This was a nice change from all the other boba shops. It felt clean and chic. Loved the decor and to go packaging for the drinks. You order on a kiosk. It was busy. Drink was fresh and delicious. The bubble volcano is a brown sugar boba read more

See all

The drink was made with care and the packaging was nice but it tasted a little bitter like it was over brewed. Very strong flavor. The taro balls at the bottom taste like mochi ball which I liked and the taro paste reminded me of red bean paste which is nice but there were little chucks in it that I did not like. I think I'll try some more of their drinks and update this review later. The service was ok. You place your own order on a kiosk. We also had to point out that our drinks were ready and sitting. The store its self looks very chic and as soon as we walked in the smell ok black it hits you. I was also a little sad they don't have the old sleeves with the string that you see in the commercials. read more

See all

Have never set foot in the previous milk tea shop at this location before Chicha San Chen. Very happy about the takeover as the shop had gotten a complete facelift and is thriving more than ever before. Their packaging is superb and tea flavors are delicate and pleasant. I have dropped by twice in a week and loved both experiences. Give them a try today. read more

See all

I was impressed with my first time having chincha San Chen in Chicago. The first time I had it was 2024 in Montreal. I picked the osmathus oolong tea And it was delicious.... Not too strong the tea flavor very light read more

Chicha San Chen - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Chicha San Chen finally landed in Chicago. Before trying the Chicago spot, I just visited San Francisco store 4 months ago. I ordered the exactly the same flavor - Taro Milk Tea, light sugar, ice free" and it tasted exactly the same. Really impressed by their quality control. I also ordered "Passion Fruit High Mountain Pouchong Tea, light sugar, less ice" and this is a must-try for its great and refreshing combination with tea and fruit! read more

See all

Great tea. Service too. The bench you can sit on looks very wet from whatever glazing they put on it. Personally wouldn't order the brown sugar one again, because they do specialize in tea. I would probably stick to ordering oolong/black tea drinks here. read more

See all

I've been to several Chicha's in the country and they have the best boba. Got the dong ding with cream + boba. The boba is still one of the best I've ever had. Perfect texture and super chewy, easily the highlight 9.8/10. The drink itself wasn't as amazing as I remembered, but still solid overall 7.5/10. It was super packed when I went, but drinks came out pretty fast which I liked. Ordering is through a kiosk, and they even had a sample station with black tea and cream near the front which was actually really good. read more

Chicha San Chen - Dong ding oolong + cream and boba - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

So hype this came to Chinatown. Insanely popular internationally. Absolutely loved my drink, and they were really quick to make both drinks. Very organized, with two ordering kiosks, front staff for ordering, and numbers displayed on screen. I heard there's tea tastings as well but they weren't doing it later in the day. Have to come back to try that and many more drinks on the menu. Favorite tea I've had so far in Chinatown. Personally love it more than Molly Tea. read more

Chicha San Chen - Milk tea, creamy lemon tart - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Never thought I'd pay nearly $10 for boba but unfortunately I will do it again because their drinks are delicious. I got their creamy mango tart and it was so refreshing and I loved the cold foam on top. My friend's milk tea was delicious as well and the taro balls were cooked perfectly. Service was pretty fast and friendly too. read more

See all

Fave boba shop in Chicago!!! When I lived in the Bay Area I always wanted to try this place but the line was always out the door even months after their opening. I'm so glad I was able to try it after moving here! Definitely always super packed but I usually never wait move than 15 minutes for my drinks. The store itself is pretty small so it gets super crowded, a few times there has been no walk room. There is no guidance on where the line for self-checkout starts so it gets a bit confusing when people are just standing by the line while waiting for their drinks. There are so many different types of tea options! They offer samples of their tea, freshly brewed as well. The taro ball toppings are my favorite! They are super soft and chewy. All the drinks I've tried so far I get light sweetness and they have been perfect! My partner's favorite is their Dong Ding Oolong Tea series! We much rather prefer this to other places that do the roasted oolong. Excited to try their other drinks on our future visits! read more

Chicha San Chen - Taro ball tea latte & honey osmanthus oolong tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

