This used to be my go-to spot when I was still living in the area, and having tried it again after…read morea year, that first sip reminded me again of why it was my favorite!! It's so delicious that I could not stop drinking it. My order is usually the osmanthus latte with pudding added in, but their oolong is great too. For the introverts, you can just order it at the kiosk- it was a bit more expensive than I remember, with my order coming out to about $10, but it really did hit the spot after being turned off by mediocre bubble tea drinks in other places. There's no real sit-down area so it's mostly a grab-n-go situation.

While there might be a lot of boba/bubble tea/tapioca in the general LIC area, this is basically…read morethe bubble tea shop near the waterfront. There are some other restaurants nearby that will have boba on the menu but I consider that separate from a bubble tea shop whose main or only product is the tea. There is some minimal seating (bar stools) but it's largely a to-go place. The ambiance is clean lines, black walls, white tile etc. Patrons leave napkins/straw wrappers, things can be a bit sticky, and it doesn't seem like this is attended to all that quickly. And it's not like it's busy - every time I go in there it's empty of people. There are 2 self service kiosks to order at and thus you're not really greeted or acknowledged when you enter, which is mostly in line with the nyc norm. The tea itself I think is just okay. It is a bit pricey; everything will run you close to $8 before any substitutions or add-ins. They have some fun flavors like the raspberry hojicha. I do think that the standard bubble milk tea that they offer highlights that the tea itself isn't great quality - it's either oversteeped or just not great quality tea being used. Still, it's better than not having boba in the area.

Cute atmosphere for a sit down dessert place. Service was very quick and I enjoyed sharing my…read moreportion of the mango dessert with a friend. There was also a super adorable collaboration going on with merch!

Mango Mille cake was amazing. The texture was almost egg like? In a good way. The mango was sweet…read moreand fresh. The matcha chocolate cake was not it. It was like solid hard white chocolate matcha or something on top of a mid cake. It wasn't even that chocolatey Vibes were interesting. Definitely casual

I like their beef noodle soup, the veggie dumplings slay, but that fried chicken sandwich is my…read morefavorite local sandwich. Plus the service is always solid, which is reflected in the price (something something living wage?!!). Usual fast casual feel to the place.

Vibe: quick eat / take o it Service: standard…read moreReservation: no Items ordered: - beef noodle soup 7/10 does the job but Americanized

Really wanted to go here after I saw a post on Instagram...but was highly disappointed. Not sure if…read morethey were doing renovations or Instagram over glamorized it because it really sucked. The staff was very rude and basically said "what do you want?". Asked her a question about what something on the menu was and instead of answering it, she just said "don't matter. No more". Food: got some dessert thing (Joyful treat bowl) that sounded really good but was a whole big glob of mess and did not taste good. Drink: got a watermelon jasmine tea that was basically filled with watermelon pulp Definitely would not be returning!

Master Panda, thanks for participating in the Yelp Lunar New year Boba Crawl and being the first…read moreand last stop. The jasmine milk tea I sampled in the store first was a bit high in the milk to tea ratio, though I appreciated the chance to try this. The oolong tea flavor (can't recall if it was a citrus or passionfruit flavor) at the end was good--refreshing and light. The bubbles were a little on the sweeter side, with decent chewiness. I purchased a plum Americano first time and it was an innovative take on Asian flavors mixed with coffee. The fusion of traditional tart plum "soup" with coffee worked in an herbally way, kinda like a kombucha coffee. Based on this I think some of the other coffee items with citrus may be good to try here. The following comments are in the spirit of constructive feedback so I hope this will help you guys! I read online that the focus of the store is to provide fresh milk with their teas, specifically regular dairy milk. Though I think this is a stronger selling point probably in Asia, the interesting fact is that a fair number of people are lactose intolerant, (or will become so later in life). And with the trend away from cow's milk to more plant-based milks, I think it's a miss not to offer milk substitutes. The second point to work on is consistency in the menu, I'm not sure why the menu placed by the ordering counter contains a few different items than the menu on the screen on the wall, which is also slightly different from the menu shown in the digital kiosks (I didn't order from the kiosk but took a look at it). Maybe it's because this store is still tweaking the menu, though in this case it would be helpful to explain to customers. Yesterday I came by to redeem a coupon for a free drink, it was a generous offer and thanks for giving me another opportunity to try a drink! Choosing the Jasmine coconut tea with water chestnut bubbles, the flavor combo sounded interesting though didn't mesh that successfully in reality. The water chestnut bubbles provided a pop and little crunch which was unlike anything I've had before, with a light, almost imperceptible sweetness. Overall I felt the staff was kind--thanks for the rose with the drink and the panda takeaway bag during the initial boba crawl!

I had just finished dinner at a nearby restaurant and still had some room for a small drink, so I…read morestopped by this place. It's quite small, and many customers order their drinks to go. Ordering is digital. You place your order and pay at a self serve kiosk. The serving team behind the counter was working diligently to prepare all the drinks. I ordered the Coconut Mango Boom with sago. It was creamy, refreshing, and packed with sweet mango flavor. The tiny sago pearls add a nice chewy texture to the drink. The menu also offers a wide variety of drinks, including matcha, fruit teas such as grapefruit, guava, and even kale, as well as traditional Chinese teas like jasmine and longjing (aka dragon well). I would like to come back by and try some of those if I'm in the area.

