Di Phat tea shop at 122 Phu Tho Street, Ward 2, District 11, has remained in the same location for seven decades, maintaining its original Chinese-style decor and ambiance.
The shop occupies around 30 square meters and retains nostalgic elements such as cement tiles on the floor, red couplets put on the glass cabinet, statue of the god of wealth, and statue of Guan Yu, who served under the warlord Liu Bei in the late Eastern Han Dynasty and is worshipped by many Chinese as a god of bravery, loyalty and honor.
According to Tran Dung (pictured), the 87-year-old owner, the tea shop has been operating since the 1950s. Her husband's family made tea from their time in Teochew. When they came to Saigon to start a business, they initially worked as employees in tea factories. Over time, they accumulated enough experience and resources to establish their own shop.
The tea shop preserves its tradition by using wooden furniture, tables, chairs, counters, and cabinets. Most of the tea-related items used for selling are kept in their original condition, just as they were when the shop first opened.
While Dung no longer spends as much time at the shop as before, she occasionally helps her son with packing the products. She mentioned that the shop's peak period was in the 1970s when it primarily focused on wholesale operations throughout Saigon.
"Today, we mainly sell tea to acquaintances as gifts, and we only make tea once a month," she explained while taking the tea from the cabinet and packing it into paper packages.
The shop still keeps more than 20 aluminum tea boxes that have been in use since its opening. Each box can store approximately 5 kilograms of tea, preserving its aroma and preventing mold during storage.
One precious item in the shop is a scale manufactured during the French colonial period, which was made before the shop's establishment. The weights, ranging from one pound to two kilograms, are still intact and frequently used by the shop owner when customers purchase small quantities of tea.
"Many people have approached us and expressed their interests in buying various items from the shop, such as scales, barrels, teapots, tables, and chairs. However, I refuse to sell them because they hold precious memories for our family," Dung stated.
Quach Hue, Dung's 58-year-old son, currently manages the shop. He has been involved in the business for nearly 40 years since he was young, and was taught about the art of tea-making from his father. When his father passed away, he took over the shop.
The shop continues to adhere to the traditional method of wrapping tea with paper. The tea is wrapped in triangle shapes for common packages and rectangle-shaped wrapping for gifting. The candy-shaped wrapping is for rare teas like Pu-erh tea.
A tea set, including a white teapot in the back, from the 1940s is still in use.
Di Phat tea shop primarily sold Chinese tea varieties such as oolong and Pu-erh. Later, Bao Loc and Thai Nguyen teas were added to the selection.
The price of regular tea ranges from VND50,000 to VND450,000 ($2.13 to $19.19) per kilogram, while Chinese teas have higher prices, ranging from VND2 million to VND5 million ($85.31 to $213.26) per kilogram. The most expensive tea available is the one called Phuong Hoang Don Tung, imported from Teochew.
The shop processes tea once a month, particularly jasmine tea, which amounts to approximately 100 kilograms. The steps involved in drying and infusing the tea with jasmine flowers are all done manually, following recipes passed down through generations. Hue occasionally travels to Teochew to source delicious teas to sell back home.
"Today, it is rare to find tea being dried using charcoal stoves. We now use machines for the process. However, charcoal processing is time-consuming and produces smaller quantities, so we no longer engage in wholesale but focus on retail," Hue explained.
Di Phat tea shop not only serves as a trading venue but also offers an opportunity for people to explore and learn about the traditional Chinese tea craft. Hue welcomes visitors to engage in conversations and offers them tea sessions as they come to visit the shop.
