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    Chicha San Chen

    4.3 (1.4k reviews)
    Closed 11:30 am - 9:30 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

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    Free tea tasting
    Han-Nha T.

    Osmanthus - lighter roast. Dong Ding - darker roast. Most boba places use a darker roast, so if you're not used to lighter roasts it can feel sour. Cute ambiance and I liked the mousse top for the stronger tea. Wait time was accurate to their estimates. It is better quality tea than many shops, but it was also $1 more and their menu is more limited.

    Emmeline N.

    I think I came here a total of 3 times now (from grand opening to where the lines are shorter now), and I still think it's mid. It was overhyped with the Michelin-equivalent certification, had high expectations, and they consistently met me with low expectations for each of my visits. Each of my visits were better from the previous but still lacking. I think they also used a lighter brew because all the drinks were borderline watered down. BUT their fruit teas are great. However, their customer experience is still good. They have a tea tasting experience on the side and they brought in the birthday BOGO. There's plenty of parking, very spacious inside with plenty of seating indoors and outdoors, ordered on the kiosk, service is quick, and it's nice they have rotating tea samples at the front. Drinks: (all less sweet) - Dong Ding Oolong: I always get this to see if the tea is stronger from the previous visits. It is... but still watered down and subtle. Either their recipe changed or they changed their milk/creamer - Bubble Milk Tea: I'm confused with this one because there's a strange fruity taste on the first few sips - Boba: love their boba, well-cooked, soft and chewy, love the subtle honey taste that isn't overpowering

    Efficient Wait System
    Wendi K.

    Expensive boba drinks but very high quality! You choose you tea type, sugar level, additions (a must for me!), and flavors. The High Mountain Pouching Passion Fruit Tea with Konjac Jelly was refreshing, fragrant, and delicious - the konjac bits are very delightfully chewy. 0% sugar was also very sweet. This spot was extremely busy on a Saturday afternoon, but the ordering and wait process is very efficient.

    Valerie T.

    TLDR: good tea, but not worth waiting for more than an hour for drinks. When this first bay area location opened, I heard people claim that they queued up for 6 hours (enough time to fly to the San Gabriel location and back)... so I made sure to wait until the hype died down a few months later. I usually get the Dong Ding Oolong Milk Tea with Taro Balls - tastes like your typical good milk tea, but nothing too spectacular. The taro balls were a nice add though, I love taro. Overall, would recommend coming if you are into high quality tea and aesthetic drinks, but wouldn't recommend coming at peak hours, the line is insane.

    HanNa P.

    We went on a weekend and it was busy. It was a little shy of dinner time and the parking lot was full. I ordered on the kiosk while my husband looked for parking. Not a-lot of seats so it's better to take it. We ordered the Creamy lemon tart and Bubble milk tea. Both had a clean tea taste. Very well brewed. Fresh boba. And the worker's were working efficiently. Pretty good overall! Inside was clean and modern. Private lot in back but can fill up fast on weekend

    Lemon Mango Cloud
    Hannah C.

    I'm rarely blown away by a drink, but this spot genuinely impressed me. I visited on a Sunday evening around closing time, and there was still a long line. The poor employees were absolutely grinding to make drinks right up until they closed. The store was nicely decorated, with one wall displaying all their merch. I tried the Lemon Mango Cloud, a new drink. It was actually so good I was overwhelmed with gratitude that this place existed. I've never had a drink I enjoyed as much as this one. It was so creamy but still refreshing. The lemon and mango flavors were prominent and melded together beautifully. Every sip was a delight: silky smooth, rich, tart, and sweet. I'm genuinely obsessed with this drink and will absolutely be trying more of the Green Lemon Series. I will mention: the bathrooms were in a state of disarray when I visited. None of the toilets were flushing, there was paper everywhere, and it was not pleasant to step into. I took this as an indication that the other customers enjoyed the drinks as much as I did lol. But if you have a sensitive stomach, maybe find a nearby store with a usable bathroom.

    Passion fruit green tea
    Emily C.

    Had a great experience today! Ordering at the kiosk was very easy. Just make sure to remember your order number or have your receipt texted to you! I appreciated that fresh water was available if you are thirsty. I went to the restroom right after ordering, and it was clean. As soon as I finished my drink, my order was ready. Came here at 1 PM on a Monday. I ordered the passion fruit green tea with regular sugar and less ice. Wow, it was perfect! Definitely coming back again

    Jennifer

    I will stand for no chicha slander. What do you mean each cup is made fresh with a robot that ensures the perfect temperature for reach type of tea leaf. This shouldn't be as rare as it is but truly freshly made tea is unusual in the bay now! Taste: I've heard varying opinions but the general consensus is that the boba here is always chewy and nice. Tea is fresh made. Drinks disappear way too fast Parking: This is a busy plaza but it's large. You will most likely be able to find parking! Service: You order through a kiosk and then they will call your number once it's done

    Thao V.

    I got the mango tea without sugar. The mango was not strong and there was more tea flavor. I didn't like the grass jelly because I prefer it a bit more firm. Service was one of the best I've seen for a milk tea place. The place is very clean. I would totally come back to try some different teas.

    Peggy L.

