Chinese Tea Ceremony with Clara Lobel at Chaffee Ten Fu's & Ten Ren's Tea Boutique
Clara Lobel pours tea for guests during the tea ceremony
Temple City, California, USA. 28th October, 2026. A Chinese tea ceremony (Gongfu Cha) featuring artist Clara Lobel was held at Chaffee Ten Fu's & Ten Ren’s Tea Boutique in Temple City, California. Gongfu Cha, often translated as “making tea with skill,” is a Chinese method of preparing tea that emphasizes care, precision, and an appreciation of the leaves. The participants in the tea ceremony included TV host Joey Zhou, founder of the Los Angeles Beverly Arts (LABA), producer Jackie Lewis, makeup artist Noreen Diani, and Robert Lobel.
Clara Lobel pours water into the small teapot
Using a small teapot or a gaiwan—a lidded brewing bowl—the host prepares a series of short infusions and serves the tea in small cups. Each infusion reveals subtle changes in aroma, flavor, and texture as the leaves gradually unfurl. Although often presented as a tea ceremony, Gongfu Cha can also be an informal, everyday practice.
Clara Lobel pours brewed tea into the pitcher
Tea may be poured into a sharing pitcher before serving so that each guest receives a consistent infusion. The small cups encourage slow sipping and close attention to the tea’s character. Its beauty lies in the thoughtful preparation and sharing of tea, creating a moment for hospitality, conversation, and connection. The tea ceremony highlighted Gongfu Cha as a living tradition—one that brings people together through the simple act of sharing a cup of tea.
Producer Jackie Lewis, TV host Joey Zhou, founder of the Los Angeles Beverly Arts (LABA), artist Clara Lobel, Robert Lobel, and makeup artist Noreen Diani
Chaffee Ten Fu’s & Ten Ren’s Tea Boutique brings together an established tea heritage and a contemporary approach to enjoying tea. The tea boutique introduces traditional Chinese tea culture to a new generation through loose-leaf teas, teaware, and handcrafted beverages. That heritage is reflected in a broad selection of teas and teapots, with teaware chosen for its clay, form, and balance. Chaffee combines this attention to tea and its presentation with a welcoming café setting designed to bring people across generations and cultures together.
Janice Lien and Gizell Lien, owners of Ten Fu's & Ten Ren's Tea Boutique, artist Clara Lobel, and TV host Joey Zhou, founder of the Los Angeles Beverly Arts (LABA)
Owned by Gizelle and Janice Lien, Chaffee Ten Fu’s & Ten Ren’s Tea Boutique in Temple City, California, brings together traditional Chinese tea culture and contemporary hospitality. The family-run boutique combines the heritage of Ten Fu’s and Ten Ren’s with a welcoming setting where guests can explore fine teas, appreciate teaware, and enjoy the experience of sharing tea. Enjoy your tea, iced or hot, and visit the Café Bar for specialty tea drinks, lattes, and treats.
The boutique’s connection to Ten Ren places it within a tea tradition rooted in Taiwan. Ten Ren traces its beginnings to the Ming-Fong tea business established in 1953, followed by the first Ten Ren retail shop in Tainan in 1961. Its expertise encompasses tea production, processing, and tasting; according to the company, its tea specialists regularly evaluate new harvests and grade the leaves for quality.
About Clara Lobel
Clara Lobel is a woman whose life reflects a journey shaped by elegance, discipline, and artistic passion. Born into a scholarly family in China and raised in Hong Kong, her early life was grounded in education, culture, and the arts. She built her professional career in business, focusing on international trade and real estate investment. Through determination and hard work, Clara achieved great success and received numerous awards and honors recognizing her accomplishments. Today, Clara's life is a symphony of self-discipline and creativity. Her weekly routine includes oil painting, yoga, Pilates, jazz dance, and golf — activities that nurture both physical well-being and creative inspiration. She has developed a deep appreciation for golf and continues to pursue oil painting through immersive studio practice, with each painting often requiring more than 100 hours of focus and dedication. For Clara, painting is not only a form of artistic expression, but the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. She continues to receive awards for her accomplishments, most recently she was honored with the 2026 Los Angeles Beverly Arts (LABA) Icon Award.
The Beverly Arts News is sponsored by Art Hearts Fashion, Chaffee, MDSUN, Shennel Trading, XAVVI, ISEGSTAR, World Peace One, Crab Grabber, InLight Foundation, Jiannan Huang Art Institute, Yi Ke Art in Beverly, Wenkang Xue Design Studio, and The Beverly Arts Foundation
