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Chayan

4.1 (35 reviews)
Open 11:00 am - 10:00 pm
Updated 1 month ago

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Jeremiah M.

There seems to be a debate in the reviews about whether Chayan competes with Molly Tea or not. Both have similar menus and styles, but here's my take. I first heard about Chayan when I was visiting Richmond BC, and I did take a peak at that location. To be honest, the Richmond location was nicer than this one, but the inside of the Seattle location was bigger and had more seating. I went to try out the Seattle location yesterday with my girlfriend, and we both each got a drink. I ordered the Gardenia Milk Tea, and my first reaction to the initial taste was a little disappointing. I prefer a more tea-forward taste for my milk teas, and this one wasn't as strong as other places. I also saw reviews saying that the drinks were quite lukewarm, and the more I think about it, they're completely right. I was wondering why I felt off about it, but I do prefer my drinks to be colder. Perhaps they didn't want to dilute the milk tea with lots of ice. I will say, the drink got better the more I drank it, but it isn't something I would consistently go back for. So my verdict for the Chayan VS Molly Tea debate? Sorry to say, but Chayan is not as good. However, Chayan is closer for me and the drinks come out a lot faster. If I don't feel like driving all the way to the Eastside, I would consider coming here if I just wanted a quick fix. But then again, there are many better options for milk tea in Seattle.

Store photo and ambience

We took osmanthus and lychee milk tea without sugar and it was quite good. More than drink, i really like the premium packaging.

Camellia Milk Tea
Carol L.

Happy BOGO day at Chayan! Congratulations on the release of your new Camellia series. It's wonderfully floral and not too sweet but just enough sweetness and fruitiness to be a perfect midday treat. I always look forward to the new series Chayan is putting out, and the staff are always knowledgeable about their teas. They give you their signature triple straw so you can fully immerse yourself in the milk tea experience (or so I've been told!) and a spoon to eat the cream with too. They don't really do boba /tapioca balls here, it's more of a milk tea-specific establishment. Always love the selection of boba options in the university district, and Chayan is high up there in my ranking list.

Helen J.

Clean/ luxurious aesthetic, got myself two of the seasonal drinks to try. Despite the whip cream being pink, it's just a normal whip cream flavor more creamer than American whip cream though! Very mainland China style with the whip cream and pecan toppings. Pecans add a nice sweet crunch. The teas themselves are very fragrant but also rather light tasting, which compliments nicely with the whip cream topping. There are bathrooms in the back, there are 5 two seaters in the shop. Workers are nice.

Got the pu er milk tea - IG: @datglobetrotterlife
Sho I.

This place is OK. If you read the other reviews here, the main complaint is that the tea flavor is not very strong. I'm one of those types that wants my tea, especially matcha, to be 'in your face' strong. Chayan's drinks are the complete opposite. There's also something odd (just a personal preference) with their non-transparent cups where you can't see the contents of your drink. Moreover, the cream layer on top seems very Western to me (for, you know, an Asian beverage), and I just don't get the pecan topping. At least space inside is alright and if you can find seating, it is a decent place to do work. But, with the other boba places in the neighborhood, I'd rather go to those.

Wendi K.

High end tea spot. I love molly tea and this was also fun to try. I tried the peach oolong tea and the iced lemon lychee osmanthus tea ($6+ each). Both were refreshing, but I would stick with their milk teas for sure The packaging and straws are well designed and luxurious. Staff are polite and there is a decent amount of seating inside.

Andrew H.

Really surprised by how good the genmaicha latte was! It was nutty and could really taste the roasted rice flavor.I will be coming back solely for this drink.

Menu (Sept 2025)
Albert T.

