Mighty Boba Truck: 5.0/10

Hey boba viewers! Last night was my first 626 Night Market experience and I must say it was one to remember. There were so many people congregated in one place, so much stinky tofu, and just... so much. I would recommend going at least once in your life and that once is probably enough for most of us. Unfortunately, I must say similar things about the Mighty Boba Truck, it will remain as a one time event. Granted, I recognize their quality and service would be on a steep decline at a big event like 626, but I was disappointed even when taking this factoid into account. I'm a barista and well... I still couldn't quite sympathize. Sorry Mighty Boba Truck fans!

Honey Black Tea w/ Boba

MIGHTY BOBA TRUCK
(LOS ANGELES, CA)

Drink Taste: 8.0/10

Boba: 4.0/10

Cost-to-Size: 5.0/10

Available Drink Options: 7.0/10

Available Food Options: 8.0/10

Customer Service: 5.0/10

Ambience: 7.0/10

Recommended: Convenient because it's a food truck... but well, you pay the price for convenience.

Summary of Scores: OK, my score is more harsh because I am weighing the other aspects a lot more heavily than the drink itself. If I were to judge the drink, the score would be a 6.5. However, the overall score is a 5.0 and this is why (I apologize if I become a huge troll). The tea itself was good, Mighty Boba is superb about adjustments and I think the original levels of sweet is on point. Very clean and refreshing. The boba was horrendous (yes, though batch quality is hard to maintain at such a busy event) but my boba was hard and ridiculously chewy. The pearl's taste was ok but how poorly it was cooked... was a really a disappointment to the great tea. The cost is paying for its convenience, $5 for a large (approx 20oz) and $4.50 for a regular (approx 16oz). Here comes my second disappointment, they gave me the wrong sized drink, I ordered a large and was given regular. Available drink options: typical affair of milk and regular teas, there were yogurt options too. Food options: typical Taiwanese affair of brick toast, chicken, etc. that were fairly priced (ranging from $4-6). Customer service would be given <5, but the guy handing out drinks was enthusiastic and very polite. However, I waited at least 20 minutes for my drink to be made (there were about 6 orders before mine and some orders had multiple drinks) but regardless, anything more than 10 is too long for a boba place. There's no steaming of milk, there's a separate guy preparing food... all the toppings were ready to go so how could it take so long? I'm a barista and we make lattes faster during a rush. Some customers that order after me received their orders before I did. And all I ordered was a honey black tea with boba. Mighty Boba might have forgotten my order at one point -- who knows. But as I watched the boba-istas preparing drinks, they were relatively slow at concocting and mixing (although I'd be tired too by 8pm) and the assembly line seemed disorganized. There would easily be a 3-4 minutes lag between orders that came out. I wouldn't say I'm difficult to please, but this experience was ridiculous. Hence why I didn't acknowledge my drink being the wrong size and I just took it, said thank you, and then left. Regarding ambience... I guess the truck was cute and decorated. The menus were clever and had nice visuals.

Overall Experience: 5.0/10


Perhaps you'll have a better experience than I did. All I can say is... if it's your first time, do not try the Mighty Boba Truck at 626 Nightmarket. It'll ruin them for you, like for me :(

-T

Tastea: 8.0/10

Hello boba friends! This is a more unusual post because the place is a bit of trek from home. However, I'm sure many of you have heard of Tastea in the OC!

Half & Half Tea w/ Honey Boba

TASTEA
(GARDEN GROVE, CA)

Drink Taste: 8.5/10

Boba: 5.5/10

Cost-to-Size: 8.0/10

Available Drink Options: 8.0/10

Available Food Options: 5.0/10

Customer Service: 8.5/10

Ambience: 8.0/10

Recommended: Such a happy little shop and fun vibe. So yes... especially after a long day of shopping.