    Expect a wait during the day of about at least 10-20 minutes from arrival until when your drink is ready. Today was my second time here and I got the Dong Ding Oolong Milk Tea with no sugar with Bubbles/boba and hubs got the Dong Ding Oolong Milk Tea with no sugar and Taro Balls. We typically don't like our milk tea sweet so we can taste the tea. The sweetness from the toppings brought plenty of sweetness. The taro balls were definitely sweeter than the boba today. We enjoyed both toppings. The taro balls are definitely unique and a must try when visiting here. Will definitely be back if in the area.

    Diana N.

    I come here every now and then with my friends if we're in the area. The place itself is big and has seating for you to sit and hang with friends. The drinks have always been solid. They're not super sweet either which is what I like. The workers here are polite as well. I went with a friend for the birthday BOGO and it was great. We got to take advantage and buy drinks for our friends and family at a discounted price and the quality is still there. My favorite is usually the Dong Ding Oolong Milktea and their Black Milktea!

    inside
    Elaina V.

    I wanted to love this spot but honestly the milk based drinks fell short for me. I ordered the taro milk tea with full sweetness and it was simply not good. The flavor was super watered down and reminiscent of cardboard :( My sister ordered the green tea with cream and that lacked flavor too. The tapioca pearls were standard. On my way out I tried a sample of passion fruit tea and it was so good. I'm sure the tea based drinks are their specialty and I would actually come back for that, but I wish their other drinks were on the same level. I sadly spent $10 on a very disappointing drink. It was busy on a saturday afternoon and the longest wait time was 16 minutes. Two kiosks to order from btw.

    High Mountain Pouchong Tea ($7.50) *Bubble *No sugar *Less ice
    Elena N.

    Date: Saturday, December 13th, 2025 Time: 3pm High Mountain Pouchong Tea ($7.50) *Bubble *No sugar *Less ice After lunch, a girlfriend and I stopped by for some boba. Getting into the parking lot was a little backed up, but there's plenty of parking if you drive further into the lot. It was pretty busy when we got here, but you just place your order at the kiosk and then wait for your number. Seating is kinda limited, but we were able to grab a high top table for two in the back. The tea was nice. Not quite as strong as I prefer, but a good brew. The boba itself was soft and chewy. We were trying to catch up, so the noise level can be a little loud. But we managed for the almost 3 hours we were here. During that time, they did do a complimentary tea tasting which we didn't take part in. Solid spot to grab a boba tea. REVIEW #3938

    Milk tea (left) and Ding dong with oat milk (right)

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    2 months ago

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    28 days ago

    Such a nice and pleasant tea tasting experience! Nic gave a great presentation on the tea and served it very aesthetically!

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    15 days ago

    It was pretty interesting to learn about the teas in such detail and then taste them.

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    Karen Z.

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    Chicha San Chen Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Chicha San Chen

    For your milk tea, do you use real milk or milk alternative?

    For our Cream, Mousse, and Fresh organic milk beverages, they do contain dairy! If you are looking for a non-dairy alternative, oat milk will be the best option to enjoy your Chicha Beverage! :)

    What kind of sugar did they use? Regular cane sugar or high fructose corn syrup?

    I think they use fructose syrup.

    What's their slow time now?

    I think you'll have a better shot during weekdays when it first opens or after 2 pm. Weekday late at night is also an option.

    Has the horde of people died down yet or do I still need to wait 5 hours?

    I went again last Friday night right before close and it's still about an hour wait after ordering, and about 20 minutes to actually order.

    What are the hours for Thanksgiving Thursday 11/23 and Friday 11/24?

    12-6pm. They are not closed on Thanksgiving.

    How to sign up for tea tasting?

    You can go up and ask the workers to see when the next available tasting is. They will then give you a card to come back at that time

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    We came here after hearing about it so much that I finally had to try. Absolutely no regrets…read more This is one of those elevated matcha experiences that sets the bar for all other spots. Here's what we got: **Sunny Side Up Matcha Einspanner $7.75: A vibrant matcha base topped with a dollop of silky whipped cream, finished with a sunny side up 'egg' where the yolk is a sweet mango syrup. This drink had me saying "Oh wow!" after taking the first sip. After the second sip, it was "Was that a really ripe mini chunk of fresh mango?" This was so well executed that it felt effortless. It wasn't overly sweet-- the Matcha and the Mango flavors blended together beautifully yet you could make out the flavors of both. I usually scoff at how expensive drinks are these days but I could justify the price on this. **Black Sesame Coffee Einspanner $7.50: Signature espresso drink with our house-made Black sesame cream with your choice of milk. Another hit. I love Black Sesame and when I can find it, I order. This was also on par with the Sunny Side up because of how distinctly flavorful it was. You can taste the nuttiness of the black sesame seeds. Add in the espresso and it makes for a coffee that you could gulp down. Both of these drinks are dangerous because if it was up to me, I could have probably drank these both in under 5 minutes. Sigh.

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    I love all the drinks from here, NGL. Everything is always made to perfection, with the right…read moreamount of sweetness and they always fill it to the brim. All time favorite: black tea with taro and mochi. It's perfect with 0% sweetness became the taro is what makes it sweet, BUT if you have to, 30% is good. We always order it online since it helps with cutting down the wait time in person. Staff can be a hit or miss. Sometimes, they're just standing there on their phones and sometimes, really efficient. Not much of a space to hang out inside, but people tend to stay outside anyways. You order via their 1 kiosk...so line can get backed up. I seriously wish they have an app for Ume

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