Inside Convoy’s Newest Asian Tea House and Dim Sum Shop

A new cafe revolving around fresh and fruity tea-based drinks as well as savory Asian snacks has landed in the Convoy District. Yun Tea House replaces mango dessert chain Hui Lau Shan in the Convoy Village Shopping Center, which also houses Shanxi Magic Kitchen and bb.q Chicken. “Yun”, the Chinese character in the brand’s logo, means “cloud” in Chinese, and also pays tribute to China’s Yunnan province, where tea leaves were first grown; the cloud decor adorning the space also ties into the theme.

Freshly brewed tea, including roasted oolong, gyokuro (Japanese green tea), and ceylonmathus (Ceylon blend with floral hints) form the basis for all its beverages which range from milky teas to icy tea slushies, cloudy teas with cheese foam, and Yakult-based tea drinks blended with real fruit. Strawberry matcha and watermelon cream are two bestsellers, with additional toppings like boba pearls or aiyu jelly.

Yun Tea House

Yun Tea House is the fourth opening in the Convoy District for SDB Restaurant Group, which also operates Steamy Piggy, Formoosa, and Flama Llama. The new cafe’s menu includes Formoosa’s pork rice bowl and the cute animal-shaped dessert buns served at Steamy Piggy as well as dim sum dishes like barbecue pork baozi, shumai, and har gao. There’s also sweet waffles and a variety of ramen including a no-broth version called mazemen, which tops the noodles with ground pork, soft-cooked egg, and chopped scallions.

Helen I. Hwang

Frank Chou, the restaurant group’s founder, tells Eater that Yun Tea House is just one of several new restaurants he’s planning to open in San Diego. Next month, Chou is launching a Korean fried chicken store called Bok Bok Dok in Point Loma which he’ll follow up with Viet Nom, a pho restaurant coming to the UTC area. And in 2024, SDB Restaurant Group is bringing Oi-Shiba, a ramen shop, to Pacific Beach.

Yun Tea House