Last year Zach and Minami Mangan, importers of tea from Japan, dipped their toes into the retail market with a Kettl stand in the tiny mall on the Bowery in NoHo. Its success has now led them to add a graciously serene store in a part of Greenpoint, Brooklyn, that’s become a hub for food. Shelves at the new store, also called Kettl, are lined with packages of teas and handmade pottery bowls, cups and teapots, some made by Ms. Mangan. There’s a communal table in the middle and, in the rear, a concrete tasting counter; in the front is a takeaway window, which is comparable to the Bowery spot. The Mangans have brought in a matcha grinder from Japan; Mr. Mangan also does some of his own roasting. And at this location they’ve added a menu of tea-driven sweets, including a chestnut Mont Blanc cake with matcha, delicate mousses, a baroque layered parfait, and excellent matcha chocolate chip cookies that play up the chocolaty taste of the tea. The confections are made by Chika Hanyu, a pastry chef nearby. “Our expertise is tea so we didn’t want to get involved in running a kitchen,” Mr. Mangan said.
Kettl, 70 Greenpoint Avenue (Franklin Street), Greenpoint, Brooklyn, 347-916-0711, kettl.co.
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