Seattle-Area Boba Shop Review #89 I recently heard about Chayan opening up in U District and decided to visit over the weekend. This was a Sunday afternoon and there wasn't a line, although there were a couple of customers sitting at the tables sipping on their milk teas. I'm surprised they come from the UK since the aesthetics - the single tone coloration, the three-coffee-stirrer-esque straws, the cups, and the focus on higher quality milk tea with limited toppings - all remind me of the newer mainland Chinese brands (e.g. Chagee and Molly Tea). Ordering is similar as well, with a kiosk right in front for convenience. Da-Hong-Pao Milk Tea, Light Ice, Regular Sweet ($5.89) - Other reviews indicate the sweetness levels are lower than the typical boba shop and I agree. Full sweetness here is similar to a bit more than 50% sugar at other places, so there's enough to be a sweet drink but not enough to feel too sweet. This tea is very fragrant, smooth and has a certain roasted nuttiness in aroma, with the flavor being easily transferred to the mouth through the fattiness of the milk, which also gives a sweet finish. It's very tasty and easy to sip on through the small straw. At light ice, the ice level feels like it's a lot, but since there's only a limited amount of liquid that can be sucked up through the straw, it takes a while to get through the entire cup. This allows the ice to melt at a steady rate and even when fully melted, the tea flavor still shines. Milk Tea Rating: 5/5 Pu'er Tea Frappe, Light Ice, Regular Sweet ($7.29) - A frappe is just the normal milk tea with whipped cream and pecans on top. The whipped cream is pretty typical fresh whipped cream. It doesn't seem to be stabilized, so it deflates quickly. It's creamy and slightly sweet, but not that fluffy. The pecans are a nice crunchy element that add some nuttiness along with a bit of salt and some almost caramel like flavors from possibly being candied a bit on the exterior. I'm not sure the two toppings are worth the extra $1.40, but they are good to try. In terms of the Pu'er milk tea, it's quite interesting. I'm used to more oxidized and fermented, exceptionally earthy and woody notes, but this one is totally different. It tastes kind of like toasted soil and kombu. No seriously, it's earthy but it has an almost meaty savory umami note. Really interesting flavor and honestly not one I really enjoy. But, the fact that there's a distinct flavor at all makes this a very high quality milk tea. Milk Tea Rating: 5/5 As with other similar milk tea spots, I probably won't be revisiting simply because of the lack of boba as a topping. Chayan otherwise serves some very good quality milk tea so it's great for anyone who wants a more Mainland Chinese and/or coffee shop-type experience. Bathrooms - Given the aesthetics of the interior, I thought these would be impeccably clean. Instead, these are larger bathrooms with multiple stalls located via a short walk through a kind of dumpy interior courtyard area. It reminds me of bathrooms found in China and Taiwan given the location and cleanliness levels. That's not a good thing.

Outside
Nathan F.

I'm impressed, I might go as far as to say it's better than Molly Tea! Located in the University District and replacing Hey! I am Yogost, I got to try out Chayan at my old college grounds! My group came during the closing hour (and before school officially started, so it wasn't busy), yet the workers were incredibly kind and welcoming to us! Despite being close to closing, the interior and overall vibe serve as a good ambiance to study and socialize. I personally got the Pu'er Milk Tea. I was blown away by how high-quality the tea brew was. On top of that, the whipped cream and pecan were the perfect cherry on top. I'm very happy Chayan has started opening locations here in the U.S., not to mention in the U District! Especially if you enjoy Molly tea, you should definitely try Chayan!

Michelle Z.

This place gives off Molly Tea knock off version. With the same aesthetics of the interior but just different color. This place focuses on the same thing as the store mentioned above, which is solely on milk tea. I definitely can see how this can target get more students as it's located by the Ave. However, I don't think the drinks are that good and not worth the price. I was expecting something a little bit more or better and deeper tea flavor, but I wasn't really getting any of that.

Carolyn D.

New milk tea place! I am glad there are more places opening up that emphasize tea and are not overly extravagant with their flavors or toppings. We went to their BOGO from 9/5-9/7. I wish you could mix different drinks for the BOGO (but you had to get the same one). Line was pretty long at around 6pm and it ended up taking about 40 minutes to get our drinks. The staff were announcing numbers not in numerical order, which made it hard to estimate when your order is coming up. I hope they switch to a system where the numbers are in order. The drink itself is more subtle. I could taste the black tea but it was lighter than I thought. The worker advised us that their drinks are not very sweet, so suggested to get the 100% sweetness, which was actually perfect! 100% was not too sweet and complemented the drink perfectly. I thought the whipped cream would be more special, but it was just normal whipped cream. I liked it though. I do think Molly Tea is better in terms of the tea flavor shining through, but this is not a bad option.

Menu 1 of 2 (frappe & lemon tea), September 2025
Skye P.

Cute spot off the ave! No line when I went at 1 pm on a Tuesday. Frappe is not blended, it's a normal milk tea with cream on it. Served with a very thin straw so you can appreciate the tea flavor, and a spoon to eat the cream! Optional pecan pieces to add on top come in little packets. Comes without a lid unless you request it, made it hard to consume the cream but not a true issue. Cream topping tastes like normal whipped cream. Thankful for tiny straw because it is SO good! Black tea frappe has great flavor. No caffeine free options. They do have dairy free options (soy & coconut). You can adjust sweetness and ice. Cute inside seating area, no outside seating. You order from a human, not a kiosk. Staff were very sweet and welcoming, would definitely come back!

Chayan front
Vinh M.

