Hello, I am updating my review to share my experience after trying more drinks! Green Tea with Mango: very aromatic but a bit tart, even with the mango. I thought it was a little too sweet for my taste, but I enjoyed how clear and refreshing the beverage was! (The Green Tea with Passion Fruit is similar, but a little bit more sour because well, passion fruit.) Ding Dong Oolong: If you've read my earlier review, I've never been the biggest fan of oolong tea, so this was just *okay* for me. Compared to their other milk teas, this was a bit watered down, but the roasted flavor of the oolong was still very present. Honey Osmanthus oolong - another one of their signature tea drinks! Although I felt the blend was more honey than osmanthus and tea, but you can definitely taste notes of the other ingredients. The honey definitely lingers in your mouth for a very distinct aftertaste. Similar in effect is the Cassia Black Tea with Honey, which also had a very strong honey flavor but blended with black tea! This one kind of just tasted like sweet to me, with the front load of honey masking the complexities of the tea -- at least in the small cup that I tried. Overall, I still stand by my earlier choices for the mango osmanthus oolong and the black tea with cream (although slightly now favoring the former). I also recommend lowering the sweetness level if possible - sometimes the honey or sugar is a bit too much and takes away from the original taste of the tea. Definitely experiment to find your liking, though; they'll have samples out for different drinks, which helps if you're indecisive about your order. read more

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well... chicha san chen is a great name for bubble tea. love the tea so much and always come up with perfect taste!!! great place and ambiance but not like the way they put the chairs cause almost no privacy ~ lol!!! you sit beside others. order through kiosk and wish the snackpass can work soon. better order through the app instead of lining up... read more

Chicha San Chen - fresh organic milk with taro ball and taro paste... - Bubble Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Came for the tea tasting and thoroughly enjoyed the light, medium, and the heavy. Delicious drinking read more

Chicha San Chen - Scales to weigh and time steeping of tea. - Bubble Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

Came here to try the "Michelin-starred" boba tea and wow am I impressed! While the price is a bit higher than other tea shops, the experience and atmosphere definitely makes it worth it. Our cashier was so accommodating, helping us choose our drink and suggesting the perfect toppings. While we were there, we also did the complimentary tea tasting. Our host did an amazing job going over the variety of teas and their origins and taste notes. The experience felt so special. read more

Had a great time at the tea tasting! Alicia was knowledgeable and very helpful, and answered all our questions regarding the teas we tried. The tea tasting counter was very well set up and clean, and it appears to be very popular with the collage students nearby. I will be back to try more teas :) read more

Chicha San Chen - Oolong Tea tasting schedule - Bubble Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I came here and tried their tea after seeing so much hype. I came in the evening and there was no wait at all. Service was okay. They force charge you for the drink holder which I didn't like very much. I didn't think the tea was strong and the milk was light too. Overall didn't think it was amazing like what everyone says on social media. It was okay. Parking is also a bit harder to find here. read more

Lots of hype. So I came to check it out! tldr: quite pricey for the amount you get, but if you like really tasting the tea fragrance in your bubble tea, this place might be for you. I got the Mango Osmanthus Oolong Tea with Konjac Jelly - would highly recommend getting the konjac jelly, its texture is unbeatable. I wish I'd ordered no sugar though - even with light sugar, the sweetness really masked the taste of tea and made it closer to juice. I could still taste hints of tea fragrance, but definitely think it would have been much more prominent without any added sugar. Overall the order came out to $8.50 - I'd come again on special occasions (and try their pineapple tart tea), but probably not super often purely because I can't justify its price. I'm not a huge tea connoisseur either. Is it worth the hype? Personally I wouldn't be too sure. It's definitely worth a try though - I'd order ahead because the wait can get pretty long, especially during peak hours. read more

Chicha San Chen - Mango Osmanthus w Konjac Jelly - Bubble Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

I came here for the first time recently after looking for boba in the area and wow am I glad I found this place on Yelp! The shop is located near downtown/right by UC Berkeley's campus, it's pretty spacious and feels clean and earthy. My husband and I ordered drinks on the kiosks and immediately saw an estimated wait time on the monitor above the kiosks. There's also an estimated wait time for all orders, hanging where you can see from outside the shop which is a thoughtful sign for customers in case you're in a hurry. The estimated wait time was pretty accurate, about 7 or 8 minutes for our two drinks. The price is high but I think justified for the quality and taste. We were blown away by the drinks here - they really are unique to most other boba shops in the way the tea is brewed and the flavors available are natural but delicious. I highly recommend this boba shop and will definitely be coming back whenever I'm in the area! read more

