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CHICHA - is much easier to get to ever since they moved to the mall but now I have to get a boba whenever I walk by it. The line can get crazy but it always moves pretty fast. One of my fav places for boba tea. In the area which is saying alot with all the boba around.
Love the new spot inside the Bellevue square mall. Can order on kiosk or with the cashier. They typically give you a sample of their tea. The menu can be a bit hard to navigate in terms of doing a create your own versus their signature drinks. I highly recommend getting the taro balls, they are chewy and absolutely my favorite. I tried a ding dong oolong tea with honey milk and taro balls--it was a bit sweet because of the honey milk so I would've gone with regular milk. The wait wasn't too bad either for mid day weekend.
CHICHA San Chen delivers a premium tea experience, but it comes with a premium price tag! It's basically $10 for a drink, and they only offer one size, which is the smaller size of a usual tea place's volume. BUT they are remarkably consistent, with perfectly chewy pearls and high quality teas. So, even though I'm paying a lot, I know it's going to be good. I got the Dong Ding Oolong with cream, perfect sweet and less ice with boba. The Dong Ding oolong is a high mountain oolong with a strong malty, nutty, roasty taste. It perfectly complements the cream. I prefer cream as opposed to milk since I think the cream gives the drink a thicker, more velvety mouthfeel if you mix it into the tea, plus before mixing you can sip on the cream and the tea separately, so it's like you can enjoy two drinks in one cup!
As a tea AND bubble tea lover, this place is incredible! The drink options are limitless and very customizable, plus absolutely delicious. Incredibly high quality bubble tea. The team is absolutely lovely, it was my first time there and I had some questions/confusion and they were literally so patient, so kind and definitely pointed me in the right direction! As a Libra, decisions are hard ok luckily, you really can't go wrong with anything here. They even offer you free samples of their daily tea! They were pretty busy for a weeknight and yet we didn't wait long at all. Beautiful decor, very unique, relaxing and artistic. Definitely gives quality tea absolutely crushed it on the aesthetic front 10/10 gorgeous Sadly deducting a star because I got a very long black hair in my drink and I have very short blonde hair, so it was a bit unsettling and the drinks are quite expensive, so didn't super love that!
Great quality, but expect a wait and premium pricing (4 Stars) - Bell Square location I visited CHICHA San Chen at Bellevue Square and had a solid experience. I tried a medium-sized tea with taro paste and boba, and the texture combination was excellent. The tea flavor itself is definitely on the milder side, which worked well with the rich paste. The only real downsides are the value and the timing. It is definitely on the pricier side for a medium, and because they brew the tea fresh, you should expect to wait a bit for your order. Overall, it's a high-quality treat if you don't mind spending a little extra time and money.
We stopped by here after dinner and even though it was busy, the line moved quickly. The staff was pleasant and efficient, and they let us try a sample before ordering. I love their clean aesthetic and vibe. There's no seating inside, so people wait on the side for their drinks. They have lots of drink options for selection! If you're not sure what to order, they have a "Popular Menu" to choose from which is helpful. I usually get one of their iced teas or boba drink, and I love that the drinks aren't overly sweet or sugary. This place is now one of my favorite boba spots, and I try to stop by whenever I'm at the mall!
Overall: 5 stars Great tea chain with a unified quality that excites the palette. I think the premium tag for this tea chain is well worth for because it definitely tastes much better. Mango Fruit Tea - Love the intensity of the mango flavor that blends harmoniously with the tea to create one unified fruity palette. Very fresh, very bright, very refreshing. Pouchong Tea Mousse - Its quite impressive how mousselike they were to make the drink without any use of dairy. This lemon-forward tea is bright and refreshing on the palette, and the airation makes it really pleasant on the palette. Food: +1 Presentation: +1 Price: E Atmosphere: E Service: E Menu: +2 Insta/Yelp/Beli: @amei_eats Insta/TikTok: @ameizing.race
I really wanted to love this but at the price point I just couldn't get behind it. The tea machines are very nice and the experience feels very high end but the drink was just not the best I'd ever had. The drink was served fast and warm. I always get less ice and even with the drink starting hot, my drink felt watered down. The drink of the day was great!
