NEW YORK — Select by Kung Fu Tea has opened two New York City locations this week: 73 Chrystie Street in Manhattan’s Chinatown, and New World Mall in Flushing (136-20 Roosevelt Av).
Select is born from the world of Kung Fu Tea, a leading Bubble Tea brand with over 350 stores spanning the country. Select is a return to Kung Fu Tea’s authentic roots. It is tea as a ritual. As an elevated sensory experience rooted deep in Asian tea traditions and expressed through a contemporary lens. Where Kung Fu Tea opened its doors and introduced millions to bubble tea, Select invites the community further in to discover the true beauty behind the craft.
The menu reflects that intention. Milk teas are built on rare, carefully sourced bases – Da Hong Pao from the rock cliffs of Wuyi, Long Jing green tea with its signature chestnut warmth, Camellia Oolong with delicate floral notes. The specialty coffee program brings its own point of view: Italian-style espresso pulled at the optimal temperature, then paired with Black Sesame, Osmanthus, or coconut water for something that feels familiar, yet completely new. Every drink is calibrated for temperature, texture, and composition. Each one is crafted to be felt as much as it is tasted.
“Select is something we’ve been building toward for a long time. We wanted to take everything Kung Fu Tea stands for and push it further. More intention, more craft, more depth. We started Kung Fu Tea in Flushing over 16 years ago, so this naturally felt like the perfect place to introduce our next iteration to America,” says Steve Luw, COO of Kung Fu Tea.
