Tea For Us Is Making Matcha Personal

Specialty tea is often introduced through origin, cultivar, harvest, and tradition. Tea For Us starts with the drinker: the flavors they enjoy, the occasion, and what they want from the cup.

Founded in 2025, Tea For Us curates Japanese matcha and artisan teas from Taiwan with a focus on personal taste. Its approach brings the sensory experience to the forefront, helping customers discover teas they want to return to without requiring a vocabulary of cultivars or tasting terms.

“We care deeply about where tea comes from and how it is made,” Chen said. “But we also care about the moment someone drinks it.”

In its first year, Tea For Us introduced six Japanese matchas with distinct flavor profiles and regional character.  The collection invites customers to explore matcha not as a single taste, but as a range of expressions, and to find the ones that suit their palate.

“We have deep respect for the producers and traditions behind these teas,” Nguyen said. “Our role is to make those distinctions meaningful to the person drinking them.”

Photo Credit: Tea For Us

Tea For Us grew out of a shared ritual. Chen and Nguyen met as roommates at UCLA, where tea accompanied study sessions and late-night conversations. As both moved into careers in technology, it remained a way to slow down and reconnect.

That experience shaped their approach to the collection: respect for craft and provenance, paired with attention to how a tea feels in everyday life. Each selection must meet their quality standards and bring a distinct character to the collection. The founders prioritize long-term relationships with sourcing partners and remain deliberate about what they introduce.

“We learned quickly that being selective can slow you down,” Chen said. “But if a tea does not feel right for the collection, having more inventory is not a reason to bring it in.”

That same attention to individual taste informs their approach to gifting. A tea’s appeal lies not only in its quality, but in how well it suits the recipient’s preferences and daily rituals.

“Choosing a gift is really about showing that you know the person,” Nguyen said. “Some want something grounding, some are drawn to brightness, and some simply enjoy discovering a flavor they have never tried before.”

The gesture becomes less about giving an expensive item and more about choosing something that feels personalized to its recipient.

Photo Credit: Tea For Us

Tea For Us recently expanded its collection with freshly milled premium Taiwanese teas prepared by whisking. The additions bring a new range of flavors to explore alongside its Japanese matcha, extending the brand’s focus on personal taste.

For Chen and Nguyen, origin, craft, and tradition remain essential. Their approach gives customers a personal way into that world: start with what they enjoy, then discover what makes each tea distinctive.

Disclaimer: Written in partnership with APG.