In Search of Boba Balance

A culture article by Sonia Pramanick and Vanshika Sharma 

Witherly Heights has made it its solemn mission to find the best spots to find Fremont’s favorite drink: milk tea. With boba and 30% ice, this Taiwanese beverage can be enjoyed all year long and has become a staple in recent years. Following the criteria of sweetness, tea flavor, boba elasticity, ratio of milk to tea, and ambiance of the tea shop, we have sought out the best in the area. With this guide in hand, your life will forever be bobalicious.

T4, 43430 Mission Blvd #140, Fremont, CA 94539

• Sweetness: 5 – perfect balance of sweetness
• Tea flavor: 3
• Boba elasticity: 4 – good texture but a little bit too chewy
• Ratio of milk to tea: 5 – good balance of tea and milk
• Ambiance: 2

Average: 3.8 out of 5

T4 had one of the best milk teas, as the sweetness and boba consistency were very good. The tea flavor was a bit light, but the ratio of milk to tea was one of the best in our samplings. However, the ambience really let it down as the T4 in Mission San Jose is quite small and is more often a quick stop to grab boba and a snack, rather than a iconic location to sit and chat with your friends.

Tata Teahouse, 39230 Argonaut Way, Fremont, CA 94538

• Sweetness: 5 – not overly sweet
• Tea flavor: 4 – a bit too strong tea flavor without being overpowering
• Boba elasticity: 2 – good size but not a consistent texture
• Ratio of milk to tea: 3 – more milk would have been good
• Ambiance: 3

Average: 3.4 out of 5

Tata Teahouse serves one of our least favorite teas, as the tea flavor was a bit overpowering. The one plus was the sweetness though, which gave the milk tea a bit more balance. The boba was absolutely awful as the texture was inconsistent and seemed as if you were chewing on rubber. The size of the boba was good, but that’s about it. The ambience was pretty average, and even though Tata Teahouse has a bigger space, the electric fans whirring in the background will definitely want you to take your drink to go.

Meet Fresh, 43337 Boscell Rd, Fremont, CA 94538

• Sweetness: 5 –  good combination, especially not too sweet from boba itself
• Tea Flavor: 4 – sort of Americanized but still very good
• Boba elasticity: 4 – not too chewy but not too hard either
• Ratio of milk to tea: 3 – too much milk to tea, but the tea flavor was still maintained.
• Ambiance: 3

Average: 3.8 out of 5

Meet Fresh is a relatively new location and has very solid milk tea. The sweetness was a good combination and definitely not overly saccharine. The tea flavor was a bit light, but still rather prominent. However, we found the milk to tea ratio a bit off, with too much milk. Reducing the milk would have also made the tea more pronounced, as they go hand in hand. Boba consistency was good, achieving the difficult balance between chewy and hard. Lastly, the ambience was average, as the location boasts phone chargers and complimentary wifi, but was a bit too noisy to have enjoy sitting indoors.

Factory Tea Bar, 46461 Mission Blvd, Fremont, CA 94539

• Sweetness: 3 – a little too sweet
• Tea Flavor: 3
• Boba Elasticity: 3 – uncomfortably warm and too chewy
• Ratio of milk to tea: 4
• Ambiance: 4

Average: 3.4 out of 5

Factory Tea Bar is located in the Warm Springs Plaza. The sweetness in the Early Gray milk tea was overpowering; therefore, the tea flavor was not too strong, and it felt like drinking sugary milk rather than milky tea. The tapioca pearls were shocking: the boba was an unexpected warm temperature and a little soggy. They were also too chewy. The amount of milk to tea was pretty good, but the sweetness ruined it. The ambiance of the restaurant was hip but relaxing.

iTea, 43421 Christy St, Fremont, CA 94538

• Sweetness: 4 – not too sweet, and not too bitter!
• Tea flavor: 5 – very rich, but not overpowering
• Boba elasticity: 4 – chewy but easily broken
• Ratio of milk to tea: 4 – pretty good ratios
• Ambiance: 3 – nothing special

Average: 4 out of 5

iTea is located in Pacific Commons. The tea flavor was very strong, but because of the the proper milk to tea ratios, the drink had a pretty good balance. The boba was chewy, but it also broke off after good amount of time spent chewing. Fortunately, the milk tea also was not too sweet. It had the perfect blend of sugar, tea, and milk. The ambiance was nothing special, though it did feel like a step up from T4.

ShareTea, 3948 Washington Blvd, Fremont, CA 94538

• Sweetness: 5 – good balance
• Tea flavor: 5 – strong but not overpowering
• Boba elasticity: 4 – sometimes a bit chewy but still soft enough
• Ratio of milk to tea: 5 – good balance between the two
• Ambience: 5 – small location but not too loud and seems comfortable to stay at. Quite a lot of people studying

Average: 4.8 out of 5

ShareTea ended up serving the highest rated milk tea with boba pearls. The sweetness was on point, where it had the perfect balance of tea, milk, and sugar. The tea flavor was also very strong but not at all overpowering. You could tell you were drinking tea, as it wasn’t diluted like some milk teas tend to be. The ratio of milk to tea was good. The boba was a bit chewy but didn’t leave you chewing for hours. Lastly, the ambiance was comfortable, as it was not loud. Despite its small storefront, ShareTea still had plenty of tables, many of which were occupied by students doing their homework.