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    CHICHA San Chen

    4.3 (148 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 10:00 pm

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    CHICHA SAN CHEN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - CHICHA San Chen

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    Peach oolong tea with mousse
    Dena D.

    If you are looking for a tea place that really cares about the tea flavor I would recommend this spot. The times that I have been here it has always been very good. I will say it's a bit on the pricey side but worth it. I also love that the drink comes in a little carrier and makes it so cute to carry around. Inside there is a lot of seating for people who want to study or just hang out with friends. The workers are kind and if you have any questions about the yea they can easily answer it for you.

    Patrick L.

    This is our new go to bubble tea spot. We used to Gong Cha but they closed the own in Bellaire. They received the Superior Taste award equivalent to Michelin Star for tea. Unlike other places where tea is pre-made, when you order, they make the tea selected from tea leaves and brewing them so it is always fresh. Be aware that their tea is strong. Have had a couple of sleepless nights after drinking it late at night. You can place an order via app or enter your order from a self service kiosk. There is a display letting you know the status of your order. They call out the number when it's ready and send you a text as well. Bubble tea is high quality. We have tried the different teas and have not been disappointed. Boba has the right amount of sweetness to complement the tea. Restaurant is nicely done. On the counter, you can watch as your order is being made. On the far wall, there is a tea tasting bar. Check them out!

    Maria Aimen J.

    This place has amazing service and I was blown away from the time I went in to the time we left. I love how they have you smell different teas. They have an assortment of teas sitting on the counter, and you can smell the jasmine and the black tea, etc. I get very happy over simple things like this. You choose the different flavors of teas you want inside of your drink, and the type of boba. However, I actually did not like my drink. I got the jasmine tea with taro and boba, but the taro was pretty gritty. The girl of the counter told me to mix it very well, and I did, but it was still quite gritty. Maybe it's an acquired taste. My husband ordered another tea that I liked more, although he also mentioned how he didn't like it as much as the places we normally go to. These are probably just higher quality or more natural, and we just like the sweetness of the other ones that we are used to. The establishment seemed very modern and clean. Once again, I got very excited over the simple things and I loved that you could carry the drinks with string. When i'm in the area again, I would love to try a different tea, because I did like my husband's more than mine, and looking at how modern and fresh everything looks, it's definitely worth another try.

    Alexus N.

    I am ADDICTED to this place. What's not to like about the fresh brewed tea, the efficient customer service, and the standout drink packaging?! The weekends tend to be busy. I like that your order number shows on a screen when they're working on it, and when it's ready for pickup. There's also a kiosk to self order if the lines get too long. My go to is the honey osmanthus oolong tea, light sugar + grass jelly! I've been here when it's "slower" but I'm not sure if this place would be ideal for quiet, intimate dates.

    Thuy P.

    Came again yesterday. The place is not packed but still have a very good amount of customers. Tea is good as usual.

    Osmanthus oolong tea with mango and boba
    Jo-ann H.

    Always consistently tasty whenever I go. I got the Osmanthus oolong tea with mango. The touch of mango flavor is lovely and I always ask for less sweet so it does not overpower the tea flavor as well. Their boba are soft and chewy just how I like a good boba to be. The self-paying machine makes ordering a lot more convenient, but just be careful with the tipping that is automatically added. The place is nice and clean. Perfect for hangout out with friends.

    Sparkling orange with konjac
    Kristina N.

    I hardly venture out to Bellaire anymore and thus have not tried all the new boba shops that have opened in the last couple years. However I am glad that Chicha San Chen is one of the first places I've tried in a while! When you first walk in, the fresh tea aroma is so strong and fresh, it truly makes Chicha a true bubble tea shop. There is both a cashier and self order available. I have tried the mango green tea and the sparkling orange with konjac (non caffeinated) and both are amazing! I also appreciate the sleeve that comes with the drink so your hands don't feel cold and wet when holding the drink. The cup sleeves also have a cute a rope handle to carry your drink. Overall, I look forward to coming back to Chicha San Chen whenever I make my trek out to Bellaire.

    Nancy L.

