Boba ‘Round the Bay
In the Bay Area, nearly one-third of the population are Asians, which justifies the abundance of Asian cuisines in the area. One of the most popular Asian foods is bubble milk tea, also known as boba. With an abundance of boba shops, here are some of my personal favorites~
By: Isabelle Zhang
Boba is a chewy, round pearl made from tapioca starch. The chewy texture, sweet taste, and splendid mix with various drinks and desserts all contribute to boba’s reigning popularity. We commonly find boba pearls with ice cream, shaved ice, and, of course, milk tea and fruit teas.
As a mini boba connoisseur, I’ve tried a variety of popular boba places around the Bay Area. Many were awful: some had poor proportions of milk to tea, some had terrible boba pearl textures, and some put no effort at all. But I’ve compiled a list of my favorite Bay Area boba places so you avoid my mistakes as you venture into your boba journey! Feel free to agree, disagree, or add in more places I missed!
Key for Ratings
$ – a typical drink is under $5.00 dollars, after tax and one serving of boba.
$$ – a typical drink is between $5.00 and $7.50, after tax and one serving of boba.
$$$ – a typical drink is above $7.50, after tax and one serving of boba.
The ratings are based on five categories, each with a maximum of 10 points. The five categories are the following: the texture of the boba pearls; the proportions of tea, milk, and fruit syrups; the ambience of the interior; the selectivity of the menu, and the availability of parking.
1. Phin Cafe (San Jose & North Fremont) – Price $$
Phin Cafe is a coffee shop specializing in Vietnamese coffee, yet their boba menu is also remarkable. From their signature Phin Cafe drip coffee, to egg coffee, pandan coffee, and matcha coffee, they maintain quality in all their drinks. As for their boba menu, they feature unique blends of fruit syrups to present a delicious drink. They offer oat milk substitution for free as well, which is rare in the modern boba industry!
When choosing their toppings, Phin Cafe’s boba pearls are a hit or miss. Half of the time, their boba pearls are too soft, causing them to lose their chewy texture. To be safe, pair the fruit and milk teas with their lychee jelly.
The ambience is a perfect study environment, with free Wi-Fi, numerous outlets, and instrumental music. Their interior decorations share a nature-inspired theme, adding to the calming atmosphere.
My personal favorite milk tea is Gun N’ Rose, which is a rose green milk tea drink with cheese crema and rose petals. Their rose syrup tastes very natural, and they control the proportions of the milk, tea, and syrup very well!
My rating is a solid 43/50!
(5/10) boba pearls
(10/10) proportions of tea, milk, and/or fruit syrups
(10/10) ambience
(8/10) menu selection
(10/10) parking availability
2. Rose Tea Lounge (South Fremont) – Price $$$
Rose Tea Lounge, as the name implies, specializes in fruit teas made from fresh seasonal fruits, organic cane sugar, and organic loose tea leaves. Whether you want a refreshing Summer Melon, or a Mango Tango, remember to pair everything with their boba pearls! Rose Tea Lounge has some of the most chewy boba pearls.
Though their drinks are on the pricier side, the quality justifies the price.
My personal favorite drink is the Strawberry Heaven with boba pearls—half sugar, half ice. This drink has the perfect blend of jasmine green tea, strawberry puree, and fresh strawberries.
The ambience is perfect for pictures, but they blast pop music very loudly. The seats are not comfortable for studying either.
My rating is a solid 44/50!
(10/10) boba pearls
(10/10) proportions of tea, milk, and/or fruit syrups
(6/10) ambience
(8/10) menu selection
(10/10) parking availability
3. Xing Fu Tang (Milpitas) – Price $$
Xing Fu Tang promotes themself heavily on their social media platforms, especially Instagram. Their selling point is their freshly handmade boba pearls that have the perfect texture. They specialize in boba pearls, which pair well with soft serve, fresh milk, and milk tea. The location is relatively close to Ohlone College and easily accessible.
My personal favorite drink is the Dalgona Milk Tea. Dalgona is a foamy cream created by beating and whisking instant coffee powder and a bit of hot water. The sweet dalgona cream sits on top of a heavenly mix of milk, tea, and boba pearls.
There’s plenty of seating available and a vibrant life-size logo to take photos next to. While you’re there, feel free to take a polaroid picture and hang it on their wall of pictures!
My rating is a 48/50!!
(10/10) boba pearls
(10/10) proportions of tea, milk, and/or fruit syrups
(8/10) ambience
(10/10) menu selection
(10/10) parking availability
4. Feng Cha (Newark) – Price $$
Feng Cha is located in a strip mall in Newark. It’s relatively close to Ohlone’s Newark Campus, and they offer an extensive menu of refreshing drinks. If you are lactose-intolerant, they default to lactose-free milk, which is super mindful of them!
Their boba pearls are also a hit-or-miss, but their tea and milk teas are great. One of their specialty drinks is the Mango Pomelo Sago—a blend of coconut milk, sago pearls, mango chunks, and pomelo. This may sound unattractive at first, but all it takes is one try.
The ambience is perfect for studying and taking photos for Instagram. The seats are clean, and the interior is modern. As a side note, many of the bobaristas are Ohlone students too~
My rating is a 42/50!!
(5/10) boba pearls
(10/10) proportions of tea, milk, and/or fruit syrups
(10/10) ambience
(7/10) menu selection
(10/10) parking availability
5. Cha Cha Cha (99% Tea House) (Central Fremont) – Price $
This is a local boba store, located across from the Suju’s Coffee on Thornton. This boba store is women-owned and has a super friendly owner! The menu selection is extensive, and they offer a unique blend of flavors. Though there’s no seating, the service is fast.
On top of their boba, you should definitely try their 10-won coin dessert, offered in six flavors.
Their boba pearls are handmade (unlike TeaZenTea), and their drinks are made from fresh ingredients. The drinks don’t look fancy, but the quality is great.
My rating is a 40/50!!
(7/10) boba pearls
(10/10) proportions of tea, milk, and/or fruit syrups
(3/10) ambience
(10/10) menu selection
(10/10) parking availability
6. iSee Cream (Stoneridge) – Price $$
iSee Cream, located on the second floor of the Stoneridge Mall, specializes in soft serve made from premium-quality fresh milk, taiyaki, and boba milk tea. Their boba pearls are handmade and chewy, and they pair well with every item on their extensive menu. If you love matcha, iSee Cream offers lots of matcha options for you too!
There are no seats, since iSee Cream caters to people shopping at a mall. However, if you want to take aesthetic photos for social media, this has the perfect ambiance for that.
My rating is a 43/50!!
(10/10) boba pearls
(10/10) proportions of tea, milk, and/or fruit syrups
(8. 10) ambience
(5/10) menu selection
(10/10) parking availability
Honorable Mentions:
- TeaZenTea: Lots of variety, but their boba pearls are not handmade, and the drinks are made purely out of fruit syrups.
- Tapioca Express: They have a menu of over 300 items! One of the oldest boba stores around, though the quality is questionable at times.
- YiFang Fruit Tea
- Yugo Ramen’s boba menu
- Haiku TeaHouse in San Jose
- Chicha San Chen in Cupertino
These six boba shops, along with the ones listed in honorable mentions, are my go-to places to grab a drink and study with. Whether you are in the mood for milk tea, slushy, chewy boba pearls, or authentic fruit teas, you will not go wrong with any of these!
(Photo Credit: SpicyTruffle on Adobe Stock)
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