Wonderful Dessert and Cafe Grass jelly drink with boba: Wonderful Dessert and Cafe is a small shop lined with bulk candy bins. Counter for bubble tea in the back. Painted window signage declares that this shop has the "best tapioca in town." In actuality, it was one of the worst I've had from any establishment, with a mushy texture and no flavor. The herbal jelly tea was no better, with a medicinal metallic taste. Was hopeful given high online reviews and this store's location in Inner Richmond, which feels the most like Flushing, Queens as I've... (read more) 1.5/5.0
avoid sanfrancisco bubbletea innerrichmond wonderfuldessertandcafe grass jelly drink boba 1.5 drinks
50 Tea Longan Red Date drink with grass jelly: On my last visit to Oakland, iTea was out of ice and only offering hot beverages. Given the beautiful weather, I decided to go across the street to a new tea shop instead. Named 50 Tea, the shop is iconic Chinatown – half of the storefront is for tea and ice cream while the other half is for purchasing various goods like DVDs and small trinkets and gifts. Their walls are covered in hand-written menu additions with distinctly Asian flavors like winter melon and sour plum. I opted for thei... (read more) 4.0/5.0
recommended drinks oakland tea grassjelly asian 50tea longan red date drink grass jelly 4.0
iTea Honey aloe green tea: At 30% sweetness, this drink still had a prominent but not overpowering honey flavor, but not as much tea as I would prefer. The aloe is gelatinous and plump, with a satisfying bite. Purchased at the iTea on Kearny in San Francisco, which I've found to be dependably good. 3.0/5.0
drinks recommended greentea itea honey aloe green tea 3.0
Silk Chocolate Soymilk: Once every few months, I crave chocolate milk and typically opt for a single-serving container. The last incident occurred while I was visiting my alma mater and felt guilty for eating quick, mostly unhealthy meals during my stay. To accompany my sausage breakfast sandwich at Verdes, I purchased Silk chocolate soymilk. I felt good about the amount of calcium, given that my only other source of calcium that weekend came from melted cheese. While the drink was sweet, it complemented my hea... (read more) 3.0/5.0
drinks silk chocolate soymilk 3.0
La Croix Peach Pear Sparkling Water: Finally had a can of this trendy sparkling water at a catered event. Concentrated fruit flavor with a tropical vibe - can't say I would have been able to identify it as pear-flavored if I hadn't seen the label, but the peach flavor reminds me a bit of peach gummies. Surprisingly contains no artificial sweeteners. High level of carbonation. Not convinced enough to purchase on my own, but it wasn't bad. 3.0/5.0
drinks lacroix sparklingwater peach pear sparkling water 3.0
Asha Tea Grape Oolong tea with grass jelly: For whatever reason, this fruit tea is a $0.25 less than many of the other fruit teas on Asha's menu. It has a milder flavor than the Asian Pear oolong, with bits of grape skin at the bottom to remind you that you are, in fact, having a grape-flavored drink. This helps because the fruit flavor, while light and refreshing, is difficult to pin down. Their homemade grass jelly has a slippery soft texture that easily compliments the tea. 3.0/5.0
drinks ashatea fruit grape oolong tea grass jelly 3.0