J-Tea’s New Oolong Bar Rocks Eugene’s Tea World

If you’re a fan of tea — scratch that — if you like tasty liquids, get yourself over to J-Tea’s new Oolong Bar on 19th Avenue just south of the University of Oregon campus. It opened on May 20, and owner Josh Chamberlain says it’s been thriving ever since.

“Our first shop was meant to lead the industry and be a place where tea education and workshops take place,” Chamberlain says, referring to J-Tea’s Friendly Street location. “Here, we just want to make you an awesome cup of tea. It’s more user-friendly and more of what I’ve experienced customers want.”

J-Tea’s first location on Friendly Street offers an educational tea-making experience, while this new location makes room for innovation and new tastes.

Even an entrenched coffee lover couldn’t resist the choices on the Oolong Bar’s menu. For hot days, the long list of iced teas promise thirst-quenching goodness.

“Lemon Honey Green” ($5) is a favorite for cooling down, Chamberlain says, with Green Spring tea, lemon and honey. The “Starry Night” ($3) includes hibiscus, clove, lemongrass, orange peel, stevia, licorice and lavender in a caffeine-free herbal blend.

For caffeine addicts, Oolong Bar has you covered. Try “Iced Earl Grey Latte,” with Earl Grey tea and organic milk over ice.

Then there’re the bubble drinks. I sampled a concoction of house-made peach compote and tapioca pearls with black tea, served in a mason jar. The first drink tasted like biting into a juicy peach — one sip provides a mouthful of sweet compote, punchy tea and chewy tapioca pearls.

The food menu is small, with only one item. But it’s a pretty good item. Called Æbleskiver, the little round balls of dough are pancakes in disguise. Dutch in origin, they are especially tasty with housemade fruit compote drizzled over the top. Chamberlain says Oolong Bar’s food menu will soon expand as they experiment with different offerings.

For cool days, hot drinks are available, including a Matcha latte and the eclectic-sounding “Fruity Pebbles” latte, with mango honeybush tea and steamed organic milk.

Chamberlain and manager Benjamin Wilkinson say they’re excited about this new tea venture and hope people will drop by to check out the newest member of Eugene’s growing tea culture. Chamberlain says with tea, it’s all about blending flavors.

“I learned from the beer world that there’s no point in blending two things unless the first thing and the second thing together create an even better thing,” Chamberlain says.

And from this food writer’s view, Chamberlain has created a pretty delicious thing.

Visit the Oolong Bar at 1607 E. 19th Avenue in Eugene. Learn more at jteainternational.com.

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.

That’s because of you!

Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.

Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.

We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.

And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.

None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.

As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.

Thank you for standing with us!