A visit to Gong Fu Tea invigorates the soul.

For well over a year I’ve been making a regular pilgrimage to Gong Fu Tea in the East Village to wash down the trials of the day with a life-invigorating pot of tea.

Gong Fu has a staggering selection of loose-leaf teas black, green, and herbal; for consumption onsite or to-go, and for brewing at home. A visit there could be quite intimidating if not for the exceedingly helpful, knowledge staff. I usually eschew perusing their catalog of teas in favor of consulting the staff for what suits my taste on a given visit.

Fine, exotic teas aplenty, all you have to do is ask; Purple Passion – neither purple or Everclear enhanced, but I do taste the passion [fruit]; Milk Oolong – the aroma is like a blast of butter in the face.

Jasmine Dragon Pearls is a lushly floral green tea that tastes like lilac season; the liquor of this Organic Golden Puerh is robust and slightly malty, a coffee-drinkers tea; Honyama Sencha – a malty Japanese green tea.

Tea and more tea, and this is just the view from the back of the store; Chocolate Mint tea steeped with a 3 to 16 ratio of milk to water offers a charming aroma; a delicious Yerba Maté from Gong Fu tastes of asparagus.

Whimsical tea pots to strike your fancy; Seven Sons Bing Cha puerh tea in a handsome box.

Along with teas and a handful of bottled beverages, Gong Fu offers a plethora of snack items to further enhance your experience.

Clockwise from top left: grapes, Japanese snack mix, dates, and wasabi peanuts; grape tomatoes, roasted fava (horse) beans, wasabi peas, dried figs, bagged tea with brewing instructions.