As far as boba places go Chicha San Chen was quite unique, Aspects of this place were 5 stars including the atmosphere which included ample seating and a clean, aesthetic and modern feel which was perfect for relaxing and hanging out with a friend. Additionally, the service was extremely professional and the person taking my order was very kind and patient. As far as the tea I will start with mentioning my girlfriend's passion fruit green tea with coconut jelly was phenomenal. Easily the best fruit boba I have had in Austin thus far. With the sweetness at their aptly named "perfect" level it was bursting with flavor. The tea flavor shined through just enough and overall there was a lot of depth to the drink. Coconut jelly was delicious and really complimented the drink and allowed it to be more satisfying. As far as my drinks, I opted for the cream/ milk tea route. I started off ordering the green tea with cream which is what unfortunately what brings my review down to 4 stars. It really disappointed, very watery and not sweet despite a "perfect" (70%) sweetness level. I am not a big sweet person so that is saying something. It just didn't satisfy or deliver in any way. Transparently, maybe that is how it was supposed to taste and some love it but was not for me and after my girlfriend's drink it just did not compare. As mentioned previously, service was incredible and they allowed me to swap my drink. I deferred to the judgement of the employee at the register to select a milk tea that he thought they do well and is popular. Unsurprisingly he recommended the brown sugar milk tea. After receiving my replacement drink I took a sip and it was much better. Definitely a lot sweeter, unfortunately almost too sweet. Certainly enjoyed the brown sugar one more and finished my drink but it also was not my favorite. A little too sweet and lacking some depth. Overall the presentation of the drinks and atmosphere of the place is really cool and made for a fun experience. I had the best boba I have had in Austin here yet also the worst. Definitely need to explore the menu more and figure out what I like but certainly will be back in the future! read more

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It's been 2 months and having had Chicha 5 times now, there needs to be transparent updates. Sadly, I had to knock out some stars. One thing I recommend customers to consider is to NOT GO ON A WEEKEND. We went on a Saturday afternoon and it was too crowded. I could understand it initially being busy with the soft opening, and shop trying to figure out the logistics. However, it's been months now and it's as if I was in the same exact spot when they first opened. The line was crowded, and each person/group took at least 5 minutes+ to make an order. It was hot and didn't help with the amount of people in the shop. The one difference they had was having a self order machine next to the cashier, but the line didn't seem like it was moving any faster. After 30 minutes of waiting, we waited for another 30 minutes to get our drinks. I ordered my usual osmanthus milk tea and konjac and my partner ordered the pouchang tea. After an hour of waiting, our drinks were sadly a bust. It tasted weird, almost like a mix of teas. The bobas were alright, didn't taste consistent as it did before. We just felt so disappointed. Our theory is that due to the high demands, there was not enough time to brew and clean the tea espresso as before. Overall, I feel like the hype is over and it's a shame because I had really high hopes for this place! I recommend that they really evaluate on the service and efficiency. It shouldn't take an hour to get boba. Otherwise, I'd just recommend to go on a weekday, off hours. For us, we learned our lesson and won't be coming back over the weekend. read more

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Cute bubble teas shop located down the street from the Ranch 99 shopping center area. I got the Dong Ding Oolong with cream and boba, no sugar and less ice. The tea was VERY good. Super creamy and fresh, they also put a lot of boba and it was warm upon first sip. Not too bad for $7, but a bit pricey. You can order at the front desk, by a kiosk next to it or order online. They also have a free tea demo and sampling in the back! Worth checking out. read more

Chicha San Chen - Bubble Tea Near Me - Austin, Texas

Drinks were delicious, service was relatively fast( we got there 10 min before closing time)

Very cool bubble tea joint. Every batch of tea is special made for each person's individual drink, not a large batch of tea that is for multiple people. They do have a non tea drink but it's mainly sugar from what they were saying. We got their tea drink with the least amount of caffeine possible, the fruit tea, less ice, and no sugar (as it has various fruits already in it). Surprisingly, the drink had enough of a sugary taste to it that was plenty good. For this drink in particular, the sugar options are perfect sugar or no sugar, no in-between. Each drink comes with a hemp string attached to each side that can be used to carry the cup around. Very interesting, and different compared to any other bubble tea place I've been to. At the very least, it made for a unique experience. read more

