Cha Do Raku presents a small, intimate tea salon with a strong Japanese vibe in Montreal, where a wide range of imported teas is offered at different price points and a back tea room provides a charming setting for tasting. The desserts are praised for quality, and the menu lists ingredients, with homemade miso soup and tofu noted as delicious by some. The staff are friendly and explain the teas clearly, and a tea tasting experience is described as worthwhile with excellent tea and thoughtful explanations. The space can be quite small and seating limited, but many describe Cha Do Raku as a hidden gem that feels like a little piece of Japan in Montreal, offering memorable tea, snacks, and hospitality.
Maybe I'm a little biased toward Japanese comfort classics, but this entire setup feels like it was ripped out of a Kyoto alleyway. Japanese lady running the entire operation by herself, with a small tea room in the back.
The tea menu was a mix of premium sourcing from Taiwan & Japan. The owner mentioned the Japanese options are heavily focused on Uji tea. I've had Uji matcha before, but the pour here cranks the umami to an absolute extreme. It honestly tasted like 90% rich chicken broth with just a fleeting hint of bitterness at the very end.
Fascinating brewing mechanics as well. By using a 50:50 hot & cold water mix to hit exactly 40°C, she was essentially running a targeted extraction. Cooler water pulls out the sweet, savory amino acids like L-theanine, but it's not hot enough to drag out the bitter catechins locked in the leaves.
Also a standard pour numbs your palate through thermal shock & masks delicate flavors. But at just above body temp, TRPM5 channels fires at maximum efficiency. So the liquid hits your tongue at the perfect thermodynamic threshold where your brain is most hyper-receptive to those savory glutamates.
The food selection was low key what really hooked us tho. Ochazuke (rice in tea broth) was one of my favorite childhood comfort food, & it tasted exactly like the ones I had in Japan. The green tea broth used for this dish has a much lower umami profile with light, earthy notes. They cut their smoked salmon thick (like a steak), but serve it cold. That temperature contrast against the warm broth & the density of the cut made its texture really unique.
A group of 7 of us in town for a bachelorette party enjoyed brunch at Cha Do Raku yesterday. Shiho was wonderful to coordinate with over email & kind enough to allow us to store our bags as we were on the way to the airport. The Japanese brunch experience was incredible - a simple yet elegant array of bites with a cup of tea to start & end the meal - & we were thrilled to explore the well-stocked tea & ceramics section of the store. Highly recommend for a calming & delicious experience.
Apr 20, 2026
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We've been to this tea shop twice in a week & absolutely love it! It is very authentic & a little piece of Japan right in Montreal. They have a great variety of imported teas within different price ranges. We did the tearoom at the back both times & is a lovely experience. The owner, I believe her name is Chiro, is very friendly & welcoming. She explains the teas very well & how to make them. The desserts are wonderful & such great quality. They list the ingredients in the menu which is very nice as you rarely see that. We will keep coming back!
Shiho was super nice & very knowledgeable. We did the tea tasting & it was worth the price, the tea was amazing, the experience & explanations were great. The homemade miso soup & tofu she handmade were delicious. & the store itself is nice as well. Highly recommend
I was surprised that the tea shop had a small cafe area inside of tea shop. Their teas are very interesting & flavorful. I would to recommend this place to my friends who are interested in Japanese teas. I would like to try their ochazuke next time, which must be authentic & tasty.
Their tea selection is huge & we ended up choosing what the owner recommended. The green tea was mind blowing. The tea is exceptional quality.
We also got 2 desserts & the complement the tea so well. One of them is rice mochi & the other is a creamy mousse cup. It feels like a little piece of Japan in Montreal. A truly amazing experience. However, seats are limited so you might have to squeeze in a little bit. Love the atmosphere, hospitality & tea!
This tea salon is truly one of Montreal's hidden gems. The moment you step in, you are welcomed with warmth & a sense of calm. The food is delicious & the service is truly one of a kind. The tea options are numerous & well elaborated. I definitely recommend this place to everyone looking for a personal experience to slow down from the everyday rush of life. Shiho is an amazing host & cook. Thank you so much for the amazing experience 💗
This particular tea distributor offers workshops on tea tasting. I hadn't been there before the workshop, but the owner was kind & knowledgeable & she even offered scrumptious homemade treats accompanying the teas we were trying out. It was a great experience & would 100% go there again. *** Ce distributeur de thé offre des ateliers de dégustation de thé. C'était la première fois que j'y allais & la propriétaire nous a servi des désserts faits à la main pour accompagner les thés. Quel délice! :3 J'ai adoré mon expérience & je recommande ce magasin de thé & ses ateliers à 100% pour les curieux.
Oct 3, 2024
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I went in to look at tea paraphernalia & was quite surprised to find a tearoom in the back. I couldn't help myself but to try it & was clumsy enough to not take my shoes off before entering the tearoom (there are baskets by the entrance to put your shoes in). The place is maintained by the owner who obviously loves her store, it feels very welcoming & warm. There is a great variety of teas, all served in beautiful ceramics & bowls. Small snacks are available with good vegan options & diverse enough for people with dietary restrictions. Highly recommend.
Please please please come to this place & order food with tea. It is truly amazing how she makes her miso soup with her twist. The delicacy of tea making is the experience you will never got anywhere
A hidden gem, just a block away from the bustling noise of Mont-royal street, with a great atmosphere tea house. Very small, compact, but well organized, like ony the Japanese can do. The owners are kind & welcoming. The variety of tea kinds is great, & there are light snacks that you can consume with your selected tea. Oh, & if you want to bring this piece of beauty to your home, they also sell beautiful tea pots & various tea.