Summary of Scores: The Half & Half tea was SO refreshing and SO good in all its simplicity. Often times I'm conflicted between black or green tea and THIS place has solved all my problems by mixing both. It was the right amount of sweetness and flavor. However... the boba, I would skip on it next time. When I saw that it was green, I knew they sacrificed taste for cuteness. However... because Tastea is the epitome of cute, they do rock the green boba. I wonder if the regular boba is not green. I didn't like it because it was overly soft and awkward in consistency, but the taste was fine. The tea was $2.60 in the gigantic size (approximately 16-20oz), great price imo. Lots of creative drinks with pre-determined toppings, like Passion Attraction (passion fruit tea w/ coconut jelly). It reminded me of Cha For Tea, more sweet and intense in fruit flavor. Quite artificial, but I'd get that as dessert anytime. I don't recall if there was food or not (but I'm leaning to not)... so that explains the 5.0 score. Customer service was excellent, everyone was so polite and welcoming. Ambience isn't ideal for studying, but it's very a very fun and casual atmosphere. Also colorful!

Overall Experience: 8.0/10


Thanks, OC. I really enjoyed this one!

-T

Honeyboba: 8.5/10

Hello hello hello boba people! I am excited to say that I can now review Honeyboba. I remember when first Yelping this place, there was either tons of love or tons of haterade. From fat cups to honey-infused boba to crazy toppings, the controversy is which came first: Half & Half or Honey Boba? In my opinion, neither can confidently claim that they invented any of these ideas. Are fat cups really that INCREDIBLE of an idea, anyway? Fat cups don't even fit in standard car cup holders!

To me... the real question is: which do I prefer? Neither beats Cofftea. However, I was impressed with Honeyboba. Really impressed. Dare I say, it could be my new 2nd favorite boba spot?

HONEYBOBA

Jasmine Green Milk Tea w/ Boba

(ARCADIA, CA)

Drink Taste: 8.5/10

Boba: 8.0/10

Cost-to-Size: 8.0/10

Available Drink Options: 7.5/10

Available Food Options: 8.0/10

Customer Service: 7.5/10

Ambience: 8.0/10

Recommended: Yes! Imo, better than Half & Half. Waaaay better than the other Arcadia favorite: Au79.

Summary of Scores: This isn't a true comparison because I did not get milk tea (well, they only had Earl or oolong anyway) but I did get the Jasmine green. The tea was perfect, not too sweet, not too rich, and just right. Thus... SO REFRESHING. Plus I love jasmine tea. The boba was pretty good too, nice and chewy and honey-y. The pearls did not harden too quickly in the cold tea, either. I got 3 teas with boba for under $13, which isn't too shabby. All were standard size, which I think are comparable to the sizes at Cofftea or FTB. Imagine getting a large here! That large fat cup looked like the to-go containers for wonton soup. There were plenty of drink options, including the usual affair (with cute names -- Wintermelon Waltz, for instance) as well as more creative ones, like molasses, peanut, and black sesame milk teas. Honeyboba also serves the controversial milkys which resemble the crazy ensembles of Half & Half. There's a separate food menu -- hence I assume a fairly large selection of snacks and entrees. Customer service was alright, better compared to other tea places. Can I say, honeyboba is very bro? Every employee working this afternoon was male. They were playing Cascada's "We're in Heaven". Ambience was great because of the Cascada playlist, colorful furniture and walls, and multiple chandeliers. Just a lil too loud for studying, but people still tried to.  So I guess in many ways, I do like Honeyboba. I like it better than most boba places I've tried, so do not take it personally my loyal Half & Halfers. 

Overall Experience: 8.5/10


Alright... it is way past my bedtime. I apologize for misspellings, poor grammar, and choppy sentences. I just wanted to post this entry and then pass the fig out. Stay thirsty, friends!

-T

Au79 Tea House: 8.0/10

Greetings boba friends! My friend, Alan, has mentioned this boba place many times in the past. Today, my lab partner and I had an hour incubation and decided we wanted boba. Stephanie, too, mentioned this place. Ever heard of Au79? Maybe only know Au as the periodic table's reference for gold? So by its name, this place has got to be the gold standard for boba, right?

Milk tea w/ boba.

AU79
(ARCADIA, CA)

Drink Taste: 7.5/10

Boba: 8.0/10

Cost-to-Size: 7.5/10

Available Drink Options: 7.0/10

Available Food Options: 7.0/10

Customer Service: 7.5/10

Ambience: 8.0/10

Recommended: Yes, it's pretty good. Not gold, but good.