Very pricey milk tea. The tea flavor was pleasant and prominent as soon as I walked into the store. The tea with the thick milk plus taro balls without sugar had enough sweetness for me. I liked the taro balls
Ordered the osmanthus oolong tea with mango with less sugar, less ice and konjac. Was surprisingly still sweet, but still very refreshing and very yummy. Plus, they put a lot of care into preparing the drinks fresh, resulting in the very lovely aroma of tea in the shop. I can see why it's a Michelin star boba place!
When we passed by in the morning, it wasn't busy at all. By the afternoon, the line wasn't too long but there were a ton of people waiting for their drinks. We got ours in about 10 min. I ordered the Bubble Volcano (organic milk + brown sugar + bubble) with less ice, which was absolutely delicious. Although there are a few tables, the space inside is quite small, so we found seating elsewhere in the mall. It was the perfect stop for an afternoon bubble tea.
Still just as good. And yes, still need $10 boba. I got a sample of their tea and it's so good. Reminder to try one of their fruit teas next time!
Chicha truly deserves all its flowers as one of if not the best boba spot in Seattle. I've tried several of their drinks everything from classic milk teas, fruity drinks, and seasonal options and this place is just consistently so good. Tea quality is always top notch and even when there's a massive line, they manager to churn out their drinks within 15 - 20 minutes. My quick tip is if you see a large line in the mall, just order online and swing by 10 - 15 minutes. If you're not sure what to order, grab an oolong or black tea with cream. If you're looking for something without caffeine, the Organic Milk w/ Taro Ball and Paste is absolutely delicious with earthy taro flavor and the toppings were still warm with the cold milk. Seasonal Pineapple Snowy is also literally a Taiwanese pineapple cake in drink form. How did they get crunchies into the drink? Honestly, you can't really go wrong here and when I am craving boba, this is just ol' reliable.
$ Expensive $ * Boba 5/5 * Tea 4/5 - the Boba was super soft and had a great sweet caramel flavor. The tea itself taste pretty good too. Sometimes tease can taste so much like just plain milk but this one had sweet flavor to it. - Bubble tea $9.50 before tip read more
I wish the parking lot for this place was bigger. The chance you will find a space and there is not some kind of line has definitely increased since opening but is still pretty low. Luckily there are multiple parking options across the street. The best time to go is near opening or not on the weekend. This place has some high quality tea with some equally high prices. Unless you have the budget, I wouldn't say this is an every day type of treat but definitely a well worth it treat yourself drink. You can't go wrong with any of the drinks on the menu but my all time favorite is their Bubble Milk Tea. Their boba being great in quality as well. My least favorite drink is probably the Fruit Tea but only because of the textures that end up being sucked through the straw. If you don't mind, go for it. read more
1 year ago
There wasn't a line to order but the line waiting for drinks was out the door. I went on a Sunday evening right before dinner and the service is still pretty fast even though there was a lot of people inside and outside waiting for their drinks. I got the bubble volcano and it's very sweet just the way I like it!! I didn't mix it too much so towards the end it was less sweet and was more refreshing just to drink the milk tea. The boba is very good and they give you a lot too even with the cup being on the smaller side. It's so cute the cups have a string handle to take cute pictures. The only thing is even when it was crowded inside and outside for people waiting for their drinks no one was calling out the drinks. It was through a machine no one could hear or barely see so I would just make sure to pay attention or try to get as close to the counter. The machine is not loud especially with so many people and the screen that displays the order number isn't really facing the people waiting for their drinks. read more
This boba shop is super popular and renowned for being one of the best tea spots in the world. They have won multiple awards and I finally got to try them out! They brew all their tea to order so things may take a bit longer than usual, but it's well worth it. The tea flavor is pretty distinct but they do a good job of balancing it with the fruit flavor. I also loved their jelly since it had a little bite to it and wasn't all mush. Very good tea spot that you should check out! Drinks: Mango Green Tea with Sakura Konjac, Black Milk Tea and Iced Green Tea read more
Overall: Chicha San Chen has great boba that suits those who prefer a lighter and more tea focused drink. Food: The drinks here suit my preferences. I prefer refreshing over something heavy. Even their boba isn't particularly heavy, you can taste the tea through everything else in the drink. Service: The service was great! The staff is really helpful with recommendations and they are quick with making your drink. They also check for receipts before pickup, preventing anyone else from accidentally stealing your drink. Ambiance: A chill indoor space, not a lot of space though so be prepared to take your drink outside. read more
