The hungry panda coupon forced me here. Some panda said if I dont buy a drink, a forest of bamboo will cry. I ordered a strawberry peach smoothie with oreo cheese top. I usually go with strawberry but I wasn't sure how tart it would be. I'm dissappointed the oreo cheesetop is just crumbled oreos on top, not flavored or mixed in but still a good drink overall and future coupons will force my repeat business. And the drink actually looks like what is pictured! read more

Elitea - Peach strawberry smoothie with oreo cheese top. Note oreo cheese top is just crushed oreo on top. - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This five star review is only for the drink I got, which was the litchi with mango and strawberry. I say that because I've been here before and not Loved what I got (I liked it but didn't need to repeat it), but this fruity drink was refreshing and hit the spot. A good example is my friend got something else and neither of us were really feeling it read more

Elitea - Litchi with mango and strawberry - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I got the signature milk tea with mochi and purple rice and loved it. The mix of mochi and sticky rice topping textures was so fun to drink. The employee was also very nice and accommodating. They have a couple kiosks you can order from. Located downstairs under the KTV in Chicago Chinatown. I'd come back to try other drinks! read more

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Stopped by to get some boba, ended up getting the strawberry matcha latte with the brown sugar boba. It was delicious!! I tend not to gravitate towards strawberry drink because I'm not sure if places use artificial strawberries or real strawberries- can confirm they use real strawberries here! You can even taste pieces in the drink because I think they muddle it down at the bottom before adding the milk/matcha. I will say it was on the pricier side for a drink, granted it was a large, but I don't know if I would pay that much for boba again. read more

Elitea - Strawberry Matcha Latte - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Elite Boba Tea is tucked inside Richland food court. You will find it in the basement. Their neighbor sells Hainanese chicken rice plus Vietnamese coffee and Thai tea. We ordered the Jasmine Oolong latte with boba and agar crystal. The agar crystal was an extra $1.25, boba was $1.00, and we upgraded to a large for about $0.80, so the drink came out to around $10. Pricey, but it was loaded with toppings, and the flavor didn't disappoint. The Jasmine Oolong had a nice, smooth taste, and there was plenty of chewy (maybe too chewy for some!) boba and agar crystal in every sip. Parking in Chinatown is a nightmare (as always), but if you manage to find a spot, this is a solid stop for a drink. There are other popular chains nearby like Tiger Sugar and Kung Fu Tea, but Elite Boba definitely holds its own. read more

Elitea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Menu expanded and have tried and loved many of their tea drinks especially with fresh milk and cream tops! They have two kiosks to submit orders and pay. You can also order via the fantuan app ... I believe it's cheaper to purchase on the app and there are discount coupons you can apply. I always grab a drink here to complete my "Chinatown basement" feast! read more

This is a pretty solid boba spot in Chicago's Chinatown. They don't served any food like other boba spot might serves fried chicken or sandwiches, but that doesn't matter. I enjoyed tried their boba and didn't want for food because it's a food court and you can order food elsewhere if you want. I ended up order dumplings in the food hall. L I ordered the mango milk tea with mochi and the brown sugar bubble milk tea (with 50% less sugar). I enjoyed the flavor of the mango drink and the brown sugar boba was as good as one I've had elsewhere. The service was good and the staff were nice. The ambiance and the atmosphere is just ok. Not really a the fault of the boba place, the lights are low and bit hazy in the food hall. It would be nice if the food hall would work on that. In sum, this a good spot to get boba in Chinatown. read more

Elitea - Mango Milk Tea With Mochi - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Milk foam boba was delicious, fast service and quality tapioca. Location is a bit hidden below the karaoke spot dont be alarmed just go down the stairs. read more

Elitea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Super tasty, fruity and creamy milk teas! I recommend any of the smoothies as well. The ladies gave awesome service. The place was in a huge basement food court. read more

Elitea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Brown sugar milk tea is so good here! I got 30%sweet and its perfectly not too sweet! Love their soft chewy boba‍

Not my favorite Boba spot in Chinatown, however, still has a great selection of Boba to pick from. I love that Chinatown has so many different options for everyone to come and try to pick their favorite spots. read more

