Ming Tao Xuan — Restaurant in Montreal

Great selection of mostly Chinese teas, as well as some from Taiwan and Japan. I appreciate that they are served in a traditional way (gongfu style brewing). The staff bring trays to your table with appropriate teaware for the type you order, rinse the leaves and warm the pots in front of you, invite you to smell the tea, and serve you the first infusion. They leave large thermos pitchers of hot water so you can do several infusions, and will bring more if you ask. The fake chicken skewers are also delicious! It's also serene and beautiful, with amazing decor and wall-to-wall shelves of gorgeous teapots separating each table, making the space feel intimate and comfortable. My only complaint is that some of the descriptions in the menu are quite vague, and seem like maybe they were cut and pasted from an online Wikipedia description or something, rather than written for the specific teas they're selling. For example, it talks about how Dan Cong oolongs can taste like many different things, but doesn't specify what flavours their particular one has. The taste of their GABA oolong is described as "surprising" and "pleasing", but without further tasting notes. In future editions of the menu, I hope they add additional info about the scent and flavour profiles of all the tea they serve. Keywords like nutty, grassy, mineral, astringent, apricot notes, etc. would go a long way towards giving customers a better idea of what to order. (If they need help writing tasting notes in English, I'd be thrilled to do it for them!!) Their pu-erh section is particularly lacking. It doesn't include any description other than region and year for each tea, often with pictures of the wrapper instead of the actual cake. I'd love to try more of their pu-erhs, but it's hard to choose one with nothing to go on, and I certainly wouldn't invest in a whole cake without information on what I'd be buying. That's a very minor issue, however, in an otherwise fantastic teahouse! I love coming to this place, especially with friends who are not tea nerds, so I can introduce them to a really lovely traditional...

Visiting Ming Tao Xuan for the first time was a delightful experience that left me feeling both relaxed and inspired. Nestled in the heart of Old Port Montréal, this charming tea house offers a serene escape from the bustling streets outside. The ambiance was warm and inviting, with an interior that exudes traditional Chinese elegance. Shelves lined with clay pots and jars of loose-leaf tea added an authentic touch, while the soft lighting and gentle background music created a tranquil atmosphere perfect for savoring tea.

The service was impeccable. The staff greeted me warmly and patiently guided me through their extensive tea collection, answering my questions with expertise and enthusiasm. Their genuine passion for tea was evident, and they took the time to explain the origins and nuances of different varieties, making the experience educational as well as enjoyable.

I decided to purchase 100g of Jasmine Yin Zhen, a premium white tea infused with the delicate aroma of jasmine flowers. The tea's subtle fragrance and smooth flavor were captivating, and I was impressed by the quality. The staff even offered tips on how to brew it properly to bring out its best characteristics.

Overall, my visit to Ming Tao Xuan was a sensory delight, combining a relaxing ambiance, exceptional service, and a remarkable selection of fine teas. I can’t wait to return to explore more of their offerings and perhaps expand my tea collection with one of their...

The place looked sophisticated enough for tourists as well as locals to think that this is a veritable tea temple, with erudite and well-mannered owners. None of that. Their "Lapsang Souchong" certainly is the most pricey in Montreal at 18$ per 100 g. What I was sold was extracted from a fancy-looking satin bag, which in its turn was housed in an equally fancy metallic jar. Although it certainly looked like tea, I discovered back home that it was odourless (I mean 100 per cent odourless). When infused it tasted like plain hot water. I then brought the remnants of a supermarket Lapsang (16$ for 100 g) which smelled the real thing (heavily smoked) to the shop and made the Chinese owner smell the two for comparison. He gave me a refund, however he poured the withered (or plain counterfeited) tea powder back into his fancy jar. He also commented: ' My Lapsang is the real tea from China. No one in China is stupid enough to smoke highest-quality tea". A very elegant way of dealing with clientèle indeed. Just by curiosity I perused the www to find out whether there is such thing as un-smoked Lapsang. Nope. Even if it had existed it'd certainly smell like a subtle tea, right? Bottom line: Folks, be aware of that shop. They sell some teas that are prohibitively expensive - are they any better? Unfortunately I don't have the...