As a Taiwanese kid, I cannot express how excited I was when I saw Doka coming to Austin. Every time I walked by, I found myself peeking inside to see if there were any updates on the construction. The moment I saw the logo, I knew this was the brand I grew up with. Doka is how the store name is pronounced in Mandarin. In Taiwan, this store has the English name Coco. Since the name Coco is already taken by another tea shop here, I understand why they went with Doka, even if the name surprised me at first. I checked their Instagram, and seeing the use of traditional Mandarin characters and the menu items I remembered from childhood confirmed it for me. This was exactly the store from my childhood.
I came during the soft opening week. The staff told me that the menu is currently limited to ten drinks, so it is not yet the usual mix-and-match format where you choose your tea base and toppings. Even so, this drink menu was enough to bring back strong memories. I ordered the Tropical Special, which has always been my favorite, and I also tried the Popping Blue Moon.
The Tropical Special tasted exactly like how I remembered it. It is a passion fruit green tea with coconut jelly and pearls. I have always loved the combination. The coconut jelly was sweet and smooth, and the pearls were cooked to the perfect chewy texture. Huge shoutout--I grew up calling them pearls back home.
The Popping Blue Moon is a beautiful drink. It has a mango and lemonade base with lychee poppers and jelly. The flavor was refreshing and well balanced, and I enjoyed it a lot. However, because the name does not give away what is inside, a brief description on the menu or Instagram would be helpful. While I was there, I heard several customers ask about the drink. One of the staff members had to double-check with others to explain it. Some written clarification would make that process smoother for everyone.
Doka makes my heart sing. This is the most authentic Taiwanese bubble tea I have had in the United States. Everything about the store feels like home. The logo, the color scheme, the menu design, and the traditional characters all feel true to the brand I knew growing up. I even thought I recognized a familiar Taiwanese accent when I spoke with one of the staff members.
If I have one small note, it would be about the sweetness. I ordered both drinks with regular ice and zero added sugar, which is how I usually order my bubble tea. Even so, they still came out a bit sweet for my current taste, likely because the toppings were sweet and I had two in each drink. To be clear, this is exactly how I remember the drinks from when I was younger. My preferences have just changed now that I am older. When I got home, I added more ice and poured the drinks into a larger jar, and that made the sweetness just right. In the future, I hope they will also offer the full customization menu where customers can pick a tea base and choose toppings. That would make the experience absolutely perfect. read more