Nudi Blue is the latest restaurant from chef Jezreel “Jae” Roja and Krissana “Tanz” Tussanaprasit, the couple behind Tanzie’s, a popular Thai brunch spot in Berkeley. Nudi Blue isn’t a direct sequel to Tanzie’s; it’s an all-new cafe highlighting teas
from Chiang Mai, where Tussanaprasit is from, paired with bites from Rojas.
The teahouse is named after the colorful sea slug known as the nudibranch. At the Berkeley restaurant, which opened in April 2026, Rojas serves a mix of sweet and savory dishes, including cream-filled spiral croissants, pristinely assembled fruit tarts, and composed tea sandwiches. While it takes some cues from English tea service, especially in regards to the tea sandwiches, the flavors and techniques branch out from the source material, offering a new take on what a teahouse can be. There’s still more to come: The menu will soon expand even further to nighttime service, with a raw bar and seafood menu, along with wine. Here’s what service looks like for the moment.
The vibe
Swathed in navy blue and white, plus warm wood tones, Nudi Blue feels peaceful and calm — much like what anyone would want out of a teahouse experience. The front counter is a reminder of what’s in store for your visit: A selection of tea-centric ceramics are carefully placed on a wooden shelf, and clear jars along the counter show off varying quantities of tea in different varieties. Plants fill the high-ceiling restaurant, adding pops of green to the counter and floor, while paper lanterns cheer up the back half of the space. A sun-drenched patio completes the space, with wood-topped tables to enjoy tea from.
What to order
- The duck and blueberry tea sandwich ($11) may be the most impressive, in terms of technique, looks, and flavor. A shokupan base is layered with impressively thin slices of smoked duck breast. Those slices come dotted with blueberry gelee, and the topping of Camembert cheese plays well with the funkiness of the duck mousse and blueberry coulis inside. It’s funky with the hint of not-too-sweetness, an impressive balance of flavors. It gives me high hopes for the blue grits with maitake, oyster, and bunashimeji mushrooms ($14), which was sold out.
- The cucumber and rau ram tea sandwich ($10) is a play on the typical cucumber sandwiches associated with tea time, and it was my favorite bite of my visit. Shokupan here is paired with rau ram, or Vietnamese coriander, cream. My palate isn’t nuanced enough to pick up that flavor — I’m working on it! — but it does register as a tastier cousin to Boursin cheese. The thinly sliced cucumbers are compressed with vinegar for a bit of tang and a deeper cucumber flavor. I’d order this again, and I’m looking forward to trying it with the smoked sturgeon half moon ($8), another promising-sounding savory pastry that was also sold out when I visited.
- I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I ordered the Earl Grey NY Roll ($7), but there was no reason to worry; what came out of the kitchen is what I know as a spiral croissant filled with pastry cream. Rather than the Earl Grey pastry cream, instead I was given a choice of guava or rose cream; the rose cream was the winner and a delight to receive, propped up on its side with an extra squiggle of filling to seal the deal. It was nicely paired with the yellow tea (more on that below), and I was happy to receive this bite first. (On that note, it’s worth stating that Nudi Blue serves the pastries and tarts before the savory bites. I personally don’t mind it, but there were complaints elsewhere on sites that allow you to complain about that stuff, so I’m here to warn you if that is a dealbreaker for some reason. But also: Live a little. Truly.)
- The seasonal tart ($9) consisted of apricots and cherries, with beads of finger lime and lemongrass spread across the top of the tart. The crust was a bit stiff, but the pairing of fruit with white wine verjus and white tea cream is a fun mix of flavors at the peak of the fruit season, and I certainly wouldn’t turn down another one.
The drinks
For now, Nudi Blue leans heavily into tea, and that is not only apparent as soon as you walk in, but as you sit down. Upon arriving at the table, my server immediately brought over a tray of tea samples, explaining which teas pair best with certain bites. They encouraged me to open the tins to smell the dried tea leaves and encouraged questions.
I went with the new-to-me yellow tea ($10.50), which was one of the lighter teas on offer and meant to pair with the sweet bites. There are 12 teas total on the menu, and there is also a brief wine section of four wines available by the glass or bottle. Nudi Blue also offers three mimosas ($14 each) in flavors such as cherry-lemongrass, lemon verbena, and guava. I sprang for the guava option, which was a nice change of pace from the typical orange juice-Champagne combo.
Insider tip
Nudi Blue offers an afternoon tea service for $65 per person that includes a selection of bites and a pot of tea, which is a nice overview of the menu. If you arrive late enough in the day, however, you might not be able to join in as some of the bites are off-menu, I was told. The best way to get in for tea service is to make reservations via Tock.
