Yamada Bee Factory 塩とシークヮーサーはちみつ: A second beverage I had from the hospital vending machine is this salted citrus beverage with organic honey. Its color, an electric yellow-green, makes me naturally think of lemon Gatorade, which it has a similar flavor to except the sweetness has a little more depth, and the consistency is a slightly thicker on the tongue. A decent sweet beverage good for the impending summer heat. 3.5/5.0
recommended drinks citrus vendingmachine yamadabeefactory 塩とシークヮーサーはちみつ 3.5
Yaya Tea Clean Clothes kiwi and mango fruit tea with boba: This Little Italy-based tea shop has mixed fruit tea flavors with bizarre names like “Blue Blood” and “My First Car.” I ordered one of the weirdest ones, a mango and kiwi fruit tea called “Clean Clothes.” Somehow the tea managed to be simultaneously super artificial tasting yet also incredibly diluted, with a sweet yet sour flavor that reminded me of those Chinese jello snacks and Jolly Rancher candies. The boba was similarly subpar - overly hard and lacking any taste. Definitely the worst... (read more) 1.0/5.0
avoid nyc drinks bubbletea yayatea clean clothes kiwi mango fruit tea boba 1.0
Yifang Matcha Brown Sugar Bubble Tea: I was delighted to come across the Taiwanese bubble tea shop Yifang in Shin Okubo, the Koreatown of Shinuku in Tokyo. I wish I were able to read the menu of fruit tea options, but I had to go by the pictures and decided to try their matcha latte with brown sugar, a drink that has a fixed amount of sugar (unlike some other menu items, where you can adjust how sweet you'd like it to be). I did find the drink to be sweet for my taste, but the combination of bitter matcha with sweet brown suga... (read more) 4.0/5.0
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Yifang Coconut Sago Drink: Really enjoyed this refreshing creamy drink from Yifang, which has small tapioca balls (sago), like the type in tapioca pudding. A great alternative to milk tea if you're craving something fruitier. 4.0/5.0
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Yomie's Rice Yogurt Haw Purple Rice Yogurt: This shop features a drink menu dominantly in Chinese, with a sprinkling of English just so you know how to order. They make yogurt drinks that verge on porridge territory, with a thick consistency that you can just manage to consume from a straw. Their most popular drink is purple rice yogurt, but I opted for the haw flavor, a popular berry used in Asian desserts. Made to order, it took about 10 minutes to arrive in a boba-tea-like plastic packaging with a sealed off top you puncture wit... (read more) 2.5/5.0
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Young Tea Roasted oolong tea with grass jelly: This small tea shop in Seattle's Chinatown / International District is just a few steps away from their impressively sized Mitsuwa Market. It takes pride in its traditional Chinese herbal teas, and it comes across clearly in their drinks. The oolong milk tea I had was just right: more tea than milk wth just a bit of sweetness at 50%. The grass jelly was one of the most memorable I've had, with a silky texture and slightly bitter flavor that complements the sweet tea. Highly recommended! 4.0/5.0
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