I had Chicha for the first time a couple weeks ago in Seattle. I got the dong ding latte and I thought it was pretty basic. However, I decided to try again in Austin to see if it was a fluke. I ordered the Tea latte with taro ball, and it was just ok. The tea wasn't anything special and the taro balls were meh. I can't justify paying $7 for a mediocre drink when there are so many other options out there. I think this place is just overhyped. read more

I will say it's great quality Tea and all the drinks we had were good however I was not a fan of the price. 7 dollars for boba is a little too much for me and if you leave tip your total will be 8 dollars!! Other than that I loved the flavoring and how they make the drink.. you can actually taste the tea in the drink and it's not just all milk. They have one size only. Multiple tea options that you can smell to see which herbal tea you prefer. The place is super cute inside and the parking is easy. Service is great and they can help walk you through the menu and tell you what's popular read more

The boba here is amazing! I'm from out of town and visited my friend, she took me here because it's one of her favorite boba spots. The interior is bright and clean; there weren't many seats available due to the popularity of this place, but we eventually found a spot. I've tried a lot of brown sugar boba from many places in Orlando, but this one easily is one of the best. I really liked it and I wish there was one near me! read more

Chicha San Chen - Fresh Milk with Brown Sugar Bubble, Osmanthus Oolong Tea with Mango - Bubble Tea Near Me - Austin, Texas

This Taiwanese joint serves up delectable boba. In fact their boba is so legit that they got it officially ranked/certified for its taste. The presentation itself is exquisite in its simplicity: twine carriers to lug around your drink! Come prepared to wait in line. Though it is a bit unclear, there are actually two separate lines: one for self service check out (left) and the other for in person checkout (right). I surprisingly found that the in person checkout went faster... And also gave you free samples. The classic milk tea was our favorite. The sweetness does tend to be lower than that of other boba shops but we prefer it that way. The staff is incredibly kind and helpful in customizing your order. They actually brew your tea to capture optional freshness for each order. The location is super close to the 99 ranch compound. Access by car can be a little tricky due to the construction ongoing on airport blvd - just enter through the Jack in the box bypass. There is tons of free parking out front. Will definitely be back! read more

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When I came here over the weekend, this place was packed. I'm talking about long lines out the door. And it felt stuffy inside, primarily because of it being crowded with so many people in a small enclosed space. Lines were moving slowly because they were backed up from orders not making it through. It was cool to see the staff behind the counter working on our drinks. They were very precise, measuring everything to the "tea". Upon receiving my drink, it was served in a cute to-go cup holder. I didn't necessarily need it because I finished it immediately, but it's still cute. I ordered their milk tea with taro ball. The tea is fragrant and taro ball were perfect chewy texture. Parking can be difficult as there are limited parking spaces in front of the store. I had to park behind the Jack In the Box parking, which I'm sure so many people had to do as well, so plan accordingly. Worth trying. read more

High quality tea, high novelty presentation, high precision preparation... boba tea's grown up, Chicha San Chen is a master class of adulting in the otherwise casual food category. Makes you question what 'everyone else' is serving. While it has some limited seating the relatively small galley of a shop is a take and go kind of place. The menu has plenty of flavors to choose from, further customizable to personal preferences for ice and sweetness. read more

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The drinks are very consistent compared to the one I had in California, which is great since you will get the same consistency every time you go in. If you're a tea lover in Austin, Chicha San Chen is a must-visit! This place serves up some of the best bubble tea in the area! The moment you walk in, the warm ambiance and sleek design make you feel welcomed. The staff is friendly and super knowledgeable, ready to guide you through their extensive menu. What sets Chicha San Chen apart is their commitment to quality--each drink is made to order with precision and care. Another highlight is their fruit tea series. They are incredibly refreshing and bursting with natural flavors. They also offer the option to customize the sweetness and ice levels, which is a great touch. read more

WARNING #1: Their standard level of sugar is 70% compared to the other big chain boba shops like Sharetea and GongCha. WARNING #2: GO ON A WEEKDAY I've heard they received a Michelin star so I had to try it out. I love that I didn't need to adjust the sweetness level for my brown sugar milk tea; it was just right. I don't think they charge extra if you asked for no ice either but they do have a disclaimer that they must include a couple to at least chill the drink. It's a small shop with not a lot of parking. The inside was pretty loud with all the machines going. It was really crowded with the line going out the door, the A/C not working well, and standing fans for the employees. I think I waited about 15-20 mins for my drink? It was a Saturday afternoon so that was my mistake there. I'd be interested to see what other options they'll have in the future read more

