Soricha Tea & Theater — Restaurant in Annandale

Korean "cultural center" that serves tea, coffee, smoothies, bing-soo and a few other things. So the "cultural center" looks more like a personal collection of artifacts that are displayed with little thought of its presentation or story the establishment is trying to convey. I feel like you have the ingredients of something unique and special...it just needs better packaging and presentation or a theme tying everything together because what you are selling is an experience with that upcharge. There were "traditional" style tea seating where the theater stage is located. The decor didn't give off traditional korean tea nor did it have the Shilla or Tous Le Jous thing going. It was simply a mixed bag though the artifacts are certainly interesting and of cultural history and appeal. Ok so you will get sticker shock when you see the price and think to yourself... Why would I pay $23 for tea or $20 for bing soo. Then when it came, I realized...its the experience. If you want to chug tea in a paper cup, save your money and go somewhere else. If you want to be immersed in the experience, presentation and sip on tea while having a conversation or maybe doing some school work, you will be delighted. They have a candle that warms your tea and bring you lots of extra hot water that will give you more tea than you and a party of 4 can drink. The presentation is amazing though certainly not traditional which is what you might think they are trying to achieve with the Korean artifacts there. Same with the bing soo. Shilla among others will be creative, probably have more things thrown in but its not an experience. Its shave ice with toppings. This place brings you an experience that pays attention to details. The bowl it comes is huge and meant to insulate meaning you get to take your time eating without worrying its going to melt and throwing away half of what you get because well... It melted. You don't get the kitchen sink you get a few ingredients that were thought out and crafted from scratch. I mean the ice that was shaved was made from tea so when you layer everything on a base that has flavor it builds upon that. Regular bing soo flavors the ice vs the ice bringing something more than frozen water to the table if you know what I mean. If you have ever been to european coffee shop, drinking coffee is an experience. If you are looking for that, you won't be disappointed. If you are looking for Dunkin Donuts where you want to get in and out with the largest quantity of coffee for the least amount of money you will be disappointed because this place makes Starbucks look easy on the wallet. Go for the experience, take your time and enjoy your company, sip and don't chug, look at the various artifacts there, google it and talk about the history of that artifact and you will probably come back with friends and family. Else, you will be asking for a to go cup to get your money's worth out of every last drop of that pot of tea you paid $23 for that wasn't...

Absolutely wonderful!! Annandale's Soricha is one of the DMV's best and most unique dessert and tea cafes. They're best known for their bingsoo, or Korean shaved ice, which is perfectly fluffy and delightful, with a sweet, milky flavor that acts as a great canvas for all their toppings. You can't go wrong with of their bingsoo options, but they do run a little bit large and are meant for 2-3 people to share. If you're in the mood for something smaller, they do have a delightful selection of other desserts, chief among which is their rice paper waffle. This glorious confection is a super light, crispy waffle made entirely out of rice paper (which, as a side bonus, also means it's gluten-free). It's slightly chewy on the inside but generally incredibly crunchy and airy. It comes topped with a lovely rice-based syrup that tastes a bit savory -- almost malty -- and black sesame. You can also just get a scoop of their rich, creamy ice cream (instead of the shaved ice that it normally comes on top of), and it will be topped with a generous helping of red bean paste, injeolmi powder, sliced almonds, and corn flakes. The combination of flavors and textures levels up this humble little scoop to a full-scale dessert with sweet, savory, and nutty notes.

Aside from their sweet treats, Soricha also has a bunch of fun drinks. They have a long menu of expertly brewed artisan teas, or you can also cool down with one of their refreshing fruit mixes. The omija berry refresher is particularly lovely, with a great balance of tart and sweet flavors that make it the perfect summertime drink.

Beyond the food, the service is also super friendly and quick, and the cafe is gorgeously decorated with chill, relaxing ambient music. It's a delightful place to hang out with a friend to chat, finish some work, or do a bit of reading. I will note, however, that it is quite expensive -- the bingsoo is about $20, and the teas are a minimum of $7. It's so worth it every time, but it's definitely more of an occasional treat than an...

As someone who firmly appreciates tea and a quieter, more mature atmosphere, Soricha Tea & Theater is the perfect place for a gal like myself. It's located in this small plaza off of Columbia Pike and from the outside, it doesn't look like much. However, everything changes as soon as you step inside. There are lots of wooden tables, making the place very cozy and intimate. Traditional Korean music plays over the speaker, giving this place a tranquil and soothing ambiance.

To the right, there's a space for performances. Soricha puts on a variety of concerts, from traditional Korean music to classical music. A monthly performance is held on the first Saturday of every month. A ticket costs $20 and includes a voucher for a cup of tea.

I ordered the iced grapefruit tea ($7) and my BF ordered the iced omija tea ($7). You order at the counter, sit wherever you want, and they will bring the drinks over. They also bring a complimentary plate of snacks to go with your drinks. The drinks are served in bowls rather than cups, and a wooden spoon is provided to sip it all up. I really enjoyed my iced grapefruit tea. There were chunks of grapefruit at the bottom of my bowl. I thought it was really refreshing. The omija (traditional Korean drink made of fruit herbs) tea was also very good. Not overly sweet and perfect for a hot summer day.

In addition to ordering teas, you can purchase them here too. There's an entire section filled with a wide variety of teas to smell and purchase. Handmade tea sets are also for sale here. Usually, they put out one or two teas out to sample.

I really enjoyed the time I spent here. They have free Wifi (password provided on the receipt), so I was able to study a little and sip my tea without any distractions. It's a great spot to relax, have some tea, read, and talk with friends. I'm eager to come back and try their drinking bingsoo, black sesame and matcha bingsoos, and other teas. Wonderful, homey spot...