Zen Dog Studio & Tea House Gallery

Had a lovely tea tasting here on a Monday. Before you even enter through the door, you feel like your no longer in Wa. Zen Dog has really created a Tea Palace here. You can feel the calmness set in as you enter through the door. Once you enter "Wow"! Their is so much beautiful art work on all three floors. Many beautiful water colors on silk and rice woven paper. You'll see a large tea tasting table, just perfectly fit into a corner. I really enjoyed sitting at this table with Zen Dog and a few other wonderful guests. The upstairs has many loose teas and again, Art from wall to wall. Along with a Chinese Bell (actually name?) and the Compassion Goddess. With another Tea tasting table and sitting area, perfectly situated. Down stairs is a room you can rent for events. This room also displays Art and a Olong rooster. Every room has such a calmness to it. The outside is beautiful and the size is very deceiving. Sounds of running water, a pagoda, a fountain scape and a beautiful pond with very large happy Koi Fish. Zen Dog has created his own World in this Matrix. He is a wonderful Host and shares knowledge with his Patrons. My mom and I had such a great time! We made new friends as well with the other Tea Tasters. A lot of good energies throughout Zen Dog Teas. The Teas we tasted were all wonderful and so different one another. My favorite is the Pu'er, Light and Medium from a 150-200 year old tree. The fermentation of this particular tea makes it a Earthy flavor. Very wonderful to visit and leaves you feeling centered and calm. This feeling stayed with me throughout the rest of my day. Thank you so much for sharing one of your passions with the community and strangers. It was such a treat in so many different ways. We will see you again soon Zen Dog! You are a light in our World....

I really like The man that runs this place! He's so peaceful and gives off a really really good vibe! The second time, I went with a friend I was not seeing but zen dog assumed we were together... And asked if we wanted to participate in a game he created. He seemed so excited and we were in no rush so we did. Unfortunately, it made it really awkward because I was not interested in dating this guy so it was just awkward to ask such personal questions.

Ahhh...enchanting! From start to finish, my first experience at Zen Dog Studio was an enchanting one! I had driven by this (enchanting) house on NW 85th many times, reluctantly passing by the (enchanting) red chinese lanterns swaying among the trees and the sign beckoning *Tea Tasting NOW*. Enough was enough...I simply had to set time aside to pay a visit.Not really knowing what to expect, I invited my two (enchanting) daughters, 21 & 13, to come along, knowing they'd get a kick out of the magical look of the place...especially after dark as the lanterns glow among the trees! We rang the bell and were invited in by Zen Dog, Larry Murphy, who showed us upstairs into the (enchanting) art and tea tasting studio. The (enchanting) scent of orchids and tea filled the air as the house-blend oolong roasted away...the atmosphere was delightfully peaceful with a trickling fountain, floor pillows, Asian artworks, tea accoutrements and photography.A few guests were already there tasting, so we pulled up a couple stumps (literally) and joined in. Zen Dog is happy to let you taste several varieties...some more exotic than others...so even if you can't afford $125 tea, at least you can taste some! (Prices for teas range from about $12 for 4 oz to, like I said, around $125 or so. We took home a couple ounces each of earthy Pu-Er and some wonderfully floral oolong for about $36 total)Zen Dog is friendly, fascinating and can tell you pretty much anything about Asian art and tea. A photographer himself, he also offers framing there at the studio. His colorful postcards are available to take home ~ coordinate one with a beautiful matching bag of tea for a classy and...you guessed it...enchanting gift! Talk about a wonderful host...after the other guests had left, my girls and I stayed on, tasting and talking, until I felt we'd completely outstayed our welcome...but Larry assured us all was well...his door is open until 8, or as long as he has guests enjoying themselves. Nevertheless, I felt bad at 9 pm, when I realized we'd stayed nearly two hours! But as we were leaving, another couple - tempted by the (enchanting) red lanterns and *Tea Tasting NOW* sign, rang the bell and were welcomed in. Spending time with guests is truly ZD's 'cup of tea' (ouch! sorry about that one...couldn't resist!) Along with tea and art, Zen Dog offers ongoing TaiChi classes in his garden, and occasionally hosts get-togethers (tea-parties?) to celebrate the seasons. So whether you enjoy your tea-tasting as an intimate, quiet experience or among a gathering of like-minded souls, you will surely be enchanted by Zen Dog Studio & Tea House Gallery!

I could tell you about the tremendous collection of Chinese teas, which is great, but what I find even more intriguing is what takes place in the upper chambers of this tea gallery.Now, I'm not quite certain because I haven't mustered up the courage to try it myself, but there is something magical and mysterious happening up there in the guise of tea ceremonies.The last time I was in to make a purchase, I witnessed two women teetering down the tall winding steps in their high heeled shoes, as if unable to awaken from a dream. Their hearts spinning magical memories. I could see it in their eyes. One woman handed Zen Dog her card. The other asked how long they'd been there. The first looked at her watch and declared, "I can't believe it. We've been here for over 3 hours!" They looked sheepishly at each other. Zen Dog came back announcing that his machine was down and he couldn't get the information from the card. The first woman, still in a daze, happily told him he could just keep the card until his machine started working. What? Now it appeared that I might be the one off balance. Did she really just tell him to keep her card?? "Here just take my entire purse while you're at it. Want the keys to my car?"Zen Dog laughed innocently as he told her to keep her card. She could just call him with the information in the morning. The two ladies thanked him as they huddled together and shuffled out the door, leaving me face to face with the Zen.When people describe their time with a man as being enchanting, surreal and magical (read the reviews below), and devotedly offer their purses to him, it makes you think: Either he's the most congenial man on the planet, or he's slipping something green into the drinks upstairs. And I'm not talking about Oolong.I have to give it 5 stars for the extensive, tea/art collection and the sheer intrigue it produces. Will I ever enter into the upper chamber myself? I remain undecided, but still think about it now and zen.**that one was for you Tom! ;)