Now, I'm fairly basic when it comes to milk tea: I prefer black tea, enjoy the sweetness in my drinks (I usually get 50% from other tea places), and the boba is not negotiable. That being said, it's fairly clear that the quality of their teas are on a completely different level. I get the Cassia Black Tea with Mousse plus boba, and it's absolutely delicious. I've tried both 70% and 50%, and I would say the 50% gives the perfect balance of taste of the brewed black tea and sweetness. The mousse provides a nice amount of extra sweetness as well, although it can be tricky to get it all mixed into the drink when you have a full cup. Given the prices though, it's still a once in a while treat, although I've already made a return trip since my first visit since it was so delicious. My two visits have been during the early afternoon on weekends, and the wait wasn't as bad as it was when it just opened. On my last visit, I just had to wait 15 minutes. Service was great! read more

They have Michelin-similar awarded drink that we did not try We had the bubble milk tea/light sugar/less ice with boba, and a cassia black milk tea cream top/regular sweet and ice with boba. Very different flavors than a lot of milk teas we've tried, but it was so good we want to go back and try them all! Very precise operation. Beautiful to watch the drinks created. read more

Chicha San Chen - Bubble Tea Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Ok this place is cool! They have awesome tea selection here, unfortunately we came when the tea tasting wasn't happening but they have varieties of oolong tea. They do ice, and hot here. My wife was the one who orders I believe she got milk tea and I got like an ice oolong. The ice one was really refreshing with a foam they put on top. Let me tell you what was dope, the freaking string holder thing a ma jig! How come Houston hasn't come up with this?! I can literally hole 3 at a time with the cup holder. And it's sturdy. Place was clean and very aesthetically pleasing! Girl who helped us was super nice. read more

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ChiCha San Chen is well known for winning awards for their freshly brewed teas, which actually taste very different from most boba shops! I tried the Dong Ding Oolong Tea Latte and the Bubble Milk Tea, and both had very prominent roasted tea flavors, rather than tasting more like the milk and sugar add-ins. At most boba shops, I order my drink with 50-75% sugar, so I opted for the less sugar option here, but I actually think the "perfect" sugar option (their version of 100% sugar) would have been best for me since their drinks are not too sweet to begin with. The bubbles in the drinks had just enough flavor to add a sweet aftertaste without being overwhelmingly syrupy. If you're a big fan of super sweet boba with tons of sugar and syrups, you might not enjoy this place, but if you like the flavor of tea itself you should absolutely try it out. A lot of people mentioned long wait times when they first opened, but I went on Labor Day and only waited about 10 minutes total to order and get my drink, so maybe the crowds have calmed down a bit. read more

Chicha San Chen - Dong Ding Oolong Tea Latte (Left) and Bubble Milk Tea (Right) - Bubble Tea Near Me - Austin, Texas

Heard so much buzz around this place so we had to go check it out! I'm typically not a huge boba fan because I sometimes feel like the chewing takes a lot of work, but I gotta say the boba here was perfect. And the drinks were very smooth, and high quality. I don't think I could compare it to any other boba places I've ever been to. They get pretty busy but not overly crowded and the wait is never long thanks to their excellent system. Go try them out and don't be afraid to order an extra drink or two to sample out what they have to offer! read more

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I typically don't like fruit bubble teas but we ordered it because it had the lowest amount of caffeine (post dinner dessert). It was surprisingly really good! We did 0 sugar and I found it had just the right amount of sweetness (I couldn't imagine it being any sweeter). The passion fruit seeds were a nice touch. It was at the end of the day so they were out of boba but I definitely want to go back and try their milk teas. read more

