Hey Yelp fam! This is a good yet sad review--but not for the…read morereason you're probably thinking. While in Durham (as I shared in a previous post), we stopped by a food hall after an event, and inside we found Milk Lab. I'm usually not big on trying different teas or specialty drinks, but on this particular day my sister recommended it--and I figured, what the heck, let's give it a try. I honestly don't even remember exactly what we ordered or whether it had milk in it, but what I do remember is that it was so good. The barista was amazing--super knowledgeable, explained the drink list, and even helped us decide when we couldn't choose between two options. The drink we got was one of their recommendations, and it did not disappoint. IT WAS SO GOOD! Now here's the sad part As I was walking to the table to sit down, the drink somehow tipped over and spilled. Y'all... I don't even know what happened, but I was HEARTBROKEN. I didn't get to finish it, but from the few sips I did get, I would absolutely order it again. I'm just glad I at least managed to get a picture before the tragedy.

Drinks here are really good and refreshing but their boba lacked in flavor I wish it had more of a…read morehoney taste to them. The service here was okay, it took them a while to make our drinks even though there was 4-5 people behind the counter.

Very cutie spot! Love the ambiance when we came in, the seating is very unique, cute, and…read morecomfortable. If you're looking for your knees to pop a little when you sit down, this is the place for you haha. Go support your local small businesses! I got the ube ice milk at 50% sugar and it was delish! There's only one size and it's pretty big. I definitely recommend mixing it super well with the coated ube on the sides of the cup, otherwise you're just gonna taste the milk. I loved it though cause it felt like I was getting different layers of the drink based on how much ube I had mixed in- very high quality milk and drink. I