If I could give this place 3.5 stars, I would. The tea house itself is very inviting, with a warm atmosphere and well designed; albeit a little cluttered. Zen Dog, the owner, is a stand up guy. He is very nice, easy to talk to and it's clear he is passionate about tea. That's what's funny, he is so passionate, yet he seems to have minimal knowledge about tea. I asked a few, what I though were easy, questions about various types of tea, and he couldn't answer any of them. For example, I asked what the difference between, white, yellow, and black tea was; he couldn't answer. This place is great, but would be much better if Zen Dog would do a some research and become more acquainted with the facts about the teas he carries.

My sister and I were out "thrifting" (aka: looking for the deals at the local Goodwill, Value Village, etc.) in the neighborhood of this renovated house and I suggested that we stop by. I had seen his sign from the street on my way down to Golden Gardens and been interested to see what was stocked. Since I recently re-discovered my love of tea as a caffeinated beverage I was interested in expanding my palate and finding some new and interesting loose-leaf. We parked just down the street on a Sunday and made our way up to the house where a sign stated "Tea Tasting NOW". We were intrigued by this and expected a large group. We entered the vestibule between the house's front door and the red, wrought-iron gate and rang the bell, not knowing exactly what to expect.The door was opened by an older gentleman who was very new-age hippie. He invited us to look at the photography and art displayed and began chatting about what kind of tea we were interested in. I told him my preferences but explained that I was a novice and required much education. He took us upstairs to a very zen area complete with Chinese gong, formal tea sets for tea ceremony, infusers and of course, many varieties of high-grade, imported loose-leaf teas. Each one had a brief description about the fermentation, flavor, body, and area the tea was grown in. It was like going into the coffee importers and seeing all of the varieties or like trying to wrap your mind around wine for the first time. It was immediately apparent that Zen Dog's specialty was Chinese teas, mostly oolong and green, but a few blacks, jasmine and a chrysanthymum. The tea tasting was an experience in itself. We were seated at a naturally-formed tree-table with stump/branch seats. Zen Dog was a very experienced teacher, providing insight into the proper temperature, water types and methods for making the best cup of tea. There was no semblance of pretense and he was very patient with questions. We proceeded to try 3 types of teas. The process took about an hour and a half, during which we discussed the current state of politics, my sisters school friends and, of course the tea we were sampling. He asked polite questions about our lives and we had a very pleasant time.We also spent some time viewing the art in the gallery. I did purchase a couple of teas; a Phoenix special blend oolong and a Jasmine-green. The teas are the best quality, virtually no tannins and steep beautifully. I will definitely be back and my sister was so impressed that she is now practically ready to move in with Zen Dog.

Larry, or ZD, as he told me to call him, is the kind of person my ideal world would be made up of. Fortunately for me - and for all of Seattle - I didn't have to make him up!Zen Dog Studio & Tea House Gallery is magical, yet grounded, a perfect reflection of the magical, yet grounded owner, the Zen Dog himself. Woof!I attended a perfect event in the upstairs space: Rose, Chrysanthemum, and Oolong teas, intriguing, sweet surroundings, and super Sufi company. Next time, it'll be all about the Dog. I'll bring my daughter(s) or a beloved friend.

Walking around with a miniscule thimble of green tea, admiring the inspiring artworks of Asian artists, trying to maintain a thoughtful look on my face...I almost felt like I was in Greenwich Village. Whoops! Wrong city, wrong state and wrong decade. My bad. Find this charming gallery in a renovated house near Crown Hill and enjoy the atmosphere.

Zen dog is the best guy ever! This tea house is actually the house he is currently living in. He welcomes you not just a guest to a tea room, but a guest to his own happy place. He shows you to the upstairs and downstairs and the backyard. He offers you 3 tea for $10 and sometimes even for nothing. It is super traditional filled with Chinese calligraphy, paintings, teapots etc. And a ton of tea. I am amazed at his comprehensive collection of tea including all the well known Chinese tea like dragon well, tie guan yin, dian hong, da hong pao, even yellow tea and pu er. My favorite is Dong Ding from Taiwan and ZD Zest blend. He really tries to give you high quality yet fairly priced tea here. I will not hesitate to stop by when I am in the area. Just to sit down, have some tea and great conversations with this great guy!

My boyfriend and I spent our anniversary at ZD's wonderfully-appointed and tranquil tea house. We spent almost three hours there, sipping on custom blends, learning about tea pours, and enjoying the atmosphere. The only cost of the whole experience was the tea we decided to purchase and take home - the tasting itself is free and completely un-rushed.This is a great place to go if you love Chinese-style tea, want to converse with fellow tea-lovers over a beautiful wood table for 5-6 (though private bookings are also available), and get to know the quirky and kind Zen Dog.