The hype for ChiCha San Chen was very real as there was a constant line out the door when I visited the Austin location on Memorial Day. Seeing the process of how each order is freshly brewed with very high quality tea leaves made this a must try experience as I'm used to boba shops brewing their tea's brewed in large batches instead. The service is outstanding and you can see the care and enthusiasm from everyone working there. It was interesting seeing how the tea was made as well. They also give you a chance to taste test their teas as well when you are ordering. You should probably bring a friend if you visit because it is going to be a LONG wait before you get to order and when waiting for your drink. I hate to say it, but as the impatient person that I am the long wait for each drink is brutal for me no matter how top of the line their tea is. Obviously their process of making drinks is going to take much longer than your average boba shop so it's your own personal opinion on whether you feel the wait time is worth it. I spent an hour and 30 minutes to finally get my drink which was the Dong Ding Oolong Tea Latte. My cup was definitely pretty small and their drinks are on the pricey end as you're likely to be spending over $7. My Dong Ding Oolong Tea Latte I wanted with boba, but they ran out of boba and said it would be a 30 minute wait. I figured getting no boba should cut down the wait time, but I was wrong about that. I ordered it with less ice and regular sweetness, but I didn't think it was too sweet. When it came to the Oolong Tea itself you can definitely taste a strong roasted oolong flavor and it was a solid drink overall, but in my head all I was thinking was "That's it?" I'd give it a 7/10 This might be an unpopular opinion, but I probably wouldn't go again because their drinks don't surpass some of my favorite boba shops that also churn out orders at a quicker rate. I can appreciate the art and the experience of their award winning tea and their tea making process, but I can't imagine going here and waiting for such a long time when I have my boba cravings. Regardless it was still worth going to ChiCha San Chen at least once just to say I got to try it. read more

Chicha San Chen - Bubble Tea Near Me - Austin, Texas

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I had the brown sugar drink. The black milk tea. The green tea. They are good. It's good bubble tea. It is mind-blowing enough to be worth the long lines though? No. read more

Came here on a Saturday after a great paddle board session and lunch. We came around 4pm and there was a long lines. So this place is pretty popular on the weekends. We waiting about 10 mins to order and about another 20 mins to get our drink. I got the oolong tea with taro boba. I am actually surprise on the flavor of the drink. Definite taste different from other milk tea places in a good way. I really like their tea and thinks it probably one of the best in austin IMO. The only reason I only give it 4/5 is because the line and how busy and pack it is. You can not really sit down and relax inside. The interior is nicely decorated and also a bit small, but it is a tea place. This would be the main reason I won't be back as often. ....but also the price is on the higher side and size of milk tea is smaller than most places. Otherwise I really do recommended it here. read more

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DO NOT TRY THIS PLACE... because once you raise your boba standards to this level, you won't be satisfied with anything average. (also, it'll decrease the wait time for me the next time I go... =D) On a serious note, this boba was amazing. I was a bit skeptical when I heard others raving about it and mentioning how they keep going back for more. But after tasting it, I am now a believer. I tried the green boba milk tea. You can taste the freshness of the tea leaves and the quality of the ingredients. I drank it way too fast and then wished I had more. As to be expected when you have something this good, the wait time was rather long. I waited for approximately 30-45 minutes on a Saturday around 3PM. The line was out of the door when I arrived, and once inside, it was packed. However, if you have the time to spare, your taste buds will not regret it. read more

Chicha San Chen - green boba milk tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Austin, Texas

Quite impressed with the tea and really enjoyed the drinks. I went on a Monday evening, so there was no wait at all! We got the Honey Osmanthus Oolong Tea. This was super light and refreshing. I could taste the floral from the Osmanthus, and the sweetness was perfect amount for 25%. It had a little bit of sweetness but was not bitter. We also got the Black Tea with Honey with boba from the customizable options. This in my opinion wasn't as unique in flavor but had a stronger roasted taste. The last drink was the High Moutain Pouchang Tea. This had a floral and fruity taste for me and was light and refreshing as well. read more

Chicha San Chen - Honey Osmanthus Oolong Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Come here all the way from San Antonio since they don't have one there. Been missing this for so long since I moved to TX from CA. Hope that they will have one in San Antonio soon. Peach Oolong Tea With Mousse is my all time favorite ! read more

Chicha San Chen - Peach Oolong Tea With Mousse - Bubble Tea Near Me - Austin, Texas