One of my friends called this place a Molly Tea knockoff... he's also the same person who went with me to Molly Tea's grand opening a couple months ago, so I decided to do a drink run here with another one of my friends to get my own opinion. This was just before a street event down south and decided to drive up north to 30+ minute traffic to come here. We knew there was gonna be a line here but somehow it wasn't that long for a Saturday at 4pm. Turns out drinks were being quoted about an hour, but I already made the drive and the gas tank effort here, so we were literally locked in. And I'm not regretting this one bit! For starters, it indeed took an hour as quoted to get our drinks. Numbering system for drinks was a little off since they didn't seem to go in any perceivable order, and I couldn't hear the servers call out some of the numbers since it was so loud inside. For their BOGO event from September 5-7 (I went on the 6th), you can get one drink and then get a similar drink free. My friend and I each decided to get a matcha green tea frappe and a black tea frappe to take advantage. All our drinks were at regular sweetness, ice levels and milk. For both our tea frappes: - The matcha green tea frappe is all right, but the tea is really strong here! There wasn't that much matcha taste because it was drowned out by the whipped cream and pecans but it was subtle enough for both of us to enjoy. - We eventually agreed that the black tea frappe was the better of the two. It had an even stronger tea taste despite the whipped cream and pecans on top. Really floral, really ironic given those two things dimmed the taste of the matcha in the matcha green tea frappe. Most things were green inside, literally. The walls, the portion of the building above this location, and even their bags. There's several tables to sit at, and when it's a lot quieter without the lines I can imagine this area being a relaxing place for work and to hang out a little. It wasn't a good call to down both of these drinks very quickly because of my slight lactose intolerance but I thoroughly enjoyed the taste of what I had. This place is more or less similar to Molly Tea given they have similar drinks and have their own tea fragrances to define them, though this location's fragrance isn't as strong as Molly Tea's. Both places will have long lines at the time of this writing, but the wait will be worth it if you're into some high-quality tea.

Classic Milk Tea

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7 months ago

Peach oolong was really yummy, got it less sweet. Service was fast and friendly, not really sure what people have been talking about!

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Timeless Tea

Timeless Tea

(283 reviews)

University District

I've been coming here for quite a long time but unfortunately I'm not sure if I still like it as…read moremuch as I used to. Food & drink: (3/5) I've been a loyal lover of the milk cream strawberry since my very first visit, but for some reason it just isn't as good as I remember it being. I would say it's just fine now that I've noticed that they've gotten more watered down. I do enjoy that they still use fresh fruit, but would probably only come back if I was invited by a friend. My partner still really likes his usual which is the mango pomelo sago. I think it's one of their best sellers and is a pretty safe order if you don't know what to get. We didn't get any this time, but I do like their mochi. If you've acquired the taste, the durian mochi is solid. Service: (5/5) Ordering is mostly done through the kiosk at the front but I still appreciate how fast they get things out.

Food - so many options! tons of drinks and desserts. my highlight is the white rabbit candy cake…read more because its the perfect amount of sweet, which is not too sweet. ultimate asian dessert compliment. its a basic white sponge cake with a light cream and a coconut jello center. def keep refrigerated for the best texture. Service - friendly & helpful. Ambiance - seems like a lot of people come here and hang for a long time. which is nice. good to have spots that feel cozy. good amount of students given the location. lots of indoor seating.

Dont Yell At Me - Osmanthus Jasmine Milk Tea

Dont Yell At Me

(474 reviews)

$$

University District

Delicious as always! I got the original milk tea, 50% sweet, whole milk with honey pearls. The milk…read morereally helps temper the bitterness of the tea (along with the sugar, haha) but the astringency of the tea is there along with the malty flavor of the tea. The boba is the perfect chewy texture - not too hard or too soft. I did not try any of their sandwiches (there's so many other yummy options near by!) but it seems like they were selling at a decent clip. If I had to identify a weakness, it would be that a lot of times it seems like they have supply chain issues. They did not have lactose-free milk when I visited the past few times. I hope they work things out! I would have purchased two drinks if I could have substituted the dairy for lactose free.

I absolutely loved this place!…read more First you come in to the shop and feel like you're in a lab of genius scientists crafting up delicious concoctions. White coats + goggles and all. Everything was generously spaced out and looked sparkling clean - THANK YOU I came up to the register and the gal was so sweet, offering up suggestions and masterfully navigating me through the top sellers (I'm a bit of a newb with bubble tea). I expressed I liked milk tea and she recommended the Osmanthus milk tea with Golden Honey boba. She said their standard was 50% sweetness and less ice. I ordered her reco and was super happy I did. One thing to note is that this drink was pretty $$$. Around $7 for a medium...however, now is the time to try because they're upgrading you to a large size on the house!