First time here and the hype is real. Imagine a Starbucks but for tea. They have these sessions for tea tasting and the "tea-rista" as I call them explain the differences in the taste. I ordered bubble milk tea with perfect sugar and easy ice. It was smooth and not overly sweet. The tea taste was subtle but yet aromatic. Highly recommend if you're in the Chinatown area! read more

See all

I stopped by Chicha San Chen just before closing while waiting for my late-night dinner reservation. The interior was modern and clean. Even close to closing time, there were many people inside waiting for their drinks. A friend of mine has been raving about this place for a while, so I was excited to finally give it a try. I ordered the Passion Fruit Osmanthus Oolong Tea with no toppings, light sugar, and less ice (making a note of this order for next time). It was so refreshing and delicious! Not too sweet nor bitter. The hype was real. The drink came out to a little over $8 before tip, which feels a bit steep for a drink, but at the same time, desserts and drinks cost as much as meals used to. Inflation is real :'). Still, would I come back and try more drinks? Absolutely. Live life and treat yourself. Also, the packaging is really cute, and if you request a bag, it's super cute as well. It's the little details that make the experience even better! read more

See all

What an amazing tea tasting experience as you enter the tea shop! Loved the "stand alone solo station" for the Introduction and process of the teas! It was a refreshing presentation about the teas, the tea leaves by texture and the varying green colors, aroma and fragrance, from roasted to light options, and the steeping temperature! Isabella was the presenter. She was amazing and allowed us to sample a few of the delicious premium teas! Isabella was professional and gentle in describing the teas! (There was a group ahead of us at the tea presentation station. Glad we waited! Well worth the learning and tasting experience)!! Metered parking and there's a self- pay parking lot nearby. read more

See all

I LOVE THIS PLACE. Like... favorite boba spot in THE WORLD and I'm not exaggerating. I first had it in Singapore, then California and New York - so when I found out Chicago was getting one, I RAN and told everyone. I literally drove there during a winter storm and it was 100% worth it. Got a hot fruit tea with fresh fruit and freshly brewed tea - literal perfection as it was well balanced and not too sweet. Just flawless. It's right in the heart of Chinatown and I'm telling you, you need to go. read more

See all

I went on the soft opening and it was very crowded. However, the employees are still attentive and polite. They had free samples of their milk tea and a separate free tea demo where we chose our own tea strength and try it then and there. It was a nice way to spend our time while waiting in the long queue for our drinks. I got the classic fruit tea and the taro ball green tea. The fruit tea had a lack of tea flavor but the drink itself is still good and not too sour. The taro balls for the green tea were delicious and chewy. I would prefer the taro ball drink over the fruit tea. read more

See all

When they first opened, the wait was very long. I tried both the regular bubble milk tea and the taro bubble milk tea. The regular bubble milk tea was okay nothing particularly special but the boba was perfect: soft and chewy, just the way I like it. The taro bubble milk tea was much better and had great flavor. My only complaint is that they only offer one size and don't have different size options available. read more

So so excited for this awarded tea shop to open here in Chicago! They're a taiwan tea brand with top quality tea extract using espresso machine and they make every single drink per order and it comes out tasty,flavorful, just amazing. They also have some really tasty topping and the boba is so bouncing and good. My favorite is the taro boba with taro paste and the milk tea boba. read more

As soon as you walk in the space feels clean. My daughter had a fancy for some boba tea. We had never been here before but it got good reviews. She ordered the Taro milk tea. She wasn't pleased with the results. I tasted it and it had debris in it that was unexpected. The flavor was fine, and the to go container was unique. I will probably try a different drink but I doubt I can convince my daughter to try it again. read more

Ordered the bubble milk tea on Fantuan and was really excited for this because I enjoyed the Chicha in Philly as well as NY but this didn't hit what I was expecting. The flavor felt strangely different but at least there was good tea flavor. Overall, quite disappointed since the cream didn't taste/feel like cream. The service was super fast even with the amount of people so maybe I just got a bit unlucky. read more

