Lupicia Fresh Tea

Josh and Manuela are super duper nice! They always check on you and are very patient. You should check it out. I like the Apple Berry Green Tea. Yummy!

There was a brief closure scare (the store wasn’t listed on the Lupicia website for a while) but the store is back open. I’ve never lusted after a tea quite like how I lust after Grapefruit Green, I’m making sure to pick up a ton more next i’m in town.

I’ll be honest with you… this review won’t make much sense. I’m not going to explain why I’m giving it 5 stars besides this:
— The employee working there was extremely quaint and affable.
— They have so many choices of tea. I love tea. If you love tea then high five.
— The sample tea she let me try (the Hawaiian blend «Anuenue») tasted EXACTLY how she explained: «Like seeing a rainbow in Hawaii». Listen… I’ve never been to Hawaii, ergo I’ve never seen a rainbow in Hawaii… but if I ever do I’m 100% positive it’ll taste like that tea.
— I love tea.
I left buying two tins and a bag of matcha. I’ll probably buy more tins online.

Lupicia is the place to go when you want some fun teas with interesting flavors. Being a Japanese company, their teas are more Japanese style, and you can see it in their green teas, which are more astringent and grassy as opposed to the more mellow Chinese style that you might find more commonly at other tea places (e.g. Teavana).
I love how their tea samples are just laid out for your browsing pleasure as opposed to having to request a rep behind the counter and feeling pressured to buy (e.g. Teavana).
On this particular experience, we went and browsed the teas for a good while, discussing the ones that we liked and didn’t like. When we were ready to buy and went to the counter, the store rep stood there politely with every single tea we wanted laid out neatly in front. This is really service at another level – your order ready before you even order it! Not sure if their employees are trained to do this, but if not, Josh was excellent and should get promoted to being a trainer for other store reps. It was one of the most pleasurable buying experiences I’ve ever had.
One knock against this particular experience is that their plumbing was being repaired, so I couldn’t sample any brewed teas. It was only afterward, when I got home and tried them that I could tell their real character. Some of the wonderful aromas that you can smell on the loose leaf do not translate well brewed.

Just left this place and purchased a few gift sets. The staff here are fantastic!
Very patient and was very helpful!
One of the staff members was in the middle of gift wrapping, but came to me and let me know it’ll be a few minutes, but if there was something quick he can help me answer. I thought that was a great gesture.
I left out a star because it was a little busy and they only had 2 people working, and I saw people walk out and I had a 15 minute wait just to be help, but once I was next, I got all their attention and the two staff members were very helpful.
They just need to hire more help, other than that, the service here was outstanding!

My little sister and I first encountered Lupicia teas in Taiwan several years ago. I loved the strawberry and vanilla back then and now I can have it anytime by going to Lupicia at Valley Fair. All the teas can be viewed and smelled in the store. Some of the holiday blends, like White Christmas and Jingle Bells, smell amazing. They have lots of nice tins with cute designs on them for the holidays and several combinations that are already wrapped for easy gifting. Tip: the 6-​pack of mini tins makes great little favors to give individually. Check them out on the second floor near the Food Court!

Standing in stark contrast to Teavana downstairs, Lupicia is the real deal!
As a Japanese store, their culture and customs are inherent throughout the customer experience, from the samples preparation to the two-​handed credit card exchange, every detail is crafted and thoughtful.
The layout features loose leaf tins sorted by tea style, all readily available for wafting up a deep sniff. Or they have pre-​packaged options strategically placed throughout their shelves which includes bagged versions.
You can try any tea before you buy AND they have a different free sample every day at the front of the store as you walk in.
Another nice touch during check out is the free sample they put in your bag with every purchase.
And they don’t just offer teas, they also have all the tea accessories you’ll need plus gift bags.

What a welcoming store!
I can’t believe I haven’t been here before. Employees that work here are beyond nice, and offered us a taste of Iced Paradise Green Tea as soon as we walked in. What! They not only have tins of each tea type, but they also offer samples of them brewed upon request! Great way for me to be sure that I am buying the best thing for me out of the store. Hehe
Today, I bought a tin of Napa Blanc tea leaves and got a free sample bag of oolong tea! Yay.
Definitely coming back! I already know I want the «Happiness» tea leaves next time. Fruity. Yum.