Summary of Scores: The milk tea was a little more sweet than what I'm used to, so next time I would order less sweet. The tea did not have the same depth and richness, it might be due to the type of creamer used. Less fat? Who knows, but overall, still well-made. The boba was different from other places in that it was more chewy (though not necessarily undercooked). It was plump and held its body well. It was also deliciously sweetened/honeyed up! My drink was a little less than $4 for a fairly sized tea, sizable with FTB and Ozero. I did not take a good gander at the menu so I am unsure about the food choices, but it appears to be the typical Taiwanese affair of popcorn chicken and snacks. The customer service was structured, where I ordered my drink to-go and was ushered to wait by the door. He asked politely, but what if I wanted to sit down? The teashop was fairly empty. Le sigh~ however, the decor was cute and ambience seemed casual, clean, and perhaps a decent place to study. Overall - I'd recommend this place if you are in the area. It's not too far of a drive from City of Hope!

Overall Experience: 8.0/10

I will do my best to try a new place soon! For now... HAPPY SUMMER :)

-T

Guppy House: 7.5/10

HI BOBA FRIENDS! Finally, I am reviewing boba in LA again. It's been months... what can I say, life also got crazy. Anyway, we went to Guppy's in Temple City the other day. Sorry that this review is not focused on a tea house like Cofftea or Cha For Tea, but boba is up there on their menu. Although I will agree that their monstrous shaved ice and brick toast are what gets people to come back.

I don't like how the container isn't clear.

GUPPY HOUSE
(TEMPLE CITY, CA)

Drink Taste: 7.5/10

Boba: 8.0/10

Cost-to-Size: 7.5/10

Available Drink Options: 7.0/10

Available Food Options: 8.5/10

Customer Service: 7.5/10

Ambience: 8.0/10

Recommended: Yes... but I like the Hacienda Height's Guppy's better.

Straw's peep hole: the tea is frothy!

Summary of Scores: I ordered a large "red milk tea w/ boba" and this was Guppy's version of black tea. I thought it was alright, where it had the basic taste of milk tea. However, the sweetener used had an interesting aftertaste. It's not particularly strong but is noticeable. The tea was not anything special, more so typical. The boba was perfectly made, with a slightly sweet taste and good chew. Beware: it is mini boba and will shoot up the straw quickly! The cost of a small is $3.25 and $3.75 for a large. Boba is an additional charge, maybe 50 cents? There's other toppings like aloe, pudding, red bean, etc. The drink and food options at Guppy's are incredible, as you may know. Lots of Taiwanese choices, and I DEFINITELY RECOMMEND SHAVED ICE > MILK TEA BOBA. I think if anything, add pearls to your shaved ice if you are having a boba craving. The popcorn chicken and Hawaiian fried rice aren't too bad either. The customer service was ok, nothing notable. The ambience is on the louder side, but this restaurant is new and well decorated. Imagine yourself in a tropical rain forest essentially.

Overall Experience: 7.5/10

This is what a small strawberry shaved ice + boba looks like. AMAZING, RIGHT?

-T

OZERO's Secret Elixir: Iced Coffee

Hey boba friends!

   I am so sorry for not posting in so long! Honestly, we have been drinking boba sparingly and if we did have a hankering, it'd be at Ozero/Cofftea. Bittersweet... I know. But I promise that once we venture out, I will review it. Guppy's? Lollicup? Who knows what the future has in store!

   If you EVER need to pull an all-nighter (AKA: Relay for Life, midterms hell) take a few swigs of Cofftea's ice coffee. It is absolutely delicious, unnecessarily caffeinated, and kept me up until 8am. I have a fairly high caffeine tolerance, after all, I am a barista. Make sure to take it in slowly though... you could start tweakin' out otherwise. It was $4.35 without tax! YOU CAN ALSO GET IT WITH ICE CREAM LIKE ESTHER DID! Asian affogato, so to speak.

Iced Coffee (Strong, dark.. something like that)

Happy April 12!

