmosphere so this is a nice place to bring a date.
Cha-​An provides a nice variety of teas to choose from depending on how you are feeling and your preference. If you are actually not feeling for tea, they also have a nice menu of desserts. One of my favorite desserts here is the Black Sesame Créme Brulée. If you are a fan of black sesame flavor, you’ll enjoy this. It is even topped with sesame ice cream and a sesame cookie. It is sesame overload! I would also enjoy getting the Matcha Latte here as they add red bean in it for a nice touch. One thing I remember having here was Cherry Blossom Flan, which was their seasonal flan at the time. It was definitely very interesting and for some reason I could not pinpoint the taste. It tasted plain, but yet, it was not bad to have. Like I said, I was confused by my tastebads with this flan haha.
Just as a note, they do have a limited menu of food here, but I have never eaten a meal here so I cannot access the food. Maybe I’ll come back to try the food sometime!