Abide Monarch black sesame and matcha bubble tea with boba: In the 9 years I spent in Cambridge, we never had a dependable bubble tea shop. The short-lived bubble tea shop in Kendall was just ok, but since it was close to lab, I’d sometimes find myself there for quick meetings. Upon returning to Cambridge for mystery hunt, I visited a pop up boba shop at the Middlesex lounge with a diverse menu of tea and fruit drinks incorporating ingredients like peppercorn and cloves and with names like Binary and The Monarch. I ordered the latter, a hot milk tea ... (read more) 3.5/5.0
drinks bubbletea recommended cambridge abide monarch black sesame matcha bubble tea boba 3.5
Happy Lemon Taro with fresh milk drink with boba: A tri-layer drink with boba at its base, a milk slush at the top, and bits of taro root sandwiched in between. Purchased at 0% sweetness, the boba, which had a honey coating, was sweet enough to keep the drink balanced. The taro root pieces had a good amount of bite and starchiness to give the drink extra substance. And the slushie was both creamy and rich. If you’re a fan of taro, you’ll like this drink! 3.5/5.0
recommended berkeley drinks bubble happylemon taro milk slushie boba 3.5
Happy Lemon Bubble waffle: There are several Happy Lemon shops in Seattle and one right in the middle of Amazon’s campus. It’s central location to downtown always gives it a sizable line, mostly because of the popularity of their bubble waffles, a snack I hadn’t yet seen at other locations I’ve been to (the last one I went to was in Shinjuku Tokyo about a year ago). They come in a few flavors including original, chocolate, Oreo, and matcha and are sized for sharing, though I have to admit I ate this one by myself over... (read more) 4.0/5.0
recommended dessert happylemon bubble waffle 4.0
Kung Fu Tea honey bubble tea: At last, good bubble tea has come to Cambridge. I was first introduced to Kung Fu Tea in NYC and was happy to find a tea spot offering varied sweetness levels (such as half sugar). There are now several locations in Boston, but the latest location has opened in Davis Square. The honey tea has no added sugar and is refreshingly and naturally sweet. The boba texture is excellent. There is also very little added ice as to not dilute the tea. A medium is $3.50, which is very reasonably priced. E... (read more) 4.0/5.0
kungfutea drinks cambridge boba recommended honeytea tea honey bubble 4.0
Lipton Tea Ice Bubble Tea Ice Bars: I like seeing how American brands reinvent themselves abroad, offering products especially for foreign markets. I see Lipton tea bottled beverages sometimes in vending machines, for example, where as in the US, I only ever associate the brand with tea bags. Their black milk tea ice cream bars are miniature, about 2/3 the size of American fruit bars, and at 45 calories each, I don't feel bad having them. They have a familiar black milk tea flavor with boba pieces throughout that are actual... (read more) 3.5/5.0
recommended japanese lipton tea ice bubble bars 3.5
Out the Door Bubble tea: I rarely eat in the Ferry Building in SF, but on this rare occasion, I decided to try a bahn mi at Out The Door. I got a bubble tea to accompany my sandwich and am sad to report that it was terrible. The tea was super sweet, and the boba somehow managed to be both hard on the inside and mushy outside, a combination I didn’t know was possible. Worst of all, it was expensive because it’s the Ferry Building. The sandwich wasn’t too much better, by the way-they use normal French baguette instead... (read more) 1.5/5.0
avoid drinks boba bubbletea milktea outthedoor bubble tea 1.5