Yuki & Love Boba Milk Tea Mochi: A product of Taiwan, the motherland of boba milk tea, these mini individually-wrapped mochi snacks are about two inches in diameter and contain a moist, mulit-layered filling. An outer layer is lighter tan in color, resembling milk tea, while a dark brown center takes the place of boba. The inside is a gelatinous core that's pleasant in its milk tea flavor, if not accurate in texture, though the texture of the mochi itself is surprisingly intact and satisfyingly chewy. Purchased at 99 Ranch. 3.0/5.0
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Binggrae Samanco Brown Sugar Boba Ice Cream Sandwich: A Korean brand's take on frozen Japanese taiyaki featuring Taiwanese bubble tea, this trinity of representation incorporates milk tea ice cream alongside brown sugar "boba." Unlike the packaging would indicate, the split between ice cream and boba is not 50/50 but more like 90/10, with a thin layer of brown syrup containing popping-type boba that's neither chewy nor bursting, a texture all its own. Having experienced the Monaka Jumbo ice cream sandwiches in Japan, with its iconic crispy wa... (read more) 3.0/5.0
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Kung Fu Tea honey black tea with boba: Half a year ago, I posted a positive review of the newly opened Kung Fu Tea in Somerville (Davis Square), with particular praise for their boba. I've since returned several times and have found the quality has dropped significantly. For my last visit, I had half-sugar honey black tea, which was fine, but the boba was mushy and soft. As a result, I am removing my endorsement of KFT Davis. 2.5/5.0
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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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iTea Roasted Oolong Milk Tea with Boba: While I previously have had very good experiences at iTea in San Francisco, I've found that the quality has seemed to decline over time. On my last trip, I ordered their Roasted Oolong Milk Tea with little sweetness and ice, yet the drink was still sweeter than I would expect and diluted tasting right from the start. The boba, too, was overly chewy without much character. I typically like to order new things every time I go, but if I find myself at iTea again, I will likely order one of m... (read more) 2.5/5.0
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b. patisserie milk tea tart: At the corner of Divisadero and California in Lower Pacific Heights (San Francisco) is popular bakery b. patisserie, led by a former pastry chef at fine-dining establishments like Gary Danko and Manresa. The sizable shop feels like a luxury in San Francisco, with only a handful of bakeries able to afford real estate to seat multiple families and smaller parties; the line out of the door, with about a 15 minute wait to the counter, signified they're doing just fine. For Chinese New Year, b.... (read more) 2.5/5.0
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