Banh Mi Che Cali: 6.75/10

Boba boba boba... banh mi? We decided to stop by Banh Mi Che Cali today to get some boba FOR CHEAPZ. If you don't already go here for their sandwiches and other Viet deli items, I'd recommend it. Especially because you will not drop more than a honest Abe ($5 bill) on a light meal. The only item I would not recommend is their banh pate chaud (apologies for lack of textual accent marks) because it has a slice of sausage inside instead of ground pork. So wrong. ANYWHO, we review boba. This place is limited to only milk tea with tapioca pearls, but IT IS BOGO for $2.25 ($2.45 w/ tax). Bottoms up.

Milk tea w/ tapioca pearls.

BANH MI CHE CALI (ALHAMBRA)

Drink Taste: 7.5/10

Boba: 6.5/10

Cost-to-Size: 9.0/10

Available Drink Options: 4.0/10

Available Food Options: Viet cuisine

Customer Service: 6.0/10

Ambience: 6.0/10

Recommended: Yes, especially for the budget-saavy or someone wanting a quick lunch

Summary of Scores: Even though their milk tea comes from a spout, it has a surprisingly pleasant depth and richness which makes for good milk tea. Good balance of sweetness, imo. Today's boba was pleasant with its chewy consistency. However, mentioning that today's was good... Banh Mi Che Cali definitely has off days where the boba is overcooked and sad. Their boba is mini and not flavored, which I'm indifferent about. Cost is excellent, where two 16oz milk teas are $2.45 with tax. You get the portion control and when split with a friend, you get boba for super cheapz. Food options are great, with the various banh mis, pastries, noodles, and rice dishes. Drink options are literally: milk tea (w/tapioca), green milk tea (no tapioca)... and I do not remember the other two. But really, your only boba option is the milk tea. Though I'm sure they'll add tapioca to the green milk tea at your request, but you may be charged extra. Since Banh Mi Che Cali is so cheap, with so many options, it is always busy. So customer service and ambience is lacking. Overall, the recommendation is a definite yes for the going in-and-out for a quick and affordable meal.

Overall Experience: 6.75/10

It was hard to give an overall score because BMCC is not a boba specialty shop. Their boba is not outstanding, but the drink will still hit the spot and the price/convenience is fantastic. Therefore, a 6.75 was the most fair score for BMCC relative to other boba places reviewed. I hope you agree! :)

-T