Located inside the Bellevue Square Mall on the ground floor near Macy's, with no wait time was Chicha San Chen. They gave out free samples of tea which was delicious. Got my peach oolong iced tea which came out quick and it was very refreshing. read more
Super high quality tea and friendly service! They brew their tea in the store and I could definitely tell from how strong the tea flavor was. My one gripe is that the store felt kinda... muggy inside, even though it wasn't raining, and there isn't much seating indoors. There's a small lot outside the store, but it usually seems full. I got the green milk tea with konjac, and the green tea had a great earthy flavor. The milk didn't overpower the tea at all, and they gave us a good amount of the konjac. Would definitely love to return to try more flavors! The cashier who rang us up was really helpful with answering my questions. read more
1 year ago
Come here if you love tea!! I highly recommend getting any drink that has an emphasis on its tea because wow the flavor here is ten times better than your regular boba store. I love the honey osmanthus Jasmine tea. Wait time is definitely a lot shorter then how it use to be and I didn't have to wait in line at all. They even gave us free samples when we went in. read more
I did not expect to come across my favorite childhood bubble tea flavor until today at Chicha San Chen. While checking out the menu, the staff handed me a sample to try, which was Cassia Black Tea with honey. This was the flavor I loved growing up, back in the day was often sold by a small family business that was well-known by kids around the neighborhood. The tea was elegant and aromatic by itself, no need to add sugar or milk. A surprise that made my day. read more
Long ish line but did not disappoint! Dong ding is definitely the way to go (they give samples). Good blend of tea and milk, and the tapioca is one of the best I've had! Pricey and definitely a once in a while treat, but well worth it! read more
This is hands down my favorite place for tea/milk tea. Consistent across stores, strong tea flavor and excellent service. I love how they make their tea by the cup so it is always fresh. Lots of customizations which is nice and never too sweet. Often a line but they have a good system. read more
11 months ago
New-ish bubble tea shop in Bellevue square. The boba was soft and chewy and tea had great flavor. It did take about 10 minutes to order and 30 minutes to get my drink. Maybe worth trying when the lines die down. read more
Pricey boba store featuring premium teas. So premium that each order is hand brewed and temperature checked in their specialized tea machine from tea leaves. The machines look a lot like an espresso maker. Quality ingredients all around with real fruit used for the fruit flavored drinks. Boba was warm and fresh. Twine cupholder included with every cup. A high-end Boba experience. Not the best Boba I've ever had, but possibly the nicest. read more
Chicha San Chen is the ultimate destination for tea lovers in the Seattle area. Every cup is freshly brewed, and it shows. Vibrant tea flavors are the star here, across a range of set or custom milk and fruit tea options. Oolong is my favorite, so the dong ding oolong milk tea is my go-to. Everything I've tried is great though, and taro lovers can't miss their taro ball topping. it's a small space, and even a year+ after opening there's rarely a quiet moment here, so it's really best for takeout. Parking pro-tip: if the main lot is full (which it usually is), there's some additional parking across the street past the Safeway. Service is very friendly and helpful despite the crowds. This place deserves the hype and awards! 5/5 read more
Was shopping in the mall, and was happy to see it was open so I can finally give the place a try. I ordered the Fruit Tea (you can't add toppings), a green tea with lemon juice and tapioca, and my bf got the oolong tea with honey. I had wanted to try the Pineapple Sunset, but they didn't have it available at the time. The drinks were tasty and refreshing, and my bf really enjoyed his oolong tea. Staff was friendly. I would like to try more flavors; hopefully they have the pineapple ones next time. read more
- still crazy here!!! - I ordered online and the estimated pick up is 20 minutes, but it took almost 30 minutes to get my drink. Why? This place is super packed! Tons of people ordering and waiting here... It's a myth if you think coming here between 2-4pm is a good idea... Come at lunch time! It's less busy when everyone else is eating food instead of boba. read more
2 years ago
I first tried chi cha when they had a grand opening in NY and honestly it was good but not great. Happy I gave it another chance here since this location was so so much better! The cafe is quite busy when we went but we were lucky to find a few places to sit while waiting for the drink. At the cashier they were offering samples and i loved it so much i ordered it for my drink. This is the best boba place i've had! Black tea + cream - this was the sample. Strong tea flavor and perfect balance of the creaminess to milk and tea. 5/5 Cassia black tea + cream - Tried this one to see if i can tell the difference. its stronger a bit more astringent than the first one. still amazing but i'd prefer just the black tea! 4.75/5 Green tea + orange - Perfectly balanced and so fruity with strong tea flavor! 4.75/5 read more
