Red Blossom Tea Company
Red Blossom has sold tea at 831 Grant Avenue since 1985, buying direct from growers in China and Taiwan. Every lot on the shelf carries its origin, its craft and its season. Birdsong, which holds two MICHELIN stars in the 2026 California selection, pours these leaves in its own service.
Why go
Lincang Shou Pu-erh 2012 runs $38 in September 2026. It is fermented shou out of Lincang in Yunnan. The family says it descends from the Grand Pu-erh they imported at the founding. Fu Shou Shan, Spring 2026, is $39, qing xiang craft off a Taiwanese garden at nearly 2,500 meters. Silver Needle Reserve is $62. Those buds are hand-picked from da bai trees in Fuding County, off the first white harvest of spring. The shop calls that craft faded, which is air-drying.
Chris Bleidorn cooked at Atelier Crenn, Saison, Benu and Alinea before he opened Birdsong. His drinks service is where a diner gets at these leaves without buying any.
Order this / avoid
- Order: the Lincang Shou Pu-erh.
- Order: the Fu Shou Shan, for the aromatics.
- Avoid: buying blind.
What locals & experts say
- Dianne de Guzman, Eater SF, on Birdsong's drinks service: it
pours Saint Frank and teas from Red Blossom.
3 - The shop's own account of how it buys:
Working directly with farmers and craftspeople in China and Taiwan, we focus on provenance, variety, season, and craft.
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Good to know
- Where: 831 Grant Avenue, in Chinatown.
Verdict
could-visit — Ask what came off the spring picking. Buy one oolong and one pu-erh and taste them against each other at home.