HeyTea in Long Island City brings the brand's signature drink lineup to the area, and for fans of…read morethe menu it is a welcome addition. We walked into a cozy space with a comfortable feel that makes it easy to settle in for a bit, and the atmosphere strikes a nice balance between modern and relaxed. The drinks themselves are the main draw and largely deliver. We ordered the Coconut Mango Boom, the standout on the menu, and it came loaded with a generous chunk of actual mango that made the whole thing feel more substantial than your average fruit tea. The Triple Matcha is another strong option for anyone looking for a matcha drink. Toppings were consistently chewy and the flavor balance across most of the lineup leans on the lighter, less sweet side, which works well for us. Where things get complicated is the wait. This location runs long on order times fairly regularly, and during busier stretches or when delivery orders are stacking up, a single drink can take thirty to forty minutes. The staff are generally efficient and straightforward, which suits the format, but the kitchen and barista workflow seems to struggle with volume in a way that other HeyTea locations do not. If you are already a HeyTea regular, the Long Island City location is a convenient option for the area, and the menu quality holds up to what the brand does elsewhere. Just plan accordingly on timing and you will leave happy. We would come back for the Coconut Mango Boom, but we would order ahead and build in a buffer before we need to be anywhere else.

Erye might serve the best boba that's ever bubbled, but I'll never know because the girl who was…read moreboth cashier and drink-slinger had the rudest, nastiest attitude I've encountered in a long time. When I asked her what tea base was used for the Four Season Spring Tea, she looked at me like I'd just skinned a skunk in front of her and said--her voice dripping with more animosity than a prom queen who'd just lost the popular vote--"Ugh, greeeen." We were tired and rain-sodden, and had already ordered/paid via the kiosk, which is the only reason we decided to stay. Thankfully, this shop is also in the industrial purgatory part of LIC, so there's little chance I'll ever be back.

I got a jasmine bubble tea and a grape fruit tea. They are both very bad. Jasmine milk tea tastes…read morelike water and grape fruit tea is way too sweet. Go somewhere else bc the five star reviews are fake here..

I tried their Mango Milk and their Fresh strawberry green tea. I saw that they had some…read moreinteresting toppings like strawberry bubbles and mango bubbles so I was also interested in trying in both of the drinks. I really liked both the drinks and the bubbles. When it comes to bubbles, I prefer the traditional chewy kind, rather than the popping kinds. So I was glad to see that the two flavored bubbles were the chewy kind!

Ordered the large taro w/oat milk. They didn't even bother blending it! Clumpy and gross. 1st and…read morelast time I ever order a $11 drink here.

Was okay but nothing great. It was pretty dimly lit to the point where I felt like I needed…read moreflashlights. I got the kaarage, shoot potatoes, spicy goma miso, ban ban chicken, taku sando, and a yuzu drink. It was okay but I don't think I'd go back. It didn't have anything that I felt set it apart/did better than any other place Kaa rage Chicken a tiny bit on the dry side. Flavor is good Sauce is great flavor with the micro greens and chicken. Wish there was a bit more of it. Shoot potato Potato texture could be done a bit longer seeing how it was called fried on the menu when it's more like tater sized cut potatoes. Could be a bit softer on the inside. But with the mayo, the texture is actually good the way it is. The potato is pretty bland and the mayo makes up a bit for it but not by much. The mayo isnt my favorite type of flavor so it's kinda just okayish With the nori flavor/furikake and the mayo, it ends up almost tasting and feeling like a fish and chips with white fish Taku sando Yuzu ginger ale. The drink is pretty good ginger ale and yuzu flavor works so good together. But as it sits it doesn't taste as good Spicy goma miso tastes very peanut buttery and creamy Banban chicken ramen also tasty very but buttery. But after that first sip, it loses a lot of flavor.

Vibe/ambiance: local ramen spot Service: standard…read moreReservation: walked in Items ordered: spicy goma miso ramen: 7.3/10 a standard bowl of good ramen

Braised beef noodle soup is a must get. Highly recommended it. Noodlecraft is somewhat a hidden gem…read morethat needs to be made aware for everyone!

Popped in here for some lunch and it was really nice! I asked for recommendations and they were…read morevery helpful. The Singaporean laksa had some real nice flavor to it, though I do wish there was a bit more variety of the toppings. The inside is nice and spacious and there's free WiFi if you need to do any work! Will come back and try some of the other dishes.

My sister and I finally gave in to the mysterious allure of Yi Fang while we were traveling to…read moreBrooklyn. After walking past it a million times in Flushing, we decided it was time to try it for the first time. We opted for a large Brown Sugar Pearl Matcha Latte ($7.50). The boba came warm and was definitely on the softer side. Not sure if this is how Yi Fang normally rolls or if I just got lucky with fresh boba straight out of the pot, but hey, it was pretty tasty! The matcha, on the other hand, was a little less exciting. It could've used a good whisking. It wasn't terrible, but it was definitely somewhat powdery. I've had worse, so I won't hold it against them. Overall, if you're in the mood for a warm boba surprise and some solid drinks, Yi Fang is worth a shot. I'll rate this a 4 stars out of 5.

I usually love Yi Fang but this location felt a bit off. It's located close to Bryant Park so is…read moreconvenient to a very touristic part of Manhattan. You order on the kiosks unless you have specific questions or needs. I am dairy free so I asked if they had soy milk, and they do. However, it's not very clear and wish it was an available option on the kiosk ordering screen. My Oolong Milk Tea with Soy Milk and Boba was pretty good. It hit the spot on a very hot summer day and having the option for non-dairy milk is still a win. It's definitely a grab and go shop. No real area to sit. PS: There's a yelp check-in coupon to get a free topping which they did not honor. They seemed to be confused by it even and simply said, "oh, we don't do that."