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An award winning tea shop here in Austin? I had to try as soon as I had a chance. Fortunately I arrived early, but I will say if you plan to visit in the near future of this writing, do be prepared for wait. If you do get the chance and time to enjoy and experience this place do take it. Atmosphere: The stand out for me here compared to other tea shops is the cleanliness and the presentation of the whole place. One thing to the charm is that the menu is in full Chinese but of course with english translations while Taiwanese TV plays giving the vibe of a smaller joint found within Asia. Food: Tea of course being the main star here. I ended up getting the Taro Series, with taro balls and paste. Tasty, but what won me over is that the tapioca was still freshly warm and made as the orders come in. On top of that the magnificent presentation that comes with a branded cup sleeve complete with charming bit of string that allows for easy holding on the go, adds a bit more standout from all the other places. I also got the juice based drink, freshly made and perfect for any hot...or even cold day when you want something sweet. Service: All service was great, it's a simple counter top order so employees will take your order as you are ready. The cashier girl was nice enough to give me some recommendations and let me try some samples too. Certainly my top pick for a tea shop that doesn't just have boba milk. The only thing I do have to say again is that the shop is a bit small with a small staff, which of course adds to the charm, but may include a wait. Though in my opinion the wait is worth it and I will be back. read more

Despite the wait (came early before opening) the drinks here are definitely worth it. To set expectations, all of the drinks here are made with brewed tea, no bright technicolor powdered mix lol. Personal favorites were any of the teas with mousse like the Cassia Tea with Mousse from the popular drinks menu. You can easily taste the distinct flavor of the tea varietal with no bitterness from poor brewing. The fruit teas like the High Mountain Pouchong are nice for summer and taste bright and tangy like lime curd. Fair warning though a lot of waiting is involved. I arrived 15 min before opening and the line was starting to extend outside. From start to drinks in hand I was there for roughly an hour. read more

If you are a tea drinker, this hits the spot. It took a hot minute to find this place with all the lane closures on Airport Blvd. It's located in the same building as Wells Fargo. It's between Jack In Box and the Shell Gas Station. If you see China Palace you're in the wrong shopping center. I came here a little over 11 in the morning on a Monday and there was already a line forming and by the time I made it to the front, I was quoted about 10m to get my drinks. The tea makers also greet everyone that comes inside with a "Welcome to Chicha San Chen, Ni Hao!" So that is very welcoming. The LED menus were down when I got there so I had to look at the laminated menus. The print is kind of small on these menus but they were well organized by type of tea and by rating. The green teas are highly rated at 3 stars. So for me, it was a must to order. I also wanted to try one of their black teas and they let you smell the tea leaves before making a decision. I'm fan of darker and bolder tastes so I opted for the Dong Ding Oolong tea latte. The green tea with honey was one of the best I've had. A very mild taste and lightly sweetened was just right. I think the 3-star superior taste award was well deserved. I got it with light ice too. My back tea was a latte so i had a little bit of milk in it. Also lightly sweetened. I think next time i will opt for the cream or the mousse to give it more creaminess; the milk was kind of light. I also added boba and these were perfect on the al dente side. They do recommend mixing the boba well before drinking. As for service, it was great. I didn't feel pressure to rush. While you are waiting you can watch the tea makers making the teas. They really take tea making seriously and they look really sharp with button downed shirts; this place isn't as cutesy as the other boba tea places. Very professional - a plus in my book. The shop is also very clean and bright. This is a great addition to the area that is blossoming with boba shops and I'm adding it to my boba tea rotation. read more

Came here on weekdays both around 8:00 pm and the place was still pretty busy. Cute ambiance with their own parking lot and a limited menu. Both times I've come they ran out of mango syrup and honey and boba. Their fruit tea was alright with fresh fruit and their high mountain tea was pleasantly sweet. Both 3/5 - would appreciate if they were more stocked with their menu, given the price per drink. Not bad but also not amazing. Their cup holders and stickers to hold the drinks down isn't always a guarantee either, if that's what you're looking for. read more

Chicha San Chen - Fruit tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Austin, Texas

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I will say this is the best hand down authentic boba spot in Austin! I've tried 3 different teas and they were all great and made to order! I will say that they do not customized drinks so whatever you see on the menu is what you get. Not all drinks has boba or mouse foam on top! I will say that the customer service is a hit and miss here! Be aware that drinks do take some time to receive as all teas are made to order. I even arrived right when they opened at 11am and their boba and tarp was not ready so that's another 15-20 min wait for that ... I'm hoping they can get a little faster and be prepared before store opens for the day! Other than that ... the drinks are great! I come here about twice a week! Sometimes 3! read more

