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The Only Memorable Thing Martin Shkreli Did On This Date Was Order A $120 Tea

By

Jen Carlson

Published Jan 7, 2016

Modified Jan 7, 2016

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By

Jen Carlson

Published Jan 7, 2016

Modified Jan 7, 2016

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One woman decided to go on a date with the devil, Martin Shkreli, when he "super liked" her on Tinder, and now she has published a story about that date that is only surprising in its overall ordinariness. He did order a $120 tea in Tribeca, however, and this was the most intriguing part of all—here's the entire article stripped of everything that didn't have to do with the tea:

I told him that I am a vegetarian but that I enjoy almost any type of food, and he chose a Japanese restaurant in TriBeCa called Brushstroke. The waitress also pointed out the list of Japanese teas on the menu. Most of the teas were priced between $8 to $13, but there was a “Gold Medal Sencha” for $120 a cup. Apparently it’s extremely rare and won an important tea competition in Japan. After the waitress left, we joked about paying $120 for a cup of tea. I thought about making a price-gouging joke, but couldn’t think fast enough.

We finished our food, and Martin flagged down the waitress and ordered the $120 tea. This was the most surprising and jarring moment of the night. I know he’s a multimillionaire, but I thought we were on the same page about this tea. He asked if I wanted a cup, and I couldn’t bring myself to say yes.

When Martin finished his tea, I asked how he liked it. “I’m not really a big tea drinker,” he replied.

My only regret is not guzzling a cup of that $120 tea.

teamenu16.jpg
"As good as it gets!" — Yelp reviewer

About this tea:

The tea has now been forever tainted by its name being associated with Shkreli, who would have charged $2,299 per cup, btw.

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martin shkreli

Tea

Jen Carlson

Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.

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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

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