Afternoon tea used to be considered a luxury past-time for upper class members in England, where people would sit down between the times of lunch and dinner, indulge in tea and finger foods, and converse about their lives and local happenings. Doja Tea’s has brought this luxury to Tualatin and Portland to not only serve tea, but to create an accessible place for all walks of life to sit, chat, eat and enjoy freshly made teas.
Vy Chao, the owner of Doja Tea Lounge in Tualatin, created this space with her husband in 2020, taking about two years to fully open due to COVID-19. During social distancing times, Chao would offer grab-and-go teas and desserts to new customers, which helped create a buildable rapport for their grand opening. Their main focus is on afternoon tea, with coffee not being served to keep the authenticity of English tea time.
Their tea is sourced from all around the world. Their Japanese tea is blended specially for them from Fukushima, with green tea, popped rice and matcha mixing together to create an earthy tea blend. Their high mountain oolong tea is from a farm in Taiwan, and their other blends, such as their Ruby Nectar tea, are featured from local blenders. “Tea is often seen as an isolated activity,” said Chao. “By marrying the tradition of afternoon tea to our shop, we bring a special connection to our customers.”
Doja Tea Lounge’s food menu is created in-house with their menu being chef driven. They are known for their scones, with their recipe evolving from a customer who offered her own notes on how to make it the best it can be. They shop locally, utilizing produce and creating a farm-to-table experience. Their menus change seasonally, providing customers with variety and rotating flavors. One month out of the year, Doja Tea Lounge creates a strawberry focused menu, incorporating the berry flavor into teas, food and decor. Their seasonal jams are made in house, such as their omija and raspberry jam that is then brewed to create tea jelly.
In the middle of August through the middle of September, Doja Tea Lounge puts on a “best dressed” contest, where customers send a photo of themselves in their best attire in hopes to win a private tea party for up to 10 people. Some come to the shop with costumes, their fanciest dresses, Bridgerton-esk ballgowns, or whatever fun pieces of clothing are found in their closet. Community is incredibly important to Chao, which is why she puts on special events, contests and creates seasonal menus. Her goal is to lean into her Tualatin and Portland community through the making of tea and future bonding activities such as movie viewings with tea pairings.
“I am an avid tea drinker,” said Chao. After traveling the world with her husband, she became well versed in how to brew your tea, the time it takes to brew, how to create tea and mesh flavors together and how to bring sophistication to a restaurant industry where all can enjoy. Afternoon tea is no longer a status indicator but rather a shareable past time that creates memories, satisfies the taste buds and can easily be enjoyed near you at Doja Tea Lounge.