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Hochaya was an okay experience overall. The staff were nice and the service was friendly, but the drinks took a bit long to come out even though the shop wasn't very busy. It's also a little disappointing that they don't have DoorDash available. The milk tea itself was decent, but nothing too special or memorable. I also tried the salted foam, but unfortunately it wasn't very good. Overall, it's an average spot--fine if you're nearby, but not something I would go out of my way for.
Great spot for some good tea and boba drinks. Tried the peach fruit tea, 50% sugar and regular ice, and it was very refreshing. It was still a little sweet, so probably gonna try 30% sugar next time. It was very clean and spacious inside with simple decor. Plenty of tables and seating inside. Service was fast and efficient. You place your order on one of their kiosks and they call out your order# when ready. We'll be coming back to try some other drinks. Happy Nom Nom!
Sometimes this place is a hit or miss. Reason being is that sometimes the tea could be watered down if they don't give it time to cool off. The service here is ok mainly because you hardly interact with the servers because you have to order on the kiosk. It's also kind of dark in here because they just use the natural lighting from outside, and bathrooms are also out of order.
HOCHAYA . a sole review on their mango pomelo sago. i've been to yi fang plenty of times and their mango pomelo sago is my absolute FAV. the one closest to me closed and i've been looking for this drink since. HONESTLY close enough !!! more on the sweet side compared to the yi fang version, but unique and so so delicious. one of the best parts of our santa barbara trip as we enjoyed the drink and each other's company ofc :) service: standard ,, they just have kiosks environment: modern i like the concrete look would come back the next time we're in this area esp for that mango pomelo saGOooooo
Made a quick trip to pick up boba after spending the day in Santa Barbara. Hochaya is close to the freeway and pretty close to a few shops and restaurants here in Goleta. There's plenty of seats outside, and honestly if I wasn't in a rush home, I would've sat outside and enjoy the weather. The store is pretty and big. When you walk in, you're immediately greeted by their staff who are very kind and welcoming. You are able to order via their two kiosks (this is card/ tap only) and can order at their register (cash only). OKAY THE DRINKS: Their drinks are pretty good!! The two drinks I bought were both tasty and refreshing- I think I liked the Lychee tea a little more than the Wintermelon Lemon to be honest. I also saw that they only had brown sugar boba after 4pm, so if you're wanting to try their brown sugar boba- make sure to come after 4pm!
Ordered a grass jelly with boba milk tea. I like that we can order and customize our drink with ice & sugar levels. Staff were friendly. This is located next to the Smart & Final. Nice plaza with other retail shops.
We ordered online and got to pick up our drinks really fast. We tried the Thai Milk Tea, Kyoto Uji Matcha Latte, Hochaya Fruit Tea, Passion Fruit Green Tea, and Butterfly Pea Lemonade. While the experience at the store was nice (friendly and helpful staff) some drinks were disappointing. The best drink we tried was the Hochaya Fruit Tea. It was flavorful and sweet. We ordered with 30% sweetness which we found to be perfect for this drink. T The most disappointing drink we tried was the Kyoto Uji Matcha Latte. It was an average tasting matcha latte. We thought it was not enough matcha for the amount of milk the drink had. We could've added more sugar to the rest of the drinks since we did 30%. Overall it was a nice place to visit but would not be out first choice for drinks (especially matcha).
When you walk into this cute tea house there is a large counter with brightly lit menu board above. There are 2 kiosks to order at (English, Spanish and Chinese) and then they call your number and you get your drink at the counter. It is very clean and you don't have to talk to anyone! (Except hopefully to say thank you!) We ordered the Sea Salt Cheese Foam Green Tea and the Butterfly Pea lemonade (caffeine free). They were very different but very good! There is one size and I would say it's a med/large for $6-9 (depending on add-one) so it's a good price for a boba place. I would recommend stopping by and grabbing a drink!
Some of the best boba that I have had! The only downside not many flavors to choose. They give you the option to choose the amount of sweetness and boba as well as ice. The taro is delicious but be aware it's the actual root and pure. You order at a kiosks and the order comes to you pretty quickly. The service is pretty prompt and are friendly. They also have brown sugar options to drink. They have non dairy options which is a plus.