T

Tea Chai Te: 7.0/10

Hello! We went out to 23rd Ave in Portland again... and this time, I went to the OTHER teashop. The majestical Tea Chai Te. It makes Fat Straw seem commercial. I can only describe Tea Chai Te as a lil hole-in-the-wall-get-away-from-people-upper-floor teashop, made more magical by the combination of strong incense and clutter of decoration. Really, once you step through that door and ascend the stairs, prepare to experience the manifestation of Portland hipsterness.

Hot milk tea w/ boba.

TEA CHAI TE
(PORTLAND, OR)

Drink Taste: 7.0/10

Boba: 6.0/10

Cost-to-Size: 7.5/10

Available Drink Options: 7.0/10

Available Food Options: 5.0/10

Customer Service: 8.0/10

Ambience: 8.0/10

Recommended: Better than Fat Straw

Summary of Scores: Again, I ordered a hot milk tea because of the freezing weather. This tea had the same traditional milk tea taste, but more light with a hint of vanilla. It could be due to the type of creamer used? THE BOBA WAS INTERESTING. It was a size between mini and regular. The boba was the same softness all the way through, but it wasn't the overcooked, unpleasant squish. I can only describe it as... a thick tapioca gel. Not all that chewy, no added sweetness. The consistency may have been due to the tea being hot, but I don't think that's completely it. It wasn't bad, but very interesting. Surprisingly, the cost was very affordable. My 16oz milk tea with boba was $3.25 and I believe the 20oz is $4.00. Especially being located on 23rd... this was very reasonable. For drink choices, there was the typical tea affair as well as exotic herbal blends. This was also the first Portland place that had green milk tea on the menu. I don't think there were food options, I could be wrong. Tea Chai Te definitely specializes in different teas and kombucha. Service was nice, although there was only one girl working that night. I like to think she was the face of Tea Chai Te with her straight-cut bangs and soothing voice. The ambience was other-worldy. The shop is small and quaint, with a nook where some are studying and others quietly chattering. There was a strong scent of incense... personally, I would not be able to lounge for long because of this. Tea Chai Te has SO MUCH tea and random decor. Dimly-lit. I think everyone should come here just for the experience, but do make sure to wear your most hipster attire possible.

Psychedelic.

Overall Experience: 7.0/10

Like I mentioned earlier, I would prefer Tea Chai Te over Fat Straw if I was walking along 23rd and in need of a boba fix. Its tea is great but next time I would probably pass on adding boba. 

-T

Fat Straw: 6.5/10

Greetings from Oregon, again! The first post of 2013. Don't worry, Angelenos, we will be back in LA soon enough to blog about boba places NOT 1000 miles away. This blog focuses on Fat Straw, a hidden teashop tucked in the lower level of one of 23rd Ave's many cute, little boutiques and shops. Most Portlanders have probably walked by it... but this time, we decided to give it a try.

Hot milk tea w/ boba.

FAT STRAW
(PORTLAND, OR)

Drink Taste: 7.5/10

Boba: 6.0/10

Cost-to-Size: 5.0/10

Available Drink Options: 7.0/10

Available Food Options: 7.0/10

Customer Service: 7.0/10

Ambience: 8.0/10

Recommended: Not bad...

Summary of Scores: I ordered a hot milk tea with boba because it was below freezing outside. Fat Straw uses coconut milk instead of half & half. The milk tea tasted like a blend of milk tea meets thai tea meets... floweriness. It was aromatic and we all liked it. The coconut milk added a slight nuttiness but also made the tea very rich. The boba was not so great, it was mini with a too-soft outside, too hard inside. The price was hefty, $4 for a 16oz with 1 small scoop of boba. I guess Oregon doesn't have sales tax though. The drink options were the typical tea and smoothie affair. Food options consisted of different types of banh mi but I have not tried any. Customer service was kind of awkward... where all three HS girls behind the counter stared at us while we read the menu. Regarding ambience, the shop was small and not for the claustrophobic. But it was cute because it had a cozy, aged feel with tea jars displayed along with random knick knacks. We sat on some couches. There were also two girls studying ochem. Fat Straw also provides complementary computers. I personally wouldn't study here but I can see why it appeals to others.

Overall Experience: 6.5/10

I think Fat Straw was alright. I'm doubtful I would come here for boba again, but I would come here if I needed a place to lounge around in with some friends to escape Oregon's freezing cold. 

-T