What an awesome place to get some gift-​able tea! You can choose any tea you want, and have it put in a nice tin with a box and wrapping paper (extra fee for the tin and wrapping). The sales associate was actually very knowledgable and was able to answer all of my questions to help me choose a tea.
I enjoyed the samples they had in the front of the store and was offered a sample of a Strawberry Milk Tea by the sales associate as well. You also get a free sample tea bag with your purchase!

Stocked with a bountiful selection of teas, Lupicia is THE place to go when you’re in need to buy some tea, whether it be loose leaf or tea bags. Customer service here is FANTASTIC – such a pleasant surprise after the terrible service at Teavana. The sales associate will ask you once if you’d like any help, and once you say no, he’ll leave you alone to look and smell the different teas until you need assistance for purchase or have any questions. The gentleman that helped me was very polite and suggested great items without making me feel pressured to buy anything.
I purchased the orzo caramel barley tea, which was pretty good when made into a milk tea, but I don’t feel like it was anything special – it tasted like a darker barley tea to me. My friend bought the jasmine mandarin tea, which she told me to be excellent – full of flavor and a tantalizing aroma. Note that after you purchase your items, you get a free sample (which WILL pull you in for a new type of tea :))
The only downside to Lupicia is that it IS a little pricey. However, with the great selection of teas and the excellent customer service, I’d be willing to pay the extra cost to get my favorite teas.

OH MY GOD!!! Talk about tea galore! I’ve visited this place probably twice. Both times my bf and I walked around and took a sniff of the store while sipping on our free walk in sample and never spent a dime. It’s pretty expensive.
A couple of days ago we actually took a sample and left. Then after browsing at a couple stores we came back determined to buy something. I couldn’t help myself! Especially with the wonderful service a gentleman named William gave. He was very helpful with tea picking, very knowledgeable about tea and just gave a good vibe that he himself LOVED TEA. I seriously would have sipped tea with him all day and talked about all the flavors of tea. My bf and I spent a great time at the store. I’d have to say it was definitely worth splurging on tea and it was definitely worth coming in. I will be in again hoping William is there again.
When you check you you’re also given a 2 sample teas to take home! Yikes! How can I not come back !!! Those samples were great. I’ll definitely be back to buy the full size packages.

This place is a tea drinker’s dream. I’m no tea expert but I’m just impressed by the selection of teas. Even though I didn’t go to Teavana, I’ll make the bold claim that they probably have the best selection of green teas around. All the teas are right there so you get to sample the various teas’ fragrances. Go ahead and take a sniff. If amazing has a smell, this is it.
The staff know their stuff as I asked numerous questions about the pot and teas I was purchasing as a gift. Service was excellent as they boxed the gift nicely (I had to buy it though) and wrapping was free. The teas are rather pricey at about $ 8 and up for a small bag that brews about 15 cups of tea. The jury is still out on the quality of the teas until I try them for an update.

I may be their most frequent visitor ever. I basically go in at minimum once a week.
I’ve tried a lot of different artisan teas and I have to say that Lupicia definitely ranks up there with awesome tea flavors and combos.
If you’re into fruit flavored teas at all, definitely try the Sakurambo Vert (or if you’re into black tea, go for Sakurambo) or Ume Vert. Sakurambo is more peachy and Ume tastes more plum/​grape-​y but both are delicious hot or cold.
If you like the more traditional flavored teas, get Sencha Matsuri — it has a good, rich and earthy flavor which isn’t overpowering at all.
Always check the side of the cash register to see if there are any clearance ones that might be hidden gems — you can take a whiff of them or even ask the associates for samples if they’re not offering them as their daily sample.
Oh, and ALWAYS buy loose-​leaf. Way more worth it than getting the tea bags. You can get tea filters from Daiso Japan for 1.50!

I know I know I keep praising this place but I CANNOT STOP DRINKING THEIR TEA
THIS IS MY THIRD CUP OF ORZO BARLEY TEA TONIGHT
AHHHH (well at least it’s not caffeinated)
I absolutely love this place. LOVE! I only wish they had t-​shirt souvenirs or something because I am that proud of drinking Lupicia’s tea. Gah. Today I bought more than $ 30 worth of tea, and I was able to sign up for their monthly newsletter with free samples per month. ILU Lupicia.