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It's lovely!! Great tea, nice flavors, great packaging and good service. It was very busy and crowded there because it's so popular

Super disappointed by this place. I'm from San Jose area, and this place is not nearly as good as other teahouses! Yes, the quality of the tea itself is good, but the drinks are too sweet with not enough cream/milk. It makes for an awkward balance and flavor profile read more

I got the mango green tea with taro balls and my friend got a green milk tea with taro balls as well and a milk substitute. both my friend and I have been to Taiwan so we have high expectations for taro balls and these did not disappoint! I'm excited to have a place in Berkeley that has taro balls. The tea flavor was decent not too strong, but ok. The mango bits has a similar texture to pineapple in pineapple cakes, it was like they had been dried and rehydrated in syrup, it was good though. My friend's drink was good as well, definitely recommend lowering the sweetness, as mine was a bit too sweet since I didn't adjust anything. I wish they gave an option to opt out of the cup holder thing, it's cute but seems wasteful since we definitely didn't need it. Besides that the tea was good all around just expensive. My cup was 9.25 and my friend's was 9.75, which is crazy. I get that there is a premium for the quality of leaves, but personally did not feel my drink had the flavor to justify this, just tasted like a slightly upscale fruit tea. I think I would like to try their milk tea next time to really taste the tea flavor. The inside was nice: lots of places to sit, pretty light fixtures and plants. All the workers were really polite too, especially given they were in a very busy environment. Overall I liked the drinks and the place just found it pretty pricey for what it is. Probably will not go back for another couple of months. read more

Chicha San Chen - Mango green tea with taro balls (left), green milk tea with taro balls (right) - Bubble Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

The cashier was very sweet and knowledgeable, and she was willing to go through each of the options I was interested in with me to explain the preparation process. I like taro tea which is what I generally order every boba spot visit but the drinks here are a milk tea served with a taro paste, so you kind of get the flavor of taro but with super milkiness if that makes sense. Then I gotta say that even despite the extremely busy atmosphere full of customers it seemed like the moment I blinked, my drink was already at the pickup line. I was impressed by the way they had my tea ready for me so quickly. And it was delicious. The sweetness on the tea was wonderful and actually perfectly measured to my liking so I think I would return. read more

Chicha San Chen - the outside of the location. - Bubble Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

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One of my favorite boba spots! I really like all the teas and the boba pearls. My favorite was the green grape tea. read more

Chicha San Chen - Bubble Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

Who doesn't love a free tea tasting experience. If you have the extra time, I'd highly recommend enjoying the relaxing experience. My favorite topping here are the taro balls but sadly they were sold out when we visited. Lots of quality tea options albeit on the pricier side especially for a college student. Super spacious tea spot. read more

I'm going to be absolutely honest--Chicha is not my favorite. I think it's overhyped. Why? I'll tell you. I came here expecting to order something with taro, but turns out, this Chicha doesn't even have it! I think they might have it now, but when I went within the first few weeks of their opening, it was a disappointment to see they didn't have their taro. I instead ordered a Mango Oolong Tea with Boba because it was one of their recommended, and I like mango tea--and okay, the flavor wasn't bad, it's definitely something a tea lover that likes the true taste of oolong tea would enjoy. I certainly didn't mind it, although I wouldn't say there's a lot of depth to the flavor after a while (it tasted sort of thin). However, the Michelin boba that everyone raves about was honestly kind of a disappointment. It was too chewy for my tastes; even though the flavor tasted fine, it didn't satisfy me in terms of texture. I also feel as though they didn't give as much boba as other places. Finally, the nail in the coffin--this small cup was $8-9!!! Any other place $8 at least gets you a large, but they charge extra because they're hyped up. I would go somewhere else with my money. The one thing I will say is that their ambiance is beautiful. Inside the store, I really enjoy the atmosphere and getting to see the machines at work authentically brewing your tea in front of your eyes. Even so, I don't expect I'll be ordering from Chicha very soon, unless it's their taro. Maybe. read more

Chicha San Chen - Mango Oolong Tea with Boba - Bubble Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

The drinks here are honestly just really good. I like the peach one. We keep coming back... it's addicting, and absolutely delectable. The staff is respectful and the interior is very spacious. If this had been around during my college years, I probably would have camped here more often than not. Really glad this place opened up in town. read more

Excellent presentation by Chloe. We learned about the process of how the tea leaves are gathered and made in-house. The classic milk tea boba has a unique flavor that no other tea house has to offer. Fresh ingredients and quality packaging all in one. We will return for more tea tasting! read more

