Monday, March 02, 2015

Moderna-Tea, Las Vegas


When I was recently in Vegas, I had the chance to visit a brand new tea store in the Palazzo Grand Canal Shoppes, Moderna-Tea.  I was eager to visit as I had seen the sign announcing its arrival over a year ago. The shop wasn't quite what I had expected. I was hoping for a tea shop that sold dry leaf tea as well as offering a brewed tea experience (like a tea bar). 

Moderna-Tea does sell loose leaf teas, but no drinking experience (beyond a small sample).  Much of its emphasis is on skincare products that include tea as an ingredient. 



The store is beautiful, as you can see above.  I really loved those light fixtures along with the modern graphics.

I also very much enjoyed chatting with the tea manager (below).  We had a long conversation about pu-erh and the proper way to bust up a very densely packed brick like shown. (My answer: These were so tightly packed, they may be meant for display only. In a normal brick, you can try to get a knife horizontally inserted around the top edge to see if any layers peel off.  You may need to work your way around a bit.)




 Moderna-Tea also sells a line of dried fruits that have been soaked in tea and then dried.

I came home with a box of tea, a gunpowder/mint combo (like Moroccan mint) that I enjoyed very much when my allergies were at full tilt.  I drank it with a touch of honey.  Note: I did experience a bit of sticker shock for the price of the teas that I considered average quality. 

I did not enjoy my experience with the skincare line. I was asked to sit in a chair for a sample. Curiosity caught me, but I should have known better!  I thought, "Oh, this is a fancy boutique store. It won't be the high pressure sales like on the street."  Unfortunately, I was wrong. I experienced the sample > selling trap to be quite aggressive.  However, this is Vegas.

Summary:  I would go back on my next Vegas trip, and I would be prepared to avoid the skincare sample chair but enjoy the ambiance and the tea chats.

7 comments:

Linda Jennings said...

Very interesting.... Who knows where tea will lead us in the future?!?

Antiques And Teacups said...

How fun! Looks like a wonderful place. I haven't been to Las Vegas since I turned 21...in the dark ages! Lol!
Ruth

Margie said...

It's always fun learning about new tea shops and their unique features.

Thank you so much for linking to me, Steph!

Marilyn Miller said...

Avoiding the skincare sample chair just made me smile. I would have been curious about the dried fruit soaked in tea, sounds interesting. I do like those back windows in the shop.

Rosemary said...

Appreciate your honest review!

Anonymous said...

You are very nice. This is a scam operation around "skin care". I saw them turn people away that wanted to talk about tea. They don't post prices, charge different prices and will charge your credit card for much more than you agreed to. Be thankful you were able to get out without regretting your purchase!

Anonymous said...

Loved what you wrote, thanks to you, I visited the ModernaTea store at the Forum Shoppes, Caesar’s Palace and it was AMAZING.
I was offered an herbal tea with Marshmallows as part of the ingredient’s it was Heavenly :).
I ended up spending $1000 on tea ware and a few teas, can’t wait to get home and try them.