I've visited this place over ten times now so I am able to write a consistent review: This place is okay at best. I am from Orange County where there is an ethnic niche for Asian culture, and with that food! So I know my boba!! Don't get me wrong, this place IS the best Boba that you'll be able to find in Goleta (but it's also not too tough to beat its white competitors), however, everything is just only alright. The tea is always too watery, boba not chewy enough (too soft-- almost a jelly texture), the cheese foam is not that creamy, the matcha drinks are chalky and lacking in flavor, and the service is average. This will definitely satisfy your boba cravings but it is nothing worthwhile. (imo the best drink here is the matcha pudding one)
Let me say, I grew up in LA and enjoyed a many tea spot drinks. So my comparison and references are grounded in LA are boba tea spots. Hochaya has great tasting boba with many unique/typical flavors for a tea spot... tonight was fairly busy with college students, but the ordering line progressed quickly. I order mango pomelo sago... perfect citrus and tart/sour flavor for the summer. It had tiny pieces of pomelo which added to that tart/sour/sweet zing in your mouth that balances with the base mango flavor. So good. Plum green tea was good too! Here's the best order... I haven't found any cheese cream tea drinks in Santa Barbara or goleta... but this one is pretty good overall. Cheese foam Oolong tea with boba. Delish. Unfortunately, they ran out of boba and I had to wait an additional 10 min for a fresh batch. Well worth the wait... small, chewy, and delicious (not over cooked fraying at the edges and hard in the center type boba) There are plenty of toppings to choose from- so go wild or stay conservative.. this tea spot is my new fave spot. Thanks for the friendly service and tasty drinks! read more
Let me first apologize for my terrible photo. I got the mango pomelo sago and if you're Canto you would know how nostalgic this was. This is such a rare find and normally not a boba drink but I had to get it. It was so good and brought me back to when I was young. The mango tasted fresh and there were pomelo pieces in the drink. The sago was perfectly cooked too. Not sure how else to describe it except I'd drive 1.5 hours again to get this. read more
4 years ago
The sticker is still on the fruit. I'm shock seeing the apple slice in my drink when I got it. Now Im questioning if they really wash the fruit or not. read more
4 years ago
My wife and I have been coming here a lot since we moved to Goleta. We're always trying something new and very pleased. The service is always great and the atmosphere is usually pretty lively. Also.... They just added a couple touchscreens to place orders through, pretty neat. We'll be back soon! read more
3 years ago
2 years ago
2 years ago
HAIR IN MY DRINK Order time: 5/12/24 8:35PM Order #234 One of the Thai Teas I received had a strand of hair, half of which was hanging out and the other half was sealed in my drink, touching the beverage ( see photo and video below). None of the workers are ever seen wearing their hair up or in a hair net, yet they are handling beverages to be consumed. This is an alarming sign of poor management and complete disregard for customers safety. As a customer I am disgusted and disappointed at the ignorance in the business practice, and demand a refund as well as management attention immediately. read more
1 year ago
coming from the bay area i was extremely disappointed when i came to sb because there aren't any good boba places tbh...but all this changed when i found hochaya. the boba is soooo tasty and there are so many options. my fav is the brown sugar boba!! definitely recommend coming here if you're looking for a great boba place that's close to goleta/iv!! read more
4 years ago
This is a solid boba place in Goleta! I wish I knew brown sugar bobas are only served after 4pm but I'll be back another late afternoon to try one. I got a Thai tea with boba and my son got the special strawberry jelly with milk and added boba. Both were good choices but like I said, i want to come back for those brown sugar beauties! I also appreciate that you can limit the sweetness of the drinks. The staff were friendly during our visit and the drinks didn't take too long to make. read more
I missed National Boba Day by a day, yet every day should celebrate boba in my eyes! I've been meaning to write this review for Hochaya since it opened. Since then I've been several times for a more thorough review. I'll be forward-facing while admitting that I am by no means a Boba Connoisseur. I'll look to my pal Tri D. Down in Houston for that crown. However, I have been to several boba places in town, and even have a Yelp Collection: https://www.yelp.com/collection/Tc9FdjayJ_JRVjrNjeeEHQ?utm_content=Collections&utm_source=ishare With that said, I deem that Hochaya is the most authentic boba the Santa Barbara/Goleta area offers. It is owned by the same group as my favorite sushi joint in town, Sun Sushi. Although I'm bummed they don't have sea salt foam (holla at 85 Degrees Bakery), their cheese foam is close to identical. I appreciate that you can actually taste the tea flavors come through--whether you go