U Cha Barley milk tea with boba: Continuing my bubble tea taste test across Berkeley, I found myself at a popular tea shop named U Cha on Bancroft. Their expansive menu has the fruit and milk tea flavors you expect from a Taiwanese-style chain. I ordered their barley tea with boba at 20% sweetness with little ice. The flavor was familiar but watered down and over-sweetened; the boba was too chewy. With better options, this one is a pass. 2.0/5.0
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Sharetea Hokkaido black milk tea with boba: I stopped by this branch of Sharetea to scout out tea shops in downtown Berkeley; this one is located right on the edge of campus. Coming in around lunchtime meant there was a sizeable line of college students, and it took about 10 minutes total from getting in line to retrieving my drink. Their menu has several variants of classic black milk tea, including Hokkaido black tea, which supposedly has a roasted brown sugar flavor. Though I ordered it at 30% sweetness, it was more sweet than I wo... (read more) 2.5/5.0
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i-Tea Honey Brown Rice Milk Tea with Basil Seeds and Agar Boba: From Taiwan, this bubble tea chain has all the signs of an authentic Taiwanese tea shop: its menu is ridiculously long; you can customize sweetness, ice, and toppings; it's cash only; there's absolutely no place to sit and chat (you purchase your drink and enjoy it elsewhere); and while there are lines out the door, service is fast. Drinks only come in one (large) size but are very reasonably priced. I ordered their honey brown rice milk tea at 30% sweetness, and the drink was one of the b... (read more) 4.5/5.0
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The Juice Bar black milk tea with boba: Even with less sweetness, this cup of milk tea is a tad too sweet, but the boba is some of the best I've had in Boston. A good amount of bite without being too dense. The milk tea itself is not bad beyond the sweetness. Easily the best bubble tea I've had in Chinatown in Boston. 3.0/5.0
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Boba Guys black milk tea with boba: An import from the Bay Area, Boba Guys recently opened shop on Clinton St. In NYC. The shop features teas made with organic ingredients and mostly housemade toppings. I usually assess bubble tea shops with a classic black milk tea with boba, and I requested mine with 25% sugar. The boba was excellent-in the top 5% I've had. Still firm but chewy, with a fairly neutral flavor. The milk tea had a nice balance between creamy and herbal, but I think I would get 50% sweetness next time. 4.0/5.0
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Kung Fu Tea honey green tea: Accidentally ordered this one with full sugar level, and it was insanely sweet. I also think it wasn't mixed properly because the first half was sweeter than the second. Boba was on the soft side. Honey overpowered the green tea. From KFT in Allston. 2.0/5.0
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