This bubble tea shop is located in the basement food court in Chinatown. We ordered a signature milk tea with Oreo cheese foam. It was cool to try the cheese foam top (it provides a savory complement to the sweetness of the milk tea), but I would probably just stick with a regular milk tea next time because that's what I'm more used to. The location of this bubble tea shop is very convenient as it's a great place to pick up a bubble tea to go with your meal if you happen to be in the basement food court grabbing a bite to eat. read more

Elitea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Ordered boba here yesterday when I went to lunch with a friend. I ordered the black tea latte w taro and boba. WHOA I haven't never had anything like this. At first I was taken aback by the gritty-ness (yes I believe thats a word) but then I enjoyed it very much after I mixed every together. I somehow chose the "less ice" option and that was a mistake. So I'll have to go back and try again. They are located in the little food court under Chinatown. Easy to order on their kiosks and quick service! read more

Elitea - Black tea latte w taro and boba - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We stumbled upon Elitea when we were roaming around Chinatown, and visited a few more times during the trip - note that you need to go downstairs at the Richland Center Chinatown Food Court, and Elitea is one of the stalls. They have an extensive menu, offering fresh-brewed teas, tea with cheese top, fruit teas, tea lattes, milk teas, yakults, fresh milk beverages, and smoothies. You can order in person, but most people were taking advantage of using the kiosk to place their orders. We've tried: +the Strawberry Green Tea with Cheese Top +the Lychee Smoothie +the Peach & Strawberry Smoothie +Grapefruit Green Tea +Kumquat Meet Lemon +Pineapple Orange Green Tea +VC Intensive Lemon with Passion Fruit Yakult +VC Intensive Grape with Orange Yakult Our initial visit's drinks tasted delicious - they were strong, properly made, had the perfect amount of sweetness, and lots of fruit. Unfortunately, the visits after that were pretty inconsistent - some of the teas were bitter, the smoothies had too many ice chunks and were not blended well, or the drinks were super watered down and diluted. The staff here has always been friendly; lines for this place is always long, though, so you will wait for quite some time for your orders. Plenty of seating at the food court. Difficult street parking in the area; go for the paid lots. +inconsistent in quality of drinks +friendly service +located at the Richland Center Chinatown Food Court read more

If you enjoy signature milk tea, you will not be disappointed! The staff is quick to take your order and prepare with accuracy! The shop is bigger than you think with decor of cool inspirational sayings throughout. Hot tea, boba tea, and more! Thank you!! read more

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We had a chance to stop by Elitea (it's located in HeungSeng square, in the underground food court). I ordered Peach Green Tea w Cheese Top and added Brown Sugar Tapioca and Rose Jelly. My partner got a Matcha Latte w Taro and Boba. The Peach Green Tea was a good sweetness at 30%; the tea was fragrant (I could definitely taste the peach) and the cheese foam was very creamy and dense. There were also sweet peach bits at the bottom of the drink, which was nice. The rose jelly was interesting; it comes in large blocks (like aiyu) and had a slight creamy rose flavor, though the consistency was a bit more like egg pudding. I enjoyed trying it, but probably wouldn't get it again. The Matcha Latte had a generous amount of taro paste. The matcha tea itself was refreshing and not overwhelming sweet, and the taro paste was a really nice addition - thick and slightly grainy (my partner really liked the texture); sweeter than the matcha milk tea, but still not too sweet. They definitely paired well together. The brown sugar tapioca was a good sweetness as well, though a little softer/mushier than I would've liked. Overall, a very pleasant experience. read more

Elitea - Peach Green Tea W. Cheese Top, Matcha Latte W. taro - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This spot is within a larger building, kind of in a food court-like area. We ordered off their touch screen monitor and got the drink pretty quick. The rose milk tea wasn't too sweet and I really enjoyed the lychee popping boba. read more

