Bubble Tea Cafe

Wait was RIDICULOUS. 30 minutes for just milk tea, and the staff seemed totally unconcerned. 30 MINUTES. Then the tea was sickly sweet — overdose of syrup. Don’t go here.

Just about anybody can offer Bubble Teas but very few are capable of concocting the perfectly balanced beverage. For starters, Bubble Tea is about the mouthful texture of the tapioca pearls. The slippery, chewy, elastic nature of these tapioca pearls is the focal point of this drink. Prepared incorrectly, these pearls either end up as a slimy mush or hardened rock with a dry, powered center. A properly prepared tapioca pearl should have the consistency of a slightly melted gummy bear. Next, the drink itself must be properly mixed. Many restaurants rely on powdered flavors which is difficult to dissolve evenly. A properly prepared tea uses syrup and shaken through a strainer (as opposed to just mixing with a stirrer). The best bubble tea cafes in Taiwan use simple syrup as opposed to granulated sugar. Of all the restaurants I’ve visited, Bubble Tea Café’s mixing methods most closely resembles a proper bubble tea café in Taiwan. After 3 drinks and two visits within the same day, Bubble Tea Café has proven itself to be consistent (at least this particular Sunday) and worthy of bolba praise. [Original Visit: August 8, 2010]