OMO Thai Tea: Where Tradition Meets Modern Craft and Community
December 4, 2025 - by Mackenzie Ault
In Downtown Bellevue, OMO Thai Tea has quickly become more than a tea shop, it’s a beautifully crafted expression of culture, design, and community. Founded by Chriska Wong, an architect turned tea creator, OMO blends traditional Thai tea techniques with modern aesthetics and intentional craftsmanship. Every detail, from the hand-pulled brewing process to the custom-designed OMO brick, reflects a deep respect for origins and a passion for reimagining them in fresh, creative ways. In this interview, Chriska shares the story behind OMO’s beginnings, the inspirations that shape its design and flavors, and the vision guiding its future as a design-forward lifestyle brand rooted in Thai tea culture.
Tell me the story of what inspired OMO Thai Tea to come to life.
OMO Thai Tea was born from our love of Thai tea culture and a desire to honor its origins while reimagining it through a design-driven, craft-focused lens. With our background in architecture, we approach each drink like a small piece of art, intentionally crafted, beautifully made, and rooted in tradition. Even our hand-pulled tea reflects this philosophy, creating a fuller, smoother, more aromatic experience that invites people to slow down and savor the moment. OMO stands for Origins Made Original, a name that captures our belief in respecting where things come from while bringing thoughtful creativity and a modern twist to every recipe.
At its heart, OMO is about community. We dreamed of creating a space where people feel at home, connect with one another, and experience more than just a drink — a feeling, a vibe, a sense of belonging. Over time, many customers have become friends, and their support keeps us grounded in our mission. Even through the challenges of running a small business, we continue to love what we do because we’re still living out our original dream: honoring tradition, crafting with intention, and sharing something joyful with the community.
What made you choose Downtown Bellevue as the place you wanted to open OMO Thai Tea?
We chose Downtown Bellevue because the energy here is incredible. It’s growing quickly, it’s diverse, and it attracts people who truly appreciate quality, design, and craftsmanship. Even though I live in Seattle, Bellevue feels uniquely vibrant, with new residences, offices, and tech hubs shaping a community that values creativity and good taste. We saw an opportunity to bring a design-driven, high-quality Thai tea experience to a place where people would genuinely notice and appreciate the details. The community has proven us right: our customers have been overwhelmingly kind and supportive, which tells us we’re in the right place doing something that resonates.
Tell me about the design process. What inspired the use of the OMO brick?
The OMO brick grew directly from our architectural background and our desire to build the brand, quite literally, from the ground up. We designed the brick in-house and 3D-printed it using ceramic foam, which allowed us to shape every detail exactly as we envisioned, from its rhythmic pattern to the way it interacts with light. Its warm, brick-red tone echoes the color of Thai tea and helps create the calm, crafted, summer-warm environment we wanted for the shop. The brick symbolizes our philosophy of “building from scratch,” honoring tradition while adding a modern touch. Even in our small 8-by-8 space, it serves as a visual anchor that brings texture, warmth, and a sense of lifestyle to the experience, more than just tea, but a feeling of design and intention.
Your tagline is “I'm Tea Drunk.” What does that phrase mean to you, and how does it reflect your brand’s personality?
“I'm Tea Drunk” is playful, intentional, and perfectly captures the spirit of OMO. To us, it means being delightfully overwhelmed, in the best way, by flavor, aroma, craft, and the overall experience. It reflects the fun, expressive side of our brand: we take our tea seriously, but we don’t take ourselves too seriously. The tagline invites people to indulge, smile, and enjoy the moment while appreciating the care that goes into every cup. And yes, “tea drunk” is a real thing, drink enough tea and that happy, slightly buzzy feeling is all part of the charm.
Can you tell us more about your tea-making process and the ingredients that set OMO apart from other tea shops?
At OMO, our tea-making process is completely centered on craft and intention. We hand-pull and brew in small batches using premium, house-blended Thai tea leaves and high-quality ingredients, and we never compromise on the steps that make our tea truly special. Hand-pulling is a traditional technique that aerates the tea and creates a fuller, smoother, richer flavor, but it only works when done thoroughly. We’ve spent more than 18 months perfecting our recipes, testing everything from pull counts to texture, and we learned quickly that you simply can’t skip steps if you want the best result. Our customers often tell us our tea is stronger, smoother, and more aromatic than anything they’ve tried elsewhere, and that’s exactly what we aim for.
What’s your personal favorite drink on the menu, and what would you recommend to first-time visitors?
My personal favorite is the Thai Tea Soft-Serve Float. It really captures the essence of OMO in one cup, combining our nostalgic Thai tea flavor with a modern, playful presentation. For first-time visitors, I always recommend starting with the classic Thai Tea or trying the Thai
Tea soft-serve on its own. Tasting them separately lets you experience the depth and character of the tea in both liquid and soft-serve form, and it’s the best way to understand what makes OMO’s flavor so unique.
Looking ahead, how do you hope to grow or evolve in the next few years?
Looking ahead, we hope to grow in a way that’s thoughtful, creative, and deeply connected to our community. We want to keep refining our craft, exploring new and innovative flavors, and building OMO as a design-forward lifestyle brand centered around Thai tea. That includes more collaborations like the ones we’ve already loved being part of, as well as eventually opening additional locations each one carrying the same care, humor, and personality that make OMO feel special. As long as we grow alongside the community that supports us, we know we’re moving in the right direction.
OMO Thai Tea also offers a full menu of hot drinks perfect for chilly days, along with customizable catering options for events of any size. Whether you’re planning an office gathering, community event, or celebration, their vibrant flavors and thoughtfully crafted beverages make it easy to brighten up any occasion.