Elitea - Romantic Rose Milk Tea w/Lychee popping boba - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is a high quality boba tea shop, located in the basement of Richland Food Court off Wentworth Ave. They have a large selection of flavors, and they are constantly coming up with new exciting flavors (for example, rose milk tea with cheese cream and edible GOLD?!?). You go downstairs and you end up in this basement food court, which also has a hair dresser and a store that sells washing machines. It's definitely an unusual locale. Drinks: I don't think you can go wrong with any of the drinks. The pineapple orange green tea is wonderful. So is the white peach oolong tea with cheese top. And the matcha green tea with cheese top. Cheese top is a heavenly topping that is akin to liquid cheesecake. You can choose to mix it into the drink to make in creamy, or you can consume it the traditional way, which is alternating between sips of the plain tea and the cream by changing the angle of the cup while you drink it. This way allows you to taste the true flavor of the tea, while also enjoying the sweet cheese cream. I usually like to order my drink to go and enjoy it while walking around Chinatown. They do set up tables down there, if you want a sit-down experience. read more

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We decided to order some bubble tea while stuck in the hotel using Ubereats. It took a while but eventually we got our 4 drinks. I decided to order the strawberry matcha latte - something refreshing, and hopefully not too strong since I'm slightly sensitive to caffeine at night. Adding boba cost an extra 0.50 so my drink came out to $6.25, which seems to be the standard these days. The drink was fine - nothing special, but not too sweet. I adjusted the sugar level to 0% since I figured there would be enough sweetness in the strawberry. My friends weren't as impressed with their orders, but maybe we have high standards all the boba options in Atlanta. I wasn't mad at my strawberry matcha, but I guess it's not too hard to mess up. read more

Elitea - Strawberry Matcha Latte with Brown Sugar Boba - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Elitea is located in the basement area of the chinatown square mall which has a variety of different stalls to choose where to eat/drink. Elitea definitely competes with the other boba spots in the area. We ordered a regular brown sugar boba, less sugar and less ice which was very good and everything you expect of this classic. I ordered a Matcha Latte with Taro and bubba which was not a mix I have tried previously. Taro and Matcha are naturally unsweet items so asking for less sugar probably was not the move and tasted on the bland side. Learned my lesson there! The tea was smooth and the boba still had a nice chew and flavor! read more

Elitea - Matcha Latte with Taro and Boba & Brown Sugar Bubble Milk Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I didn't know about this place until friends took me there! It's a hidden gem in the food court in the basement of the building. Elevator available for those who need it! The milk tea is so good. They have a nice variety and you can select using their kiosk! read more

The drinks were ok. It wasn't the best that I've had better either. The drinks were not too sweet which was what I wanted. A lot of times, I had drinks that were too sweet so I always had to ask for 50% sugar. That option was not available to choose so I'm guessing it was a standard sweetness drink. I wish the matcha was more stronger. I could barely taste the matcha flavor. The mango drink was ok too. I'll probably have to try their other drinks to determine if I should move on to other boba places. read more

Elitea - Matcha Latte w/ Taro & Boba; Mango Milk w/ Coconut Pudding - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

A great place for boba located in the basement of the KTV plaza. Although a small location, they're very efficient. You get to order from the kiosk, pay with card, and wait for your drink. I got the matcha latte with taro and boba and it was really good. You can taste the difference of quality of matcha compared to other places. Also - a great shop to get your bathroom key because the basement food court requires the key for visitors, just fyi! read more

Sooo, I've been here twice now. The first time they basically forgot about us after a huge rush of people. I think there was a protest going on in Chinatown, so the area was packed, and because of that, our boba took literally forever, and we had to keep asking for it, and it ended up being watered down and not that great. The second time I came (more recently), the boba was tasty, but they put way more ice in my cup than I asked for. I think they switched the amount of ice Desiree with my friend's order. Long story short, it feels expensive when you're not getting your order right and when there is way too much ice and less actual milk tea. The girl who I've encountered twice here is not really the friendliest person, but honestly if I had to work down here underground all the time with no outside sunlight coming in, I guess I would be not 100% in a great mood either, lol. To get here is a bit tricky, and i'd imagine this place likely never gets discovered by many because of its underground location. I'm not even sure what the building is exactly that it is in, but from outside at ground level, it looks like a dilapidated storefront, but if you actually go through the automatic doors, you will see stairs that take you down and there is a whole ass world down there for different food options, a saloon, cookware store, etc! I remember how surprised I was the first time I came here with having no idea this whole underground dining hall existed. Just to be aware, the cell service down here sucks! I have AT&T 5G and I cannot use my data down here. read more