Worth checking out in Bellevue Waite location. They have some samplers as well. The tea and boba are pretty fresh and I'll definitely be back for more. It does get crowded and there is a dine-in space with 5 tables ( 2 per table). read more
I came in to order some delicious hot boba teas. The interior is small and has limited seating. Parking lot is very small but people pull out quick. Customer service was great, they offer you sample tea. They have a whole team of people, brewing fresh tea. The quality is there with alot of easy to follow choices and customization to your drink. There was a bit of a wait but I can understand because it's so busy. Overall, great place to get your boba drinks. read more
1 year ago
This place was within walking distance of the hotel we stayed at in Bellevue, WA and became a favorite place to get good quality refreshing tea with boba. The place is clean and cozy. There usually is a line but it moves quickly. The staff is efficient and they usually offer free samples of their featured flavor for the day. I personally prefer fruit teas and I've tried several flavors like Osmanthus Oolong Tea w/Mango, Iced Peach Green Tea, and High Mountain Pouchong Tea w/ Passion Fruit, and they were all delicious. Their boba has the perfect taste and texture. The packaging is pretty unique and elevates their product in my opinion. I looked them up and the internet says it's a Taiwanese boba tea chain that has received an award from the International Taste Institute that's equivalent to three Michelin stars. Will be searching for one in the San Francisco Bay Area. read more
3 months ago
1 year ago
The drink size is small but mighty! Lots of the cup is tapioca, so remember to drink your tea sparingly. Tea flavor is strong and authentic, not covered up by the milk. The shop is small and parking is limited with options in front and across the street. With the crowds and lines of waiting customers, I highly recommend ordering your drink online and picking up. Our orders were completed before the 20min pickup time and we got to walk straight in and out past the waiting customers. The space inside itself can be crowded with waiting, but online orders can be found in the back corner. read more
5 stars for the tea quality & taste! Went to the old location & realized that they are inside Bellevue Square now! It took 5-10 min for my order but each cup is brewed fresh. I tried the Dong Ding Oolong milk tea with organic milk. I couldn't verify that it was actually organic milk so I'll try to see next time. Wow, I absolutely loved the drink!! It was so good. I wanted 10% sweet but they only had 30% as the lowest. So I chose zero. It was still good. The workers can't really speak English so service can be dicey. Prepare for a long wait on the weekends. Check it out near Macy's on the main floor. Keep the receipt as it has your order number on it. read more
1 month ago
In the mood for boba and so happy I found this place. As you walk in you are greeted by lots of white and bright light which give the space a clean modern feel. There is lots of loose leaf tea on display and a pretty diverse menu. I chose the taro boba tea that came with a cute drink holder (basically a cup sleeve and a string so you could hold it upright). I found the flavor and level of sweetness to be perfect and wished I had bought a second one! While the prices are on the higher side I think it is totally worth it and the tea quality is very good. read more
I actually come here really often, especially when I'm waiting for my seat at tendon kohakku! I always get the Boba milk tea, because I feel like the milk tea here really has an emphasis on the tea, and the Boba is a little overcooked so it's more like mochi! There are some seating inside, but not much, it's more of a carryout vibe Towards the beginning of the year, they had a much longer wait time, but I feel like now it's not that busy unless you go on the weekend towards dinner time. There is parking in the front, but it is pretty limited. read more
1 year ago
I remember when this place had lines out the door because it was one of the hottest spots for boba in Bellevue, and honestly, it still is. Chicha San Chen has a really good selection and quality of tea. The tea tasted rich and not very sweet. I got the milk tea with boba at 75% sweetness. To be honest, it wasn't as sweet as I expected, but the milk tea tasted good and the boba was super chewy. I thought it was good, just not sure if it's worth $8 to $10. I'd try it again though, maybe a different flavor. They also serve different samples of tea to try which was nice. Parking at this location is convenient since they have a lot. read more
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Ask the Community - CHICHA San Chen
They moved locations in Bellevue?
Yes, they moved to Bellevue Square. They're located near the Macy's entrance!
What are the store hours?
12 noon to 8pm most days. Till 9pm on Friday and Saturdays.
What is their signature drink or what should I order?
Milk tea, dongding oolong tea
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