Kimino Sparking Yuzu: I sift through hundreds of snacks both because I love exploring new tastes but also because I'm always looking for a hidden treasure. Sometimes it's a fresh, unexpected flavor combination, while other times it's just the most perfectly executed version of something more familiar. This Kimino sparking yuzu drink falls in the latter category. The small bottle is perfectly sized for a single serving. The bottom contains sediments of yuzu rind (they utilize the entire fruit to make the bevera... (read more) 5.0/5.0
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TeaOne Buckwheat Purple Yam Milk Tea with Boba: Located on Telegraph on the edge of Berkeley's campus is TeaOne, yet another bubble tea shop in Berkeley. I decided to try their Buckwheat Purple Yam milk tea because it's a flavor I haven't seen elsewhere. Unfortunately, it is a flavor that probably shouldn't exist elsewhere because it has a starchy, grainy texture almost reminiscent of sesame breakfast porridge you get in powder packs at Asian grocery stores. The boba was also overly soft, with little discernible taste. 2.5/5.0
drinks boba bubbletea teaone buckwheat purple yam milk tea 2.5 berkeley
Purple Kow Rosie Oolong Tea with Brown Sugar Jelly: Somehow, I kept finding myself at this bubble tea shop in Berkeley, likely because of its proximity to the downtown BART station. Purple Kow serves its bubble tea in "chubby" cups (essentially stout buckets) and uses organic milk products for its milk teas. I think they're a little too proud of this fact given that the last few milk teas I've had have been overwhelmingly milky to the point that you feel like you're having sweetened milk. Even with the "micro sugar option," it was too swee... (read more) 2.0/5.0
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Juice Bar Collective Peanut butter banana shake: Juice Bar Collective is probably my favorite food spot in The Gourmet Ghetto in Berkeley. It's a small worker-owned collective that offers a variety of veggie (and a few meat) entrees like polenta, lasagne, and bahn mi. This may be surprising given the name Juice Bar, but they also had some fantastic beverage options to accompany your meal. The peanut butter and banana shake I had with soy milk had just the right amount of peanut butter without affecting its smooth, creamy consistency. Much ... (read more) 3.5/5.0
recommended drinks shakes berkeley juicebarcollective peanut butter banana shake 3.5
Sweetheart Cafe Avocado Slush with Boba: A creamy drink that tasted more like milk than avocado. The standout component was still the boba, which remains singular in its chewy consistency. Overall, though, I would recommend another beverage at this Berkeley favorite just a block away from Sather Gate. 2.5/5.0
drinks boba berkeley shake sweetheartcafe avocado slush 2.5
San Pellegrino Pomegranate and orange spda: Though I generally find San Pellegrino fruit sodas to be too sweet, this pomegranate and orange flavor combo is unique, with a tangy, slightly bitter taste and good citrus zing. I had it to accompany a duck bahn mi from New Silverstar Deli (in my opinion, one of the best places to get a bahn mi in San Francisco, where we are lucky enough to have many quality bahn mi options), and it cut through the richness in a satisfying and cleansing way. 3.0/5.0
drinks soda sanpellegrino pomegranate orange spda 3.0