I decided to go here after hearing such great things from my coworkers. They were right! The staff is so helpful and informative! I wanted to try their muscat oolong and they made me a hot sample which was amazing! They have tins of every flavor they carry so you can see what each one looks and smells like.
I have to compare this with Teavana because it’s such a stark contrast in terms of customer service. You get a chance to browse freely without salespeople hounding you and butting in to your conversations and there is no pressure sales! They want your experience to be a pleasant one. Which is wonderful. In fact the only reason why I had to leave so fast was because the hubby noticed I was buying up a ton of tea ($ 98 for 11 flavors is a great deal in my opinion) and he started ushering me out the store.
5 stars! I will be back for more!

Ummm… WHY ON EARTH HAVE I BEEN GOING TO TEAVANA?
I was running out of matcha powder but dreaded going to Teavana because it’s a bit pricey. It’s not like i’m using this stuff to serve the King and Queen, it’s just mostly for baking, so I don’t need the highest quality.
My friend had told me about this place and decided to pay a visit. This place is kind of hidden, right next to Forever21 upstairs. Park at 2^nd level Macy’s and it’ll be a short walk.
I got 100g of matcha powder for $ 16.99 at Lupicia! And might I say, the quality is superb.
I love that they showcase all of their loose leaf teas in tin cans, which we can open and smell!
I got the breakfast earl grey loose leaf tea as well, and it smells divine.
The associate was so helpful and gave me a sample of «Happiness», which is a tea scented with grapefruit and peach. She also gave me a recipe card for matcha :)
Teavana no more! I’ll be going to Lupicia from now on.

My favorite place to get loose leaf teas! I am addicted!
I love this place way better than Teavana. You actually get to sample whatever tea you want. Here, Lupicia focuses on customer service and making sure you get the tea that satisfies your taste buds! It’s a fun place to check out, especially since you can sniff the different teas, and when they brew your tea, they make sure to use the correct temperature and steep it for the right amount of time. So precise.
I love the nutty flavored ones, so if you have similar tastebuds get: Chestnut green tea!!!, Choocolate Marron black tea, and the Milk Caramel black tea. Now I don’t even need to snack on anything — I can fulfill my cravings with tea and intake zero calories! If you’re a Chai fan, get the Spices tea.
I’m always stopping by this place and always end up buying new tea. They’re definitely worth the price! Spice up your life with some herbal tea! Ever since I’ve been drinking tea, my body’s been feeling great and detoxified!

My most favorite discovery at Valley Fair! :] !!
The boyfriend and I were browsing around different shops, and the moment I saw Lupicia, I dragged him into it. His excitement was barely equivalent to mine, since he’s been there before. MY GOODNESS! The place was suuuper cute! And the workers were so nice!
They made samples of the teas i requested. There’s such a vast variety to choose from! The tea sets are adorable, too.
I ended up getting the muscat oolong, because the bf had given me some before. I was dying for more. There’s also blueberry cassis? And some other delicious flavors to try. I keep checking for a particular blend of oolong, but they’re out for the season. Maybe next time :]
I definitely recommend this place for tea lovers: D

Don’t know why I keep walking past this store. The sample tea by the door pulled us in. The cold Paradise Green Tea from Japan was exquisite in it’s taste and the medley of tropical fruits infused was very delightful. It was an excellent palette cleanser.
Went in with JD after the tasting.
Their prices are very reasonable. Nice displays of their precious tea collections are classy and well thought.
It’s almost like walking in a temple. It gives you that peaceful vibe. The lone male staff working there was great. He wasn’t pushy instead was reasuring that he would help you the moment you will need it.
I am a big fan after that first visit. See you soon Lupicia!

Last night, Lupicia was my first experience with this public appeal type of tea shop and I have to say, I really enjoyed it. Normally, I’m not big on finding extra ‘necessities’ to blow money on (for example, I don’t ‘sample’ fine chocolates so I can avoid growing a crush on them and not being as happy with my Godiva and See’s) however, after sampling a bit of their tea, I did buy a bag (though I understand it’s far from high-​end).
My friend got a couple of bags (@8 $ a bag) and the cold tea press (only 18 $). Their prices seemed so reasonable that if she really likes her press, I’m going to go back and get one too!
The store was nicely laid out, clean and offered what seemed to me to be a large selection of tea. The Asian attendant was also polite and seemed to take his position very seriously. :)
I wouldn’t frequent a shop like this but because of it’s reasonable price, I’ll occasionally enjoy it. Especially since they gave me a free sample of peach something… I wish the names were written on the bags in English.
See ya there!