This hidden gem in Chinatown is some of the best most authentic boba I've had in the area. I cannot wait to make my way through this insanely large menu full of drinks I've always wanted to try. Make sure to try their signature mango sago! read more

I shall return to this fun cafe. The menu is massive with a wide variety of bubble teas and lattes to choose from. I ordered the Butterscotch Rose Xmas Latte, which was delicious--the butterscotch flavor melted in my mouth like candy. The barista also recommended the Samosa pastry, which was a delightful accompaniment to my latte. I also tried the Winter Tonic, which was cute but not as flavorful as I had hoped. The atmosphere is really fun and welcoming. There were people chatting, playing games and others sitting on comfy chairs reading or working on handcrafted items like sewing, etc. The interior of the cafe is full of vibrant, inviting colors and the festive decor was a nice touch--especially with a cardboard cutout of the lovely Queen of Christmas, Mariah Carey. read more

Elitea - Winter Tonic - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Elitea is a boba shop located in Chicago Chinatown. It is located in the basement of Richland market. If you are unfamiliar with the area, it may be a bit bad to find but you take the stairs down into a food court. I ordered from this place twice and ordered the signature milk tea for pickup via the Chowbus app. They gave a different cup for the orders. The first time gave a cup with a sealed plastic that requires a straw to drink. The second time I offered it was a lid that you could drink directly out of. Both times I did not order boba. The milk tea here is pretty good. I ordered my drinks with 80% sugar and it was still very sweet. You can customize your drink to your desired sugar and ice levels. The shop offers a bunch of other drinks that looked good, however I would need to go back to try it to provide feedback. It's one of my favorite places to get milk tea in Chinatown. read more

Elitea - Signature Milk Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This bubble tea joint is located inside the Richman food court downstairs. There are many boba tea flavors to choose from. I ordered the White Peach Oolong Peach Tea with Cheese Too and less ice. My SO ordered a Peach Black Tea with Cheese Top and less ice. Both teas were delicious with its cheese foam. The teas were light with a hint of peach essence. A sip of tea with the cheese creates a nice sweet/salty balance in your mouth! read more

Elitea - White Peach Oolong Tea with Cheese Top - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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My favorite boba tea spot in Chinatown and less expensive than competitors. It is located in the food court basement of "HuengSeng Square" building (displayed on exterior with large "KTV" logo) which is next to Qing Xiang Yuan Dumplings. Service is always excellent and ordering is easy using their two kiosks. Sign up to receive immediate discounts for each tea purchase by scanning their code on the large billboard poster and entering your cell phone number. In addition, I recommend trying all the wonderful food vendors located in this food court as they offer some of the best Chinese food in Chinatown. The food court has dining tables so you can dine inside. I love seeing all the young non-Asians flocking to the food court because they are making this a hip spot and bringing business to these vendors. read more

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After a hearty dim sum lunch, my family and I went in search of bubble tea in Chinatown. Elitea had the best Yelp reviews (and wasn't a chain that we have in Florida). It was confusing at first, but we found it in the downstairs foodcourt at the end of the plaza. The elevator was out of order when we arrived, so my Mom wouldn't join us as it's hard for her to walk downstairs. They have lots of flavor combinations on their menu. My favorite part is that you can choose your sweetness level, especially as I don't like my teas overly sweet. It didn't take long for our orders to come out, and they were very tasty! The price is right at about $5 each. The drinks are very aesthetic and perfect for your foodie Instagram. When you find it, Elitea is a worthwhile stop for milk tea in Chicago Chinatown. read more

Elitea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Honestly, I think Elitea has some of the best boba in all of Chinatown and it is MUCH cheaper than the other stores around. It is a small but cozy kiosk type tea parlor. It is located inside the HeungSeng Square food court (downstairs) and can be a great drink option to go with all the delicious foods there. They have extensive options (mostly catered to your liking) and the service is top notch. Even on busy days, drinks come out real fast. I had the matcha tea with the cheese top and my goodness that was a flavorful sip. The cheese is slightly salty but works so well with the matcha. I highly recommend this drink if you are a matcha lover. I'll definitely be coming back to try all their other drinks. Highly recommend! read more