Yan Tea

Yan Tea

(103 reviews)

$

University District

tried this when i stopped by for a yelp event next door and im so glad i did! i have been craving a…read morecertain mochi topping i had in china, and yan tea has it! they have a whole bunch of really unique toppings that ive never seen anywhere else in local boba shops. i got the green milk tea with milk mochi and it was perfect, the milk tea at 80% sweet was not too sweet, and the milk mochi paired perfectly with the milk tea, was almost snack like. price is pretty avg for boba nowadays, so wasn't cheap but wasn't over $10. everything is contactless here, and they make drinks pretty quick, was ready in less than 5 minutes! seating is a little sparse, theres a row of booth seats against the wall and a community table that they share with nom nom, not the most cozy but will do for a quick eat/hang out.

I got the peach yogurt drink with peach jelly. You order at a kiosk by the cash wrap. Ordering…read moreprocess is straightforward, but I wish they added descriptions of what each drink is like because they only list the name of the drink and you have to take a guess what it is like from the name and the picture. Similar to nom nom sando order station, there is no staff manning the cash wrap (staff was in the back preparing orders), so it was hard to get her attention and ask about the drinks. Drink was pretty good. I added milk mochi because I was curious, but I regret it. Mochi just tasted like flavorless pieces of gluten and it got in the way of the drink too much. I recommend getting the peach yogurt drink as is.

BobaLust

BobaLust

(57 reviews)

$

University District

I loved it! The woman at the cashier was so friendly and accommodating. She answered all of my…read morequestions and helped lead me to what drink I wanted. I ultimately ordered an OG milk tea with honey boba (I was also excited to learn that they use nondairy creamer in their milk teas! I've noticed many other establishments in the area do not). It was delicious! It is more tea-forward and tastes like an earl grey. The boba pearls are perfectly chewy as well. My only critique is that they should add a 30% sweetness option to their sugar adjustments. Otherwise, it was perfect! My new boba spot for sure!

Seattle-Area Boba Shop Review #107…read more I've visited the BobaLust in Lynnwood before and was not impressed. I decided to give them another try, this time at the U District location. Bobalust opens up pretty late for a boba shop - most places start at noon or earlier, but for some reason BobaLust opens at 1PM. This particular location is depressingly dark inside with black painted walls and dark decor. That's a really interesting aesthetic choice (and not my favorite). OG Milk Tea, 50% Sweet, 50% Ice w/ Honey Boba ($6.50) - This tea has a strange harsh artificial taste. It's cloyingly sweet and tastes of a very overwhelming kind of flowery and fruity flavor. It doesn't seem to be from the tea and instead may be from either creamer or sweetener. It's overpowering, making the drink very difficult to sip on for my tastes. On top of this strange flavor is a heavy non dairy creamer aroma. It's added in such high quantities that the drink is thickened to almost a cream-like consistency, and has a slight bit of grittiness on the tongue. Even at 50% ice, there's a ton of ice in this drink. After drinking a bit, I went home and added in around 6 ounces of English Breakfast tea and it tempered things down enough to be pleasant. The boba isn't great either. They claim it's honey boba but while the pearls are very heavily sweetened in marinade, I can't detect any honey aroma whatsoever. The texture of the pearls are firm and almost gummy rather than being soft, chewy, and bouncy. Milk Tea Rating: 2/5 Boba Rating: 2/5 I'm still not impressed with this chain. There are way better options in the area for basic milk tea and boba. BobaLust remains in my bottom five boba shops in the Greater Seattle Area out of approximately 100 shops. Bathrooms - One mixed gender bathroom with two stalls.

DING TEA SEATTLE - Lychee Yakult ($6.45). Taro Milk Tea ($5.45).

DING TEA SEATTLE

(208 reviews)

$

University District

Very chewy and chocolate-y, the powder wasn't that sweet and it was crunchy in the inside. They…read moretold us to wait 10 mins for it to "melt" or warm up. It's very quiet and peaceful inside, nice to study. The worker was very nice. I think the tea is pretty average.

I appreciate they send me emailed $3 off coupons but after my latest visit I'm just not returning…read more My latest visit I had to spit in my hand as I almost choked on a plastic/ aluminum scrubbing piece thing in the drink when sipping in front of the store. I immediately walked back in and showed it to the employee. He gave me a weird explanation I didn't really understand about cleaning stuff... I don't know. He remade my drink but offered no refund. It kind of put a damper on my day and instead of enjoying the rest of my walk in U district, I just rushed home to brush my teeth and tounge well and was just grateful I didn't choke. He apologized but he should have been more concerned in my opinion as I almost choked on that piece in my drink. I never visit this shop often because of their terrible weekday hours but now after my latest bad experience I'm just not returning at all. Not worth it. So many better boba options as well with better hours in U district. I just wish since this place doesn't get very busy they would be more diligent when serving and preparing the drinks so no choking hazards or random potential dirty objects are in the drink.

Chayan - bubbletea - Updated May 2026

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