Chicha San Chen is not your average boba shop -- this place feels like the Michelin experience of milk tea. Everything is made to order using what looks like a high-tech tea-brewing machine (almost like an espresso setup), and the result is incredibly smooth, flavorful, and aromatic drinks. I've only tried their oolong milk tea, but it's one of the best I've ever had -- creamy, rich, and perfectly balanced. They offer different sugar levels, and their "Perfect" setting really is perfect: not overly sweet, just enough to bring out the depth of the tea without overpowering it. You can tell the ingredients are top-tier, from the tea to the fresh, chewy tapioca pearls. The space and vibe feel upscale, and they even offer free tea tasting reservations where they walk you through different brews and tea histories. That said, portions are on the smaller side and prices are definitely on the higher end. For me, this is an occasional treat when I'm craving something elevated. More affordable boba shops hit the spot for everyday cravings, but this is where you go when you want premium. Parking can be tricky if you're driving (limited availability), but if you're a UC Berkeley student or faculty, it's super convenient -- just steps from campus. read more

I've been to several chicha locations before and this one really stands out because of the interior design. It's also close by the campus too so it's perfect for studying or hanging out. We ordered our drinks online for pickup which I highly recommend if you want to save some time. I got the osmanthus oolong tea with mango which is probably my favorite out of all the drinks I've tried at chicha so far. read more

Chicha San Chen - Osmanthus oolong tea with mango - Bubble Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

delicious, high-quality tea! while the creamy pineapple tart drink was food, i can't justify paying $9.10 for it. the dong ding oolong tea was delicious & i liked how refreshing the tea was. i would recommend getting a purely tea drink here since you're paying a premium for the tea quality here read more

Chicha San Chen - creamy pineapple tart - Bubble Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Georgia gave us an AMAZING in depth tea tasting experience. We learned so much about tea and the various qualities of tea. She was so pleasant and professional! It's clear she is very knowledgeable about tea :) read more

I ordered the best peach green tea I've ever had. The tea is so fresh and it's not too sweet and doesn't feel like artificial flavoring. Got to partake in a great tea tasting experience too! 10/10 experience with Georgina. Will be back again for sure read more

Chicha San Chen - Bubble Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

great service everything here is so clean and modern. lots of seating areas and great space to hang out or study. the aroma of the tea feels very relaxing and inviting. drinks are at a perfect sweetness and the boba texture is always perfectly soft read more

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Wow. Soo overpriced and mediocre. Full of young students so maybe they don't know any better. Also it is in prime location!

The tea was flavorful, boba sweet, and excellent service. Complimentary tea tasting was fun and informational. read more

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I ordered the creamy pineapple tart. I don't know what this drink was supposed to taste like but it does not taste like pineapple or the Taiwanese pineapple cake/ cookie. I first took a sip without mixing it and got a strong taste of the tart pineapple bits that doesn't taste like pineapple and was immediately turned off by the taste. So I thought mixing the drink would taste better but it ended up tasting even weirder... a fishy salted egg yolk taste with a bit of a cookie crunch but it just doesn't taste good. I ended up completely wasting this drink. I took a few more sips hoping that somehow I will end up enjoying it but each sip got me gagging a bit more. For the owners/ employees, please make this drink, try it and rate it. I can't believe such a disgusting drink is on a menu. $8.50 before tax and tip. After it's $10+ read more

I've been here twice, the first time we ordered a taro milk team with organic milk from their taro series. It was really delicious, not too sweet, and tasted fresh. We went back tonight and I ordered a pineapple milk tea from their pineapple series thinking the sweetness would be on par with the previous drink I had. The pineapple milk tea was really sweet for me, I usually order like 25% sweetness and you couldn't modify the sweetness on this one because while the pineapple topping is made in-house, it's made ahead of time. Anyway, I went to Davin (sp?) to let him know that I didn't want to continue drinking that drink and he was very quick to act. I asked if I could instead have the taro milk tea like I had last time, he said no problem and the drink was made in just a few minutes. Davin was helpful, informative, and very kind. I will come back for sure! Great customer experience. My only feedback on the taro milk tea is that it has A LOT of ice, like you take four sips and the milk is pretty much gone, but there's so many delicious taro thingys left! So then you have to wait for the ice to melt. It would be great if there was a little less ice so you can enjoy the taro and the milk for longer together. read more

Drinks are super cute and delicious. Not sweet at all and has an addicting taste. Even did a tea tasting session so that was fun. Quick service and the layout of the place is cute. read more

