The best places for tea in KL

According to architect and owner Shin Chang, ‘chocha’ means ‘to sit down and drink’ in the Hakka dialect, or it may also mean ‘the first brew of tea’ in Mandarin, or even a reference to the Malaysian yumcha culture – which clues us in to what Chocha’s all about.

When at Chocha, have some tea. While the tea menu will be constantly updated (teas are mostly from HOJO, as well as the owners’ personal collection), we like the collection so far – lapsang souchang (a smoky black tea from Fujian), autumnal Darjeeling, aged shui hsien, raw pu-erh and more.

Teas are served with a tiny platter of roasted chestnuts. When the weather gets too hot, opt for one of their cold brew teas (dong ding oolong, gold rush blended tea or sencha).

This homegrown tea brand is headquartered at Shaw Parade, with a tea restaurant that’s accessible from the road, and a tea art centre located within the mall.

The spacious tea centre includes a large section dedicated to tea-related equipage (ceramic ware, bamboo trays, teapot cleaning brushes, tea knives, and more), while several varieties of tea (aged white peony, rare puer, silver needle white tea and more) are displayed along the walls.

There’s also a mini library with books on tea. For the tea enthusiast, make an appointment for a tea tasting session, or sign up for tea appreciation classes.

This modern teahouse is perched in a corner of Bangsar Shopping Centre’s second floor, and provides a temporary breather for when you don’t want to be seen in a mall. Teas are sourced by owner Sumita and playfully infused with unconventional ingredients; think caramel, mango and hibiscus in classic teas such as rooibos.

Cream may primarily be a specialty coffee roaster (it's an evolution of The Roast Things) but they serve a good cup of tea too. The menu includes premium loose-leaf tea from Yunnan such as wu yi shan (oolong tea), wu liang shan (raw pu-erh) and sun-dried buds (wild pu-erh). Pair your tea with a slice of cake or two from Cream's selection.