Chicha San Chen - Boba Tea with Taro Paste & Fruit Tea! - Bubble Tea Near Me - Austin, Texas

Walked in & the smell of the teas brewing was just heavenly. I had the taiwanese bubble tea at lightest sweet level & it was delicious! Made me remind of the bubble tea place i used to love (but permanently closed). It was honestly still sweet even at that level but good enough for me since I always adjust my bubble tea sweetness anyways. Fruit tea was good even without the tapioca. Though a bit pricey, I'd come back here but wouldn't be my first choice in town. They have a good amount of sitting spots but not for large group. More like 2 seats each table. Parking situation can be difficult since they don't have much space to park at & you cant park at the gas station (you will be towed apparently). read more

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I like this place!! Their fruit and house milk tea were good. I got milk green tea but I think the black milk tea was better. Long line during their soft opening. It was also crowded inside but spacious enough for us to find a seat. Good service! Friendly staff. read more

Chicha San Chen - Green milk tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Austin, Texas

First time trying it because lots of people had recommended it and it was honestly disappointing. The Bubble tea was not tasty, more ice than drink. Super pricey for the quantity of the drink. read more

Was it good? Yes. Would I go again? Meh. This review is really for 3.5 stars, rounding up to 4. I went on a Thursday afternoon and was 3rd in line to order. Small parking lot shared with Wells Fargo, though I didn't have trouble finding a spot since it's off hours. It took about 10 minutes before I could order because the cashier explained the menu and offered a sample of their black milk tea to the 2 patrons in front of me. Great customer service, unless you're in a rush. The order took 15-ish minutes and was done at about the same time as the 2 orders in front of me. I got the taro tea latte at perfect sweetness with less ice. The cashier said that their "perfect" sweetness is at 70% compared to other places, whereas the "less" sweet is at 30%. I usually get 50%-ish at other boba places, so I went with the perfect sweetness since I don't want to risk the drink not being sweet enough. The drink was foamy at the top and has good tea flavor. It's fragrant, but not overly so, as I'd expect from a black tea. Maybe if you order other types of teas, the flavor profile would be a lot stronger. The taro balls were perfectly chewy and generous in amount. It's packaged nicely with a sleeve and twine for you to carry it with. So if it's good, why would I be hesitant to go again? It just wasn't *that* good to justify the steep pricing and long wait time. My drink cost $8.5 with tip for a grande-sized cup. I don't even want to imagine trying to come here during the weekend if being front in line on a random workday during off-hours = almost 30 minutes for a drink. read more

Chicha San Chen - Taro tea latte. Perfect sweetness, less ice. - Bubble Tea Near Me - Austin, Texas

First time trying boba in Austin and I'm glad I chose Chicha! I used to work at a boba shop and you can really tell they use high quality teas in making their drinks. Their boba was also perfectly made. With the great customer service on top of that, the experience was perfect. I will be going back if i'm in town! read more

Chicha San Chen - Bubble Tea Near Me - Austin, Texas

Definitely a five stars boba tea place! We love it so much! We order bunch different favors and they are amazing. Our best one will be "Dong Ding Oolong Tea with mousse and boba!" The best tea ever! They used all fresh tea and amazing ingredients! Their mousse is a must try! High mountain pouchong tea with lemon juice and mousse is good as well! Any fruit tea with mousse will be a win-win! Highly commended! They don't have much parking places, and they are usually super busy. So be aware of that! Friendly staffs and nice place! Love! read more

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This place is really popping. Even on a random weeknight, it was like a 30 minute wait. The parking lot here is not great either. Ordering off the menu is a bit more challenging than you would think given the layout too, but given the wait, you have plenty of time to think through your options. That said, I think the tea is very good and come in very cute containers. The Dong Ding Oolong is the best of the things I tried and their perfect sweetness is indeed perfect for me. The osmanthus oolong is for the type of people who like chrysanthemum tea - if you like that, you'll love that drink, and if you don't, you probably want to avoid it. I definitely fall into the latter bucket. Pearls are perfectly cooked, chewy and bouncy. All things equal, it is by far the priciest boba shop in town, given for what you pay, you get probably half the amount that any other shop in town would give you. While I would argue the teas are better and I do enjoy them being made espresso style to order, can't say it's that much significantly better than my other go to boba shop. If money was no object, sure, but gotta factor that in the current economy. read more

