On a chilly day, we long for a hot cup of tea. As we carefully wrap our hands around a teacup and take a sip, the cold seems to melt away.
On this windy November day, we discovered traditional tea houses in Incheon that nourish both body and soul.
A cup of ssanghwacha (Medicinal Herb Tea) with floating jujube, along with the warmth of the tea houses, gave us the energy to make it through the rest of the year.
Dongyang Tea House Yeongjongdo Main Branch, the Ultimate Hospitality with Ssangwhacha Set
“A good looking rice cake is good to eat,” the old saying was right.
When you walk into the tea room at the Yeongjongdo main branch of Dongyang Tea House, you feel like you’re in for a treat.
When you order a traditional ssanghwacha, you will be served with a platter of porridge, dried whole persimmons, and rice cakes along with the tea.
The tea tastes so healthy, and as you chew the jujube and ginseng in the tea, you feel as if your body is filling up with energy.
Dongyang Tea House specializes in ssanghwacha.
While its main offering is traditional medicinal herb tea, the atmosphere resembles a downtown hanok café rather than the quiet, traditional tea houses found in Insadong.
This means the space is a more urban style.
“Nine out of 10 customers take pictures.” The charm of modern-style teahouses lies in their photogenic appeal.
The neat presentation of traditional teas, the thoughtful serving of each menu item, and the pretty decorations throughout the space all contribute to its photogenic nature.
Every teacup and small bowl is handmade by a ceramist, allowing you to feel the owners’ hospitality as they serve their guests the most beautiful cups.
The main menu items are traditional ssanghwacha and jujube tea.
While ssanghwacha is popular all year round, it really shows its true qualities in early winter when the cold winds begin to blow.
“Ssanghwacha balances the energies of yin and yang, strengthens the immune system, and revitalizes the body.”
Jujube, which warms the body, also works better in winter.
The subtly sweet jujube tea is particularly effective during the long winter nights, helping to combat insomnia.
“I’ll have a ssanghwacha. Do you want a coffee set?” Dongyang Tea House is perfect for gatherings.
From the Dongyang Coffee Set with cookies and madeleines to seasonal offerings like shaved ice with red bean topping, there’s something for everyone.
- Address80 Ojak-ro, Jung-gu, Incheon
- Inquiries+82-32-746-8788
- Opening HoursTuesday-Sunday 10:00-20:00, closed Mondays
- Web Pagehttps://dongyangtea.com
Welcome to the World of Herbal Tea, Dagyeom
“There are over 100,000 coffee shops in Korea. Shouldn’t someone balance it out with herbal tea?”
Located just three kilometers from Cheongna Lake Park, Dagyeom is a small tea shop offering a variety of herbal teas.
While it’s well-known that herbal teas are good for health, the challenge lies in their accessibility.
With an abundance of cafés on the street and many people saying, “Coffee helps me wake up,” teahouses often feel distant, both geographically and psychologically.
In this environment, Dagyeom strives to bridge that gap and bring herbal tea closer to people.
The welcome tea is served before the ordered tea is served, freshly baked rice cake sticks are served free of charge, and various sweets to accompany the tea are also free of charge, all in an effort to lower the barrier to entry to herbal tea.
On one side of the shop, you can also find tea pot and cup sets, porcelains, and other related accessories.
The owner learned the art of tea from an “absolute master of Korean medicinal herbal tea.”
Based on what he learned, he carefully brews tea every day using the finest Korean ingredients.
As a result, Dagyeom has become a “pyramid selling” tea house, where satisfied customers bring in their friends, who then introduce others. The scooped jujube tea, in particular, has gone viral, reaching tea lovers in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do.
Its unique texture is thick enough to “be scooped without spilling.” One customer said, “I love jujube tea so much that I don’t think there’s a teahouse in Korea I haven’t visited, but I’ve never tasted anything as delicious as this.”
Such praise speaks to the immense care and effort put into making the tea.
The most popular items on the menu are jujube tea and ssanghwacha.
Recently, jujube latte and jujube yogurt have also gained huge popularity.
As winter begins in November, ssangdaecha—a blend of half a cup of ssanghwacha brewed into a pot of jujube tea (daechucha in Korean)— or bellflower root tea is recommended for sore throats.
Each tea is excellent for boosting the immune system and rejuvenating the body, making every sip at Dagyeom feel like a medicinal experience.
- Address27 Cheongna canal-ro 260beon-gil, Seo-gu, Incheon (Building B, #141, Hanshin The Hue Canalway)
- Inquiries+82-507-1342-7282
- Opening HoursMonday-Sunday 10:00-22:00, closed 2nd and 4th Sundays of the month.
- Web Pagehttps://instagram.com/korean_tea_dagyeom
Ewha Teahouse, a Traditional Medicinal Herb Tea Made from 23 Herbs
After a 10-minute walk from Gajeong Station on Incheon Subway Line 2, you’ll find yourself drawn to Ewha Teahouse by the smell of bitter herbal medicine.
Inside, the fresh scent of tea and the natural vibe of wooden furniture create a warm and inviting atmosphere that feels like home.
The owner, who opened the shop in September 2019, chose herbal tea to set the shop apart from the countless coffee shops on every corner. In this beverage market dominated by coffee,
the idea of a traditional teahouse seems to have the potential to appeal across generations.
The owner’s intuition was right. It’s now a place where customers, from people in their 20s to those in their 80s,
including daughters holding their mothers’ hands and groups of elderly friends, gather to chat over a warm cup.
Ewha Teahouse’s signature offering is herbal ssanghwacha.
“If you drink this tea, you won’t have to worry about colds this winter,” the owner confidently recommends.
Made with 23 natural herbs, this tea includes familiar ingredients like jujube, ginger, and cinnamon, as well as less common ones like rehmannia root, milk vetch root, and giant angelica.
Even a single cup warms your stomach and leaves your body feeling revitalized. For those who aren’t fond of bitter flavors, such as children, the owner recommends ssangdaecha—a blend of ssanghwacha and jujube tea (daechucha in Korean).
The natural sweetness of the jujube makes it an easy introduction to herbal tea.
Tea tastes best when it’s hot, and Ewha Teahouse takes care of not only the ingredients but also the servings.
Herbal teas are served in stone cups to keep them warm, while flower petal teas are presented in glass teapots atop candles.
In an era where a slice of cake can cost over KRW 8,000, it’s refreshing to see dessert included for free.
With each tea order, baked rice cakes or waffles are served as perfect companions.
In addition to herbal and flower petal teas, the menu also includes coffee and shakes.
- Address1F, 5-23 Yeomgok-ro 498beonan-gil, Seo-gu, Incheon
- Opening HoursTuesday-Sunday 10:30-22:00, closed Sundays
- Web Pagehttps://blog.naver.com/lgb1252
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