with mango, oolong, black, green or otherwise. They offer three types of boba, my favorite being the Sago because they're the smallest pearls and fit through in the straw easily. Also they're are in the middle when it comes to texture. I love that I can customize the sweetness and amount of ice. I usually choose 25% for both because otherwise the sugar makes me pee like a race horse (apparently I'm not the only one so perhaps they don't use cane sugar but an artificial sweetener?) and it doesn't get too watered down when the ice melts--plus you get more for you money that way ;). The interior of Hochaya is clean and simplistic with indoor and outdoor seating, plus wifi. Staff is friendly and willing to answer any questions. This is my go to place for an afternoon treat. read more
4 years ago
Best Boba in the Barbs Really kind service and the most authentic boba i've had in this area! really peaceful space to work too! read more
4 years ago
recently tried this place as it was highly recommended by friends and I can see why! I ordered the matcha pudding milk tea which surprised me as I thought the milk tea would be matcha, but the pudding actually was! I still really enjoyed the drink as the tea quality was very good and I'm a fan of milk teas that have a stronger tea taste than just milk. the pudding was a little bitter, but matcha is p bitter overall, this might be my new fav boba spot in sb! read more
5 years ago
My friend and I had such a lovely experience here! I didn't even know it existed, but apparently it is pretty new. The inside is very spacious and clean and the two employees inside were extremely friendly and professional. I ordered the milk tea boba and my friend ordered the strawberry boba. It was his first time ordering that flavor and he loved it. He also noted that the boba were "perfect and just the right amount of chewiness." I agree and my drink was phenomenal. I really hope they do well and are able to continue to serve our community! read more
3 years ago
I would give this place 3.5 stars if I compare it to other boba places in SoCsl. Obviously there's better boba places in SoCal but for Goleta I guess this is the best you will get so therefore I give it 4 stars for the area.) The bobas are bit smaller than the boba you typically get but not as small as sago. We ordered the lychee black tea with boba, boba milk tea and the peach tea with boba. I think the best one was the lychee black tea 70% sugar. It was good flavor with a whole lychee in it. The boba milk tea with 100% sugar was decent. The guava tea with boba with 70% sugar was average. The peach tea with boba also came with peach bits and orange and apple slices. I ordered it 50% sugar because the cashier told me it was very sweet. But I felt 50% wasn't sweet enough and it tasted a bit watered down , not much flavor. My son ordered the same thing with 70% sugar and it was just "meh." I would have liked to try their brown sugar boba because that's one of my "go to's" but for some reason they only serve it after 4pm. That's odd to me. Maybe one day I'll try that if we're in the area after 4pm. read more
We are always a few years behind LA, but I am happy there is finally a tea place that is almost on par with the ones you find in LA. I don't care what flavors you get, the focus should always be the tea and not the syrup. Hochaya is very precise in measuring their tea and adjusting the level of sweetness, so you can always taste the tea. The sesame cream topping was slightly sweetened and you can taste the sesame paste 黑洋沙. The boba was cooked perfectly, chewy, but without the hard centers you get in undercooked boba. I think this is the only place in town that have the mango pomelo sago drink 杨枝甘露, a very common Cantonese dessert, but I have not seen it in Santa Barbara until now. The drinks here don't look pretty and colorful because they don't use colorful syrup, but the drinks are healthier and the flavors are great. read more
I'm so glad to have a milk tea spot near me taste similar to the ones that I'd have back in the bay. There's a huge parking lot, which is also a plus. Osmanthus milk tea + boba: 9/10 the tea was delicious with it's floral scent. I was very satisfied with the texture of the boba. They look slightly smaller than regular boba, but it was perfectly soft and chewy. There were also multiple tiny bits of tea leaves in the drink that cockblocked my chews with the boba. Other than that, the flavoring was on point. Sea salt cream foam black tea: 8/10 the drink reminded me so much of happylemon. It was very nostalgic drinking this. I think I'll get this with boba next time because the sipping lid isn't cream friendly haha. Service: 10/10 they were able to answer multiple questions & were welcoming of adjustments (sweetness/ice level) to the drinks. Plus I haven't heard anywhere else play Keshi's songs read more
3 years ago
I love this place so much! The boba here is so good, for just about 5 dollars. Amazing! My fav is the hibiscus tea with the sago boba. Affordable, delicious, friendly, an overall an amazing experience. I highly recommend it. read more
4 years ago