ChiCha San Chen has brought a UNIQUE edge to the Austin boba scene. A little background, they hail from Taiwan and have over 200+ stores globally. The name of their game seems to be QUALITY. I even spoke to the trainers for this new location who came from Taiwan to ensure quality. As I observed them, I noticed their full attention to how the new team was operating. Their unique edge is that they make all drinks to order! Similar to an espresso machine, but they put tea leaves instead. The aesthetic is quite nice and clean. Their drinks, although it seems they only have a 16oz size, will average around ~$6.25 by the looks of the menu. Many drinks seem purposefully curated with a coherent taste in mind, all elements leading to the overall taste. My favorite might be the High Mountain Pouchong Tea with Lemon Juice and Mousse. You have to try their Taro topping as well! They even serve each drink with a sleeve and string handle along with their sticker and straws on top as you see in the picture. Aside from the drink, the staff welcomes you when you enter the store and can explain in detail if you have any questions. They are also in uniform which is very neat, clean, and tidy. No wrinkled shirts/ aprons/ or unkept-hair-that-might-fall-into-your-drink to be seen. TLDR - Quality drinks, clean and tidy place, high standard for store, staff, and drinks alike. Tea made to order rather than batch (although, tbh, it's more of a conscious luxury rather than one you really notice in taste) 8/10 Fabs! read more

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Tldr: Quality tea leaves; amazing fruit tea; good (but not mind-blowing) mixed drinks; attention to detail; and long wait times with some unnecessary frou-frou touches 2 visits and 6 drinks -- here are my thoughts: The great: They really care about the quality of the tea here. The leaves they use are super fragrant and high quality, and they don't batch make the tea in a giant tank. Instead, they weigh the leaves on a digital scale per order and make it fresh. I LOVE their fruit tea; it's a black tea mixed with passion fruit, pineapple, apple slices, and lime. It's almost a perfect dupe of the fruit tea from YiFang which is still my fave. Their Dong Ding oolong is also incredibly fragrant. Beautiful roasted flavor The good: They are less sweet than many places, including Teaspoon, although their less sweet is quite a drop from perfect sweet. I wish there was a middle. The not so good: Their mousse is probably one of the worst foams I've had. It's creamy but really thick and has a bit of the cloyingly sweet aftertaste you get with frosting. It's also really hard to mix into the tea but if you just sip out of the cup like they tell you, you get a BIG mouthful of the cream before getting a drop of the tea. The cream is better overall and I haven't had the fresh milk yet. Also, they have the smallest cups I've seen across all the top boba places. For a basic milk tea, they're the same price as Teaspoon but you get at least 25-30% less tea. So bang for your buck is not the greatest here. Areas of improvement: The long wait time is not sustainable; sure, some of it is bc they're really popular already but on an early Friday afternoon, it took me 50 mins from the time I got in line to the time I placed my order. Then the wait for the tea was 25 min, so that's a total of 1 hr 15 min. This is not a quick stop place, so i have no idea when I will ever come back, especially when there are a few other places that offer similar quality with better parking and a 5-min in-and-out. Lastly, they should really reconsider the amount of unnecessary work and waste they generate with all the pointless frou-frou touches. There's no need to manually put on a sticker for each cup. That will at least save 30 seconds of work for an employee and up to 5 minutes of wait time for the customer between when the drink is ready and when the sticker is placed on. Also the little carriers with string is cute and make for a nice Instagram shot but a thorough waste of material and money. These are cold drinks, they don't need safety guards; the strings don't even make it that much easier to carry than holding a cup normally, especially since the drink hole isn't tightly sealed. Stop making the waste, pass on the savings to the customer (or give yourself a larger profit margin), and use that time saved to get drinks to the customer faster so this place is a viable repeat stop. read more

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This place has been so popular on social media, so we decided to stop by while we are in Austin. I love that they use real tea leaves and brew the tea as you would make an expresso, and you can taste the real tea flavor in your boba tea. However, we were not impressed by the overall experience. We tried the classic boba milk tea and osmanthus oolong tea with mousse on top, both were okay but nothing stands out. The size of the tea itself is medium to small, the flavor of both drinks are bitter and weirdly sweetened. Parking can be difficult, and it is very crowded and loud inside of the store. read more

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