    Out of all the places to get boba drinks in Houston now, this has become one of my top favorites. There is both a cashier or self kiosk order option available. My go to drink that I customize myself is the Dong Ding Oolong Team + cream + taro balls at "perfect" (70% sugar level). Keep craving it and can taste the strong quality tea. They do usually have a special tea you can taste test up by the register. The wait times isn't usually that long anymore. They do have tables if you want to chill with friends and their cups come in a cute paper carrying sling. Highly recommend if you want a boba drink in Chinatown!

    Interior
    Linda T.

    I might be the odd ball but I thought it was just okay. I have waited months for the crowd to die down where I can actually see the place. Esthetically pleasing for those who are more into a simple, modern, laid-back ambiance. Menu is simple and easy to read. Nothing too complicated. You can order on the kiosk or at the register. Tea are alright. Smooth, yes. Strong? No. I only get no sugar or 25% sugar level so I can taste the tea. Unfortunately, it was underwhelming. Prices are moderate as they have simple menu. Plenty of parking in the plaza but you may not get so lucky to park in front.

    Tea time
    Vicky L.

    I had long awaited the opening of Chi Cha San Chen in Houston and when it finally opened, the lines were super long of course. I did not justify the hours long wait time so a recent visit after the initial opening period made it more reasonable. There is a touchscreen for ordering as you enter on the right or you can place an order directly with a team member at the counter. There are more than a handful of tables for interior seating plus a tea bar area that seems fun to partake. Upon entrance, there are many team members behind the counter...some making drinks and some just standing there chatting with other team members. I decided to order via the touchscreen, which was easy to navigate through and pay. After paying, a receipt spews out and the order number is called when it is ready for pick up at the counter. While waiting, I became curious about the tea bar located at the back and asked one of the team members how it works. She wasn't able to tell me and asked another employee when and how it works. The other team member stated that the tea bar isn't currently open for tastings and not sure when it would be...possibly the weekends only. There wasn't a definite answer. The team members went right back to chatting with one another. Before our drinks came out, another employee came out to spray clean all the tables including ours, but it sprayed everywhere. I'm glad they take sanitation seriously but the spray was excessive. Once our drinks came out, we stayed for a bit to enjoy it. The tea lattes were delicious and full of tea flavor. The boba was nicely soft yet chewy, and thoroughly cooked. It is definitely an Instagram worthy shot with a cute tea caddy. I just felt like the employees didn't care and chatting with one another was priority. It was almost like a party behind the counter area, with way more staff than customers in shop (it was a weekday late afternoon). I'd go back for their drinks anytime but wouldn't plan on staying or trying their tea bar tastings since it isn't really a thing. It feels like such a waste not to have it operating though!

    Menu
    Amy C.

    I ordered Milk tea and tried the tea staff recommended: passion fruit green tea. I have no sugar in my milk tea because boba is already sweet; perfect combination. Passion fruit tea has less fruity taste Overall experience is good

    cassie black tea + mousse
    Christy L.

    To be honest, when chicha first came to Texas in Austin, I was extremely let down by the teas I got. For some reason, my drinks tasted very diluted, and maybe I did have too high and unrealistic expectations, but nonetheless, I was disappointed. It's been a long time before I decided to give it another chance, but I'm really happy I did. This time in Houston, I got the taro milk tea with taro balls and the cassie black tea w/ mouse + taro balls. Taro MT - 9/10. Best taro mt I've ever had with fresh and light green tea. The taro balls itself are my favorite, and it is not often that you can find them at boba shops anymore. Would come back solely for this drink Cassie BT w/ mouse- 6/10. I think it's a me problem though. I don't think I enjoy the inherent notes of the tea itself, and the drink was also too sweet forward, but I still really enjoyed the taro balls. Excited to have it in my hometown now. Will definitely be back.

    Sparkling Peach Tea - my fave! (comes with konjac jellies and peach chunks, which are crazy yummy)
    Howard C.

