A Visit to Kanlo tea in Tribeca

Tribeca is a neighborhood composed of new and old New York. Cobble stone streets are lined with historic houses but if you look closely you'll see hordes of strollers, expensive restaurants, and organic food markets. It's historical pull lures me there every so often, and this week I found myself admiring 19th century row houses and thinking of tea. There were two places on my Tribeca must-visit list, Kanlo, and Laughing Man. I decided to visit Kanlo, because they only focus on tea (Laughing Man is primarily a coffee place), and I have been curious about their store since they opened in 2011.

Kanlo's store is a small, but with a large selection. Many tea blends as well as pure teas line the shelves. They have attractively packaged loose and bagged tea to purchase, and brew up cups to go. It was a quiet afternoon at the shop, and the gentleman behind the counter was able to give me his full attention. I asked what the store was known for, and he pointed to a few flavored blends, and noted his favorites. According to their website (you can buy all of their teas online) Kanlo focuses on teas from Sri Lanka. Because of this I was tempted to try one of the Ceylon teas. The friendly man behind the counter said he could make me a cup of any tea in the store, hot or iced. I was surprised to see that they didn't offer any samples to taste, which didn't help my indecisiveness, but ended up with an iced Mango Ceylon tea. It was very refreshing, with a convincing mango flavor along with brisk black tea. I will definitely be back to try one of the pure Ceylon teas to get a better idea of the quality.

The store has a simple, clean decor, and I admired little touches such as a few small tables to sit, along with a nice table in the back. A little 'money frog' caught my eye, smiling in the corner bringing balance to the store.

Kanlo is a perfect place to grab an iced tea before sitting in the waterfront park a few blocks away. Sip a Ceylon tea and imagine the clipper ships bringing in tea and spices into the harbor. I can't imagine anything better on a warm spring day.

Kanlo: 5 Harrison St. NY, NY 10013: Recommended for a quick cup, and for tea to take home.