Stopped here for tea after lunch. The place was packed. I asked the staff if the tea was GF. They said some were. I picked out a green tea passion fruit drink and they said it was GF. I ordered it with less sugar and ice. It was really good and still sweet enough. The order came out very fast. While we were sitting there, they offered us a free oolong tea tasting which would take around 10 mins. We opted not too but would love to try in the future. read more

I can't express how happy I am for this place to exist in Chicago now!! It's been on my boba radar for my West Coast travels but now I don't have to travel so far for it!! Quite pricey for a regular sized drink (~$10) BUT SO DELICIOUS. I got the Taro Milk Tea (Black Tea+Cream+Taro Ball+Taro Paste) and loved it! The taro paste had authentic taro. The tea tasted freshly brewed. I absolutely love taro balls as a topping and there are very, very few boba shops in Chicago that have it, and the ones that do don't quite get it right (usually they taste a bit bland/watery and takes a while for the milk tea flavor to soak into it). Chicha's taro balls are the best I've had!! Super chewy, tasty and enhances the drink. Will be trying the Taro Fresh Milk and Taro Ball Tea Latte next! It was quite packed when I went on a cold, snowy day, but didn't really have to wait long for my drink! (Felt similar to Molly's Tea in terms of how packed it is and wait time). Appreciated the free samples of the cream black tea they had. There's also some space to lounge, chat, or even do some work, like a coffee shop. Hope they open up more locations in the city!! read more

See all

PROS - When the boba is actually fresh (made to order), it's phenomenal. Out of the multiple times I've been here, it's only been that way the first time - Can only recommend this place when it's SO PACKED, that you know the boba must be fresh CONS - Extremely inconsistent boba & getting worse over time. To satisfy demand, they prioritized speed over quality. The first time I went, it was slow, but the boba was fresh and amazing. Now, they pre-make the boba, it's sitting out in tubs, it is harder and not super soft/chewy - They hire just any worker to prioritize speed. It's not michelin quality (highly consistent at a high level). I've had almost every drink on the menu multiple times, and they keep getting worse over time - No restrooms read more

Great energy in the place and overall appearance inside is clean and cool. I got a bubble milk tea boba with less sugar and it was great.

Can definitely understand the hype. I tried both the bubble milk tea and creamy lemon tart and fell in love with both. The bubble milk tea had a nice fragrant flavor and the pearls were bouncy and chewy. The creamy lemon tart was perfectly sweet and I could myself craving it more once the weather gets warmer. So worth the visit! The wait was a bit long as they recently opened but the line moves fast. read more

San Chen is high quality tea/milk tea where you'll feel your heart pumping. The tea is high quality and each cup are made upon order. Not super sweet so if you prefer sweet, get 100%. Passion Fruit Green Tea 9/10 Original Milk Tea 9/10 I made a mistake and drank this later at night and couldn't sleep. read more

Best fruit tea with the right sweetness. Don't miss out as this is a must stop in Chinatown.

Calm, quiet, mellow BCM for ambiance, with ultra Taiwan modern decor. Perfect spot to chill, literally all in the summer heat. Dongding oolong ftw. Added coconut jelly. Just needs an xxl size for gluttonous types. Choose this spot without hesitation! read more

Can't say enough good thing about this chain. Is it a bit more expensive, yes, but at least it's always consistent and good. Amazing service from the staff and great ambiance as well. To me, it's worth the slight premium, my absolute go to place in Chicago Chinatown now! read more

Best boba I have had in my life! The taro boba was the out of this world good, and its worth the price for good quality boba. Hoping they open one in San Diego soon. read more

green tea cream + honey osmanthus so good. It was so busy but it was so worth, will come back again read more

Chicha San Chen - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The boba is very good! I had the mango cream and it was amazing. It also came very fast even though it was busy!

Wanted to check out this new tea spot in Chinatown Square and am blown away by the service provided by Isabella. She was so knowledgeable and hit on all the talking points when she did her tea demonstration. From 6 minutes steeping, 3 seconds in the mouth and describing the flavors. Isabella is truly a gem and she is definitely a keeper. Not going to gate keep about this place....go check it out!!! read more

This place is so good would recommend the ambiance is great and so is the tea !!!!!!!!!