Coordinates: 47°35′52″N 122°19′35″W / 47.5977°N 122.3265°W / 47.5977; -122.3265

Oasis Tea Zone

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Oasis Tea Zone
Exterior of the cafe in Seattle's Chinatown–International District, 2023
Map
Restaurant information
Established2001 (2001)
StateWashington
CountryUnited States
Coordinates47°35′52″N 122°19′35″W / 47.5977°N 122.3265°W / 47.5977; -122.3265
Websiteoasisteazone.com

Oasis Tea Zone is a small chain of restaurants in the Seattle metropolitan area, in the U.S. state of Washington.[1] The Liu family opened the original cafe in Seattle's Chinatown–International District in c. 2001. The business has expanded to three locations, as of 2022, operating in the University District and in Edmonds. It has garnered a positive reception and is considered one of Seattle's best boba shops.

Description

Oasis Tea Zone is an Asian-[2] and family-owned restaurant chain based in Seattle.[3] There are three locations, as of 2022,[4] including the original cafe in the Chinatown–International District (C–ID) and others in the University District and in downtown Edmonds.[5][6] The C–ID location is within the district's eight-block core business area,[7] and has arcade games, board games,[3] and pinball.[2]

The cafes have coffee, smoothies, and tea drinks, including bubble tea (also known as boba).[8] Milk tea flavors have included chrysanthemum, honeydew, mango,[9] and taro, and blended iced versions of the drink with and without creamer are called "snow" and "slush", respectively.[10] Topping options include egg pudding[11] and popping boba.[9] Oasis Tea Zone serves lunch and dinner, with a food menu that has included popcorn chicken,[3] Nutella wontons,[12] and cherry chevre cake.[13]

History

Interior of the Chinatown–International District cafe in 2023

The Liu family opened the original cafe in 2001,[14][15] in a building that previously housed a Uwajimaya grocery store.[16] Members of the family include I-Miun, who also owned Eastern Cafe,[17][18] and his sister Jeannie.[4] Northwest Asian Weekly has described I-Miun as "one of the youngest entrepreneurs in the community". According to the newspaper, it took a few years for Oasis Tea Zone to be a profitable business.[19]

In 2014, the cafe partnered with the Chinatown/ID Business Improvement Area to sponsor a parklet with seating, tables, and planter boxes. The parklet was one of ten planned throughout the city at the time.[20]

The Edmonds location opened in May 2022.[6][21]

The University District location has been a participating vendor in the neighborhood's annual Street Fair.[12][22] The cafe also participated in Seattle's first boba festival in 2022, offering mango lemonade with mango popping boba,[23] and has been a vendor in the 'U District $4 Food Walk' event, offering hibiscus lemonade and mochi waffle.[5]

Oasis Tea Zone has had work completed by local architect and design firm Board & Vellum.[24] The chain's popular popcorn chicken was replicated at I-Miun Liu's cocktail bar Dynasty Room.[25]

Reception

The shop in the University District, 2024

Oasis Tea Zone won in the Favorite Bubble Tea Café category of International Examiner's Reader's Choice Awards in 2013.[26] It won in the same survey's Favorite Bubble Tea category in 2016.[27] Ann Karneus included the business in Seattle Metropolitan's 2022 list of the city's sixteen best boba shops,[10] and Lynn Schnaiberg of Seattle's Child magazine said the C–ID cafe is "usually busy" and had many flavor options in 2023.[28] According to the University of Washington, the C–ID location has been called "the premiere late-night boba and tea cafe".[29] Gillian McMahon of its student newspaper, The Daily, called Oasis Tea Zone a "classic Seattle spot" in 2022.[30]