had a super unpleasant experience when my husband and i visited yesterday after over 2 years. i had a complete punch card which could typically be redeemed for any free drink but when we tried to use it, they said we could only use it on a small drink. fine, we order a small signature milk tea with ginger and boba. the cashier then says the boba is extra and asked if we had cash for 75 cents. we tell her "no, we only have a card." 10 seconds later, she goes "okay, I'll just give you the boba for free." she heads to the back to make the drink and then says "oh we ran out of ginger. also, you can only use the punch card on one of two drinks - a signature milk tea or brown sugar bubble milk tea". ummmm ok?? that's sus. we think they didn't really run out of ginger, they just didn't want to give us the boba for free. nor, would they let us use a credit card to pay for the boba. totally understand the change in punchcard redemption policy to a small drink or to specific drinks. we were just extremely annoyed that we were told one thing and then they decided to tell us something different. overall, terrible experience. gotta go back to use the punchcard (we'll see if the policy changes another time) but not buying anything else from here ever again. read more

Elitea - Signature Milk Tea with Tapioca (less ice and 50% sugar) - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I was bamboozled by the brown sugar milk tea craze. How can such a beautiful drink taste so... not beautiful. I ordered a L size(+.80), with boba (+.50), and I used a debit card(+4%). In sum, my drink was 8 dollars. I was very unhappy with this order. The boba was indeed soft an perfectly created but the drink itself was very flavorless and underwhelming. Also, I checked in on yelp, so the size upgrade should have been free, as advertised in front of the register but the woman who took my order was a little aloof and I didn't want to further confuse her or myself. over all, I do not understand the hype or why people pile in line here for overpriced tea. I'll stick to CHATIME that reopened last week!!! :) read more

Elitea - Brown sugar milk tea with boba - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Milk tea is my baseline at boba shops. For milk tea, I check for balance between creaminess and tea flavor. And absence of powder taste. If the milk tea is good, I'll explore the menu more. I'll be coming back :) read more

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Some of the best bubble tea in the city, in unsuspecting digs. Nommmmm! Their brown sugar milk tea was soo good as well as their seasonal specials. I also love their Oreo cheese foam! One star off because the prices are a bit steep for the size and the wait was soooo long when we went. read more

Elitea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Best milk tea in Chinatown Square. Located in Richland Center Chinatown Food Court. This food court is kind of small and empty, but the food and drink here is really good. Highly recommend it. read more

Elitea - Brown Sugar Bubble Milk Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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3.5/5 I love a good brown sugar boba with fresh milk. They use the same cups as they do in boba shops in Asia! The brown sugar flavor was definitely present and very aromatic. The fresh milk tasted amazing with the brown sugar mixed in. Unfortunately, where they missed is the boba texture. The boba was way overcooked and very soft. I prefer boba more chewy. read more

Elitea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Elitea: Elite is a good description of this place- this bubble tea is some of the best I've had in Chicago. The boba was super soft, the tea was a good amount of sweet and the menu was unique and had something for everyone! (Location is a bit hard to find at first but is located in the basement food court on a side entrance of chinatown) Peach Oolong Tea Latte with Boba : Decided to try something new and this drink did not disappoint! The drink had a distinct peach flavor that didn't take away from the oolong tea. I would 100% get this again! : $4.75 (+tax) read more

Elitea - Brown Sugar Bubble Milk Tea, White Peach Oolong Tea Latte with Boba, Matcha with Cheese Top - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Of course we had to get boba tea wherever we go! We were in Chicago for the weekend for our sister's graduation, and stumbled upon this boba tea place. We really love the play on name. This place is located in a basement food court, and they are currently doing roadwork outside the building. The reason why we give it 3 stars because of how overpriced it was! I ordered a large classic milk tea with no boba and it was already $6!! I thought it tasted good, nothing magical. My hubby didn't like it, he said the drink left a weird after taste. Was hoping for some premium drink for the price we paid. read more

Elitea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The bubble tea, especially the cheese topping is to die for! I was a little skeptical about the cheese topping, but when it comes in to my mouth, I just can't let the straw go any more. The brown sugar bubble tea itself is very smooth. I ordered it without sugar and was warned it might be bitter. When I taste it, the bitterness comes from the tea itself, which is the way I like my bubble tea to be. Bubbles are made with brown sugar, so they come with a lovely sweetness to it. The combination just brings you to heaven. read more