Boba Guys lavender black milk tea with grass jelly: This distinct beverage had a clean lavender flavor without tasting too floral, or like soap as poorly balanced lavender-flavored things tend to. Though I ordered the drink with 50% sweetness, I found it to be on the sweet side. (I think they might sweeten the drinks more than the NYC location, as I've had the opposite impression there.) The flavor and texture of the homemade grass jelly was excellent, but it was difficult to suck up through a normal boba straw. 3.5/5.0
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Boba Guys Strawberry Tea Fresca with Almond Jelly: I've only ever had milk teas at Boba Guys up to this point, but their strawberry jasmine tea fresca was excellent, and I will definitely be back to try others. Similar to Asha tea, they use fruit puree so that it has a bit of texture. The almond jelly is soft and tofu-like, and just a tad grainy. Overall, the drink was very fresh and well made; faintly sweet. Highly recommended. 4.0/5.0
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Chin Chin grass jelly drink: I'm a big fan of gelatin in drinks, from boba to grass jelly. For those who haven't had grass jelly before, it's not chewy like boba but soft (it's less firm than jello). Unfortunately, the drink overall is too sweet, though the grass jelly adds a slightly medicinal flavor that cuts through. Because the jelly settles to the bottom of the can, much goes to waste after the liquid runs out. A good companion, though, to spiced Asian food. 3.0/5.0
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Dydo Purush Jelly Sparkling Flavored Grape Soda: This is a very unique drink that you need to shake in advance of opening to break up its gelatinous filling. It contains a mix of "jelly," which has been carbonated so there's no risk of having overly-pressurized soda explode upon opening the can, as well as coconut jelly (Nata de Coco). It tastes like Fanta grape soda, so very sweet, but I really liked the mix of softer jelly and chewy coconut cubes, and the grape flavor is also quite nostalgic for me. Purchased from a vending machine. 4.0/5.0
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Fong On Can't Go Wrong Tofu Pudding with Red Beans, Grass Jelly, and Taro Balls: Fong On is a small family-run tofu shop on Division Street in Chinatown, right next to the Manhattan Bridge. I found out about it from a profile in the New York Times a few months ago, describing how the long-standing neighborhood tofu shop, which had been open for 80 years, had recently relocated and reopened after the son took over the family business. They sell freshly made soy milk, rice cakes, and doufu hua, all traditional Chinese favorites. Doufu hua is kind of like getting frozen ... (read more) 3.5/5.0
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Hanco's Honey Green Tea with Lychee Jelly: I'm not homesick per se, but I do find myself frequently sad about the lack of good bubble tea options in NYC. I think I had 5 different bubble tea stamp cards in the bay area, and I only have one for NYC, at a bubble tea shop that closes at 8pm during the week (Mr. Wish). Given that most of my bubble tea purchases in Berkeley or SF were late night impulses, I don't get to drink much of it here. Hanco's, a Vietnamese sandwich shop close to me, has pretty bad boba from my previous experie... (read more) 3.0/5.0
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