Bar pa tea Roasted oolong milk tea with boba: Located near Soho, Bar Pa Tea bubble tea shop is a sister shop to Pa Tea, another shop I reviewed earlier this summer. The chronology of my reviews is off, though - I actually went to Bar Pa first, not knowing they were related. This milk tea was alright and just average, like bubble tea you can get from any ok tea shop in California. The boba was actually below average, though, as it was too soft. I did however sample their oolong soft serve and thought t was surprisingly good, which is why... (read more) 2.5/5.0
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Befco Kuriyama Bakauke Sesame rice crackers: Shaped vaguely like miniature banana or oblong boomerangs, these soy flavored rice crackers were purchased for under $3 from Sunrise Market in Manhattan. Each piece is individually wrapped and is just on the verge of being overseasoned, yet also has a sweet aftertaste. Pretty good overall, but probably not good enough to purchase again. 3.0/5.0
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Besfren Taro and matcha soft serve: I stumbled upon this tiny pastry shop on my way to Penn Station from KTown and was impressed with the quality of their soft serve. Served in a large but slightly pricy cup (at $5.50), the purple and green ice cream swirl is well balanced and perfectly smooth. The creamy, slightly vegetal flavor of taro works surprisingly well with bitter matcha. My only quibble is that the way the soft serve was swirled gave it a hollow center, so I think a third of the cup I received was just an air pock... (read more) 3.5/5.0
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Big Gay Ice Cream Shop vanilla and chocolate mini soft serve: I took advantage of a weekday deal to get a mini cone with a mix of vanilla and chocolate soft serve, totaling around $3 after tax. The soft serve was smooth and creamy. Not overly sweet. The flavor combination was classic but well done. The cone was ordinary. Overall, a good deal and perfectly sized for a mid-day snack. 3.5/5.0
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Boba Guys black milk tea with boba: An import from the Bay Area, Boba Guys recently opened shop on Clinton St. In NYC. The shop features teas made with organic ingredients and mostly housemade toppings. I usually assess bubble tea shops with a classic black milk tea with boba, and I requested mine with 25% sugar. The boba was excellent-in the top 5% I've had. Still firm but chewy, with a fairly neutral flavor. The milk tea had a nice balance between creamy and herbal, but I think I would get 50% sweetness next time. 4.0/5.0
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Boba Guys Thai iced to with milk: While you can request the sweetness level for most drinks at Boba Guys, the Thai iced team comes at one sweetness level, which they approximated to be 75%. While it was sweet, it wasn't overly so, with a balanced and satisfying Thai iced tea flavor. Would have again, but not before I try some of the other enticing flavors! 4.0/5.0 4.0/5.0
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