    When Chicha Sanchen opened a few months ago, the lines were RIDICULOUS. Now? It's calmed down quite a bit, which I attribute to all the different bubble tea spots and drink options all around. So it's much better to go now than ever before! I say this because, if you like having tea flavor in your different teas, this is a really good place for that. Whether it's the traditional or oolong milk tea, or a fruity tea, what's really cool is you see the tea being brewed in front of you (see pic in this post). It's not something readily seen at most of the bubble tea spots I've been to, so it never fails to impress seeing the process play out in front of me. My current favorite drink here is the seasonal Sparkling Peach Tea. This comes with a combination of konjac jellies and peach chunks. It's something I actually first tried and loved at a Chicha location in the LA area, so I'm super glad it's made its way to the Houston location. But it's seasonal! So get it while you can. One thing about this drink - while most drinks on the menu can be adjusted for ice/sweetness, this particular peach drink cannot. The cashiers do explain very kindly to me whenever I forget about this and ask, and I understand it - some drinks are concocted the way they are to have the right flavor intended. All good. But it's good to keep this in mind for expectation purposes. A unique perk is this location often has some baby-cup samples of different flavors to try by the cashier. So while you're ordering, or after you order, they usually ask to see if you'd like to try it - I usually do, and it's often been pretty good. With the additions of Chicha and Trung Coffee to go with 85 degrees in this small plaza, the direct parking lot for this area can fill up sometimes. However, if needed, it's not difficult at all to park in the giant H-Mart plaza that envelops the Chicha portion of things and walk on over. I have my favorite drinks I get at various bubble tea shops around town, which usually determines where I go. But I will say, at this moment, Chicha is my Houston go-to when I happen to be nearby. And it's because I do appreciate that tea flavor in all the teas, and I feel a high level of consistency, whether it be their milk teas or their fruit teas, instead of specializing in one or the other.

    Dong ding milk tea with boba

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    Ask the Community - CHICHA San Chen

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    We were hungry late at night close to midnight. Our go to place... Fufu cafe is gone. Saw the…read moreCafe 101 was open till 1 am and plenty of people eating inside so that's always a good sign. Cafe 101 serve Japanese and Chinese food. There are table and booths inside as well as a full bar. We started with a couple of sushi specials... bluefin toro and Uni. Thought the bluefin toro were fresh as well as the Uni. Wasn't expecting so was pleasantly surprised. For our mains, we ordered the twice cooked pork and beef galbi. Both came as a set... with rice, side dish of pickled radish and carrots and dessert. Price-wise, it was reasonable considering it came as a set. Twice cooked pork hits the spot. It was plenty and had some to go. Galbi was decent... it's not like Korean Galbi. It was pretty saucy, sweet and tender. It was decent portion as well. Think we found our new late night spot! Look forward to trying out the rest of their menu in the future. :-)

    As one of the quintessential late night options in Chinatown, Cafe 101 provides a specific…read moreexperience that few other late night spots can match. The lounge like ambiance, along with their diner-like menu, is a major selling point for folks and has been one of the reasons for their popularity over the better part of the last two decades. It is a bit trendy and plays music that you would think of and in a Miami lounge or a pretentious New York Club. While service is not their strong suit, the clean bathrooms, spacious seating, and semi-open kitchen makes up for some 'tudes from the staff. The menu is most definitely Asian, but blends from a predominantly Chinese menu and featuring various Taiwanese, Korean, Japanese items. The latter includes sushi, which is likely one of the only spots in the neighborhood that still has it after midnight. They have bluefin tuna and sea urchin, in which Cafe 101 is one of the only late night spots to offer it. Their beef chow fun is nice and greasy, but filled with excessive onions, bean sprouts, and various other veggies that almost take away from the noodles and beef (which was nicely cooked). Their shrimp and egg came in a nice set, which was a good surprise and surprisingly well executed. This is also a spot for Japanese curry, and even though it's not the best, it most certainly does the job. Taiwanese popcorn chicken is on point, cumin lamb is unsurprisingly spicy, and Singapore chow mai fun has a tinge of solid wok hei. (#1) I'm genuinely not a fan of their soups and think the sushi rolls are not their best work. While they also have milk, tea options, unless one is desperate, I would also steer clear of. Parking in the early evening can be an issue at Don Huang Plaza, but after 11pm, the parking options should be abundant. I would consider coming here in a larger group, especially with late night owls. ___________ (#1) Wok's essence (鑊氣)

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    CHICHA San Chen - bubbletea - Updated May 2026

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