Asha Tea Blood Orange Oolong Tea: Blood Orange (one of my favorite citrus) + oolong (one of my favorite teas) somehow, in combination, doesn't reach the heights I was hoping for. The orange is faint, and the pulp is not as substantial as other fruit teas I've had from this establishment. It's not bad, but I wouldn't get it again. 3.0/5.0
drinks berkeley asha citrus tea ashatea blood orange oolong 3.0
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
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
I-Tea Pomelo Green Tea with Aloe: I was super surprised to find an i-Tea at the San Francisco Premium Outlets and purchased a round of drinks for my family. This location, though, proved that not all i-Teas are created equal. The pomelo green tea I had was fairly average as far as fruit teas go, with an artificial citrus flavor that made the beverage more of a juice than a tea. Chewy and crunchy cubes of aloe were a bit better, though still not much different than what you might find at a normal Asian tea shop. The 3G, w... (read more) 2.5/5.0
drinks itea fruit citrus pomelo green tea aloe 2.5
Asha Tea Hot ginger tea with goji berries: A mild but warming cup of ginger tea with fresh goji berries that add interest and sharpness. Two slices of very strong ginger top the beverage. I only wish they imparted more of their flavor. 3.0/5.0
drinks berkeley asha ashatea hot ginger tea goji berries 3.0