Chicha San Chen - Honey osmanthus oolong tea, mango oolong tea with boba - Bubble Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

Always great drinks and made with care, good attention to detail Quality as always and my number one choice for Taiwanese teas and drinks generally in Berkeley :) highly recommended! read more

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I came for the tea tasting on Tuesday at 1pm. Georgia led the tasting. She was incredibly knowledgeable and clearly has a passion for tea. There were multiple options to try and because I came with a group we were able to share three. I was surprised which teas I liked better. The place is very clean and nice. Everyone was so friendly. This was a much more unique experience than I expected. It was only about 15min but I would highly recommend trying this place. It's slightly more expensive than some options nearby but there's a reason for that and it's quality. read more

Chicha San Chen - Bubble Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

My Golden Bear told me about a new Boba Spot that's close to campus. Now, I've been to so many boba spots everywhere haha. So I wasn't that excited to try another Boba spot. Man, I was so wrong about this place!! Haha. I was actually very impressed! The inside was very clean and modern. When we came, I guess it was their soft opening. But it looked to be well run. When you walk in, there are 3 self ordering kiosk. I think you can also order with a person in the front. It was busy, so we ordered through the kiosk. There were so many options! One of the workers came by and offered us a sample of their Bubble Milk Tea. After tasting that sample, we went ahead and ordered it from the kiosk haha. After ordering, we sat down and waited for our number to be called. It was very cool watching them brew the tea on these fancy machines. I am curious how much that machine costs haha. They called our number and we got our drink. It came with a cool carrying handle sleeve thing, so that was unique. As for the drink itself, man the boba and tea was just perfect. You can really taste the quality of ingredients this place uses. When I visit my Bear, I'm definitely stopping by here again. If the line looks long, don't get steered away, it moves quickly and efficiently. I'm pretty sure it's partly because these are Berkeley Students! Go Bears! Haha read more

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Not worth for the long wait and price. We ordered few drinks but end up we feel nothing special of the tea, the boba are super chewy and sticky to the teeth. Very disappointed! I think the high price is just for the packaging ONLY, not taste. read more

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You can tell the quality of tea was brewed fresh. They have a kiosk for ordering. The uniforms are so cute, the customer service was good. Its in a college toen so busy for a saturday night. read more

Chicha San Chen - Bubble Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

What an amazing find! During a short trip to Berkeley to watch women's gymnastics, my daughter and I stumbled across this beautiful tea shop. Love the entire experience from the artisan feel. The atmosphere is a story telling of their history and roots. Tea was absolutely incredible. Would visit again when around the area! read more

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In my opinion, this is a good boba place, but also comparable in taste and price compared to other spots in the Bay Area. I got a green oat milk tea with coconut jelly, less sweet. Pros: - very cute interior - quick and efficient staff - light milk tea with tasty jelly Cons: - limited menu - small portions for the price - impossible area for parking I'm glad I tried this place once, to see what the hype is about. Since the closest location is quite out of my way (and the parking...) I probably won't return. read more

The drinks are great just like how I remembered when I had it in China 5-6 years ago before I study abroad. Alicia gave us an amazing tea tasting experience! read more

Chicha San Chen - Bubble Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Came in on a Sunday 2pm thirsting on trying this new place since i've been seeing it being hyped up on instagram. quick when it comes to ordering since it's self service. I ordered 2 mango osmanthus tea (one lightly sweetened and one no sugar) a fruit tea, and mango. green tea. Lightly sweetened was still on the sweeter side. No sugar was perfect. I prefer the green tea over the osmanthus tea but both were not as fragrant as I was expecting. my norm for any new boba tea spot is their milk tea but after reading the reviews with their dairy, I decided to not try. upon walking in, another customer said he didn't like his drink and of course it was something with dairy in it. Took them 10mins to make my drinks which is not bad timing. will I come back? only if im in the area. I have my go to boba places in Oakland that taste similar if not better read more

Chicha San Chen - Classic fruit tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

New favorite tea place in Berkeley and the Bay Area! Strong tea flavor without being watered down or overly sweet, and so many delicious tea blends (I love the green tea and oolong!). Great service and ambiance. read more

Chicha San Chen - Bubble Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

Went to the tea tasting and Alicia was very informed on the tea sourcing and roasting process! I got to try one of the lighter teas and it tasted great! read more

Chicha San Chen - Tea tasting - Bubble Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California

I enjoyed the tea tasting experience with Alicia! She had a wonderful energy and was very knowledgeable about the teas. read more

Chicha San Chen - Bubble Tea Near Me - Berkeley, California