This is easily the best boba place in the Santa Barbara area. I've been a loyal customer since it's opened and I'm always impressed with the taste and the variety of the menu options! The boba is of good texture and made fresh everyday! I've gotten it in store and delivered and both ways don't disappoint! read more
5 years ago
Sea Salt Cheese Foam - 70% sweetness is a good amount sweetness!! 8/10, pricing is a bit high but overall rlly good drink, matcha pudding is very soft and good Passion Fruit GT - 100% sweetness, delicious! 10/10 read more
2 years ago
2 years ago
4 years ago
Came across this place while visiting Santa Barbara and was the only place open at the time so decided to try it out. Firstly we came to get brown sugar milk tea, but they unfortunately ran out of brown sugar. So we ordered their milk teas. It was made really fast but sadly came out super watery. Workers were nice though and interior is nice. read more
4 years ago
I'm soo addicted to this place!lol and the best fresh tasting boba out here in SB/Goleta area! Wish they had another location in SB closer to home I'd be going everyday no joke lol read more
3 years ago
If you want a place with milk teas that tastes like only milk and no milk alternative go there read more
4 years ago
Visited when we road trip to SB from OC, definitely the best boba place to go in SB area. Specially the Mango Pomelo Sago and Hochaya fruit tea, taste like yifang from Taiwan. read more
5 years ago
店里那个红头发的收银员就是一个傻X，态度非常恶劣。本来兴高采烈去买奶茶，结果问她什么问题她用眼睛瞟你一眼，露出一副事不关己的模样，拜托，我是来买奶茶，不是来看你装傻充愣的。从来没有见过这样的服务员，不想工作你就回家洗洗睡吧，干嘛影响我们心情。 关键是东西还给我们做错，做错了以后去跟她讲，一句道歉的话也没有，让我们等了很久，等到其他人的东西都做完了，才帮我们解决问题， The redhead cashier/bubble maker is literally the biggest B**** I've ever seen, her attitude is rude, uncalled for, and unresponsive. She would just stare me down when I asked for what ingredients are in the bubble that I'm getting, no verbal responses just silence and judgements. I've never been there, and being a first time customer that is incredibly mood affecting. She ended up NOT adding the ingredients I've asked me, and when I said she made a mistake, she charged me extra and it took her FOREVER to remake without a single word of apologies. Worst server, would not recommend, if u like the bubble, get a take out, talking to cashiers like this would just ruin your day. read more
I have recently stopped going to Hochaya. First, on a broader level, I feel like their tea has gone downhill like this lychee tea and is inconsistent compared to Kaiju. Second, I have previously pointed out that I have found a metal cleaning scrubber piece in a drink that I have previously chosen to overlook. However, this third and most crucial problem is unforgivable. I went one day with an uneasy throat that I wanted to soothe with a hot honey citrus tea. Since they didn't have honey, the server suggested that I add osmanthus honey instead. Despite historically not liking this type of floral drink, I ordered it per the servers' recommendation that "it's good." A few moments later, I overhear the drink maker in Chinese laughing and confusedly remarking that this is a strange order. Hearing this, I take a repulsive taste in front of them, where I was met with a "you shouldn't order this next time." Having witnessed previous confrontations at Hochaya which I chose to ignore as a previous supporter of Hochaya, I have finally come to the conclusion that I should not support a business that doesn't respect their customers and that you shouldn't either. read more
2 years ago
3 years ago
5 years ago
The best place to get authentic boba milk tea! Moving up to the central coast from OC has seriously deprived me of good boba till this place opened up. My fiancé and I make an effort to stop by for some drinks every time we cross by the SB area. They have options to customize the ice and sweetness level of your drinks so everyone can be happy with their orders. I really like the vibe and location of Hochaya and hope they continue to do well. read more
3 years ago
4 years ago
3 years ago
I've only been here once but the mango pomelo sago was so amazing. I could drink three in a row. Service was quick and easy. read more
5 years ago
This is my favorite Boba Tea house in SB now!!! Very authentic and the service is great. A bit pricey, but delicious!!! My favorites are: Oolong Milk Tea w/tiny boba, served hot or cold, and the Guava Fruit Tea. The guava fruit tea can be had with Yokult and they are both delicious. If you like Mexican Agua fresca's, you'll love the guava fruit teas. It tastes like a guava agua fresca with dulce the guallava. I have the fruit tea with green tea jelly. They are all very sweet so ask for 25 or 30 percent sweet if you don't like your yea's too sweet. I tried the Oolong Jelly Milk tea, didn't care for it, tasted like milk mostly. Also tried the mango yogurt tea, also not too good. Will continue to explore their menu as there is a lot to choose from! read more
4 years ago
Came 4 times during my 2 day visit to SB. Such a solid boba place compared to the boba places I live near (in the bay). So so so good. And I didn't talk to much of the staff but the girl with glasses was very sweet and recommended the grass jelly milk tea to me. I also really enjoyed the Mango Pomelo Sago as well. I would give 6 stars tbh read more
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3 years ago