See also

References

  1. ^ Krieg, Hannah. "Workers Call for a Boycott of Oasis Tea Zone Over Alleged Retaliatory Firings". The Stranger. Archived from the original on 2023-06-22. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  2. ^ a b "Asian-Owned Businesses & Restaurants in Seattle You Can Support Right Now". Seattle Refined. 2021-02-20. Archived from the original on 2023-02-01. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  3. ^ a b c "The Best of Chinatown ID — Oasis Tea Zone". Northwest Asian Weekly. 2018-07-12. Archived from the original on 2023-11-07. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  4. ^ a b Stewart, Jade Yamazaki (2022-05-24). "Inside the 150-Item Tea List at Ballard's Miro Tea". Eater Seattle. Archived from the original on 2023-11-07. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  5. ^ a b "Around the Sound: U District $4 Food Walk". KIRO 7 News Seattle. 2023-09-29. Archived from the original on 2023-10-31. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  6. ^ a b "Home + Work: Celebrating wins along the way". My Edmonds News. 2022-05-22. Archived from the original on 2023-03-27. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  7. ^ Cohen, Josh. "Chinatown-International District leaders criticize Link expansion plans | Crosscut". crosscut.com. Archived from the original on 2023-05-29. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  8. ^ Not for Tourists:
  9. ^ a b "First-ever Seattle Boba Fest brings businesses together for National Bubble Tea Day". Seattle Gay News. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  10. ^ a b "Where to Get the Best Bubble Tea in Seattle". Seattle Metropolitan. Archived from the original on 2023-01-31. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  11. ^ Egg pudding:
  12. ^ a b "5 Things to Enjoy at the Legendary U District Streetfair". Seattle Refined. 2017-05-16. Archived from the original on 2023-11-07. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  13. ^ Streefkerk, Mark Van (2022-03-21). "U District's First-Ever Cherry Blossom Festival Kicks Off This Friday". Eater Seattle. Archived from the original on 2022-10-05. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  14. ^ "Parts of Seattle set to go dark for 20 hours in planned power outage". KOMO-TV. 2012-06-05. Archived from the original on 2023-11-07. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  15. ^ "Coming Soon: East Trading Company on Pike Street". Seattle Metropolitan. Archived from the original on 2023-10-27. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  16. ^ Humphrey, Clark (2018-08-21). Walking Seattle: 35 Tours of the Jet City's Parks, Landmarks, Neighborhoods, and Scenic Views. Wilderness Press. ISBN 978-0-89997-814-7. Archived from the original on 2023-11-07. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  17. ^ Hill, Megan (2019-05-14). "Dynasty Room Is a Gorgeous, Temporary Tribute to a Changing Seattle". Eater Seattle. Archived from the original on 2023-11-07. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  18. ^ Guarente, Gabe (2019-11-08). "Capitol Hill's Chinese Zodiac-Loving and Tea-Infused Cocktail Bar Has Closed". Eater Seattle. Archived from the original on 2023-06-06. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  19. ^ "BLOG: What the International District needs — Eastern Café and…". Northwest Asian Weekly. 2014-09-18. Archived from the original on 2023-06-07. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  20. ^ Keeley, Sean (2014-03-26). "Seattle Is Getting Ten New Parklets, Here's A Map To Find Them". Curbed Seattle. Archived from the original on 2023-11-07. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  21. ^ Mengisto, Elda (2022-08-16). "Bubbling Up Boba Tea in Snohomish County". SnohomishTalk. Archived from the original on 2023-02-02. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  22. ^ "Celebrate the return of the U District Street Fair, and more fun around Seattle". The Seattle Times. 2022-05-19. Archived from the original on 2023-11-07. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  23. ^ "Seattle's first-ever boba festival is happening this weekend | Dished". Daily Hive. Archived from the original on 2022-05-16. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  24. ^ "This Dough Zone Is Not Like the Others". Seattle Magazine. 2022-07-08. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  25. ^ Tiernan, Kara; Polk, Leilani; Bell, Julianne. "Dick's, Toulouse Petit, Dynasty Room, and More of The Stranger's Favorite Late Night Spots in Seattle". The Stranger. Archived from the original on 2023-01-29. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  26. ^ "Reader's Choice Awards 2013". International Examiner. Archived from the original on 2023-03-21. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  27. ^ "The 2016 Reader's Choice Awards Winners". International Examiner. 2016-06-11. Archived from the original on 2023-05-31. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  28. ^ Mongrain, Rebecca (2023-08-27). "'They are all capable of great things'". Seattle's Child. Archived from the original on 2023-11-07. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  29. ^ "One Bus Away Guide: International District". University of Washington.
  30. ^ McMahon, Gillian (2022-09-09). "After hours: Exploring UW's nightlife". The Daily of the University of Washington. Archived from the original on 2022-11-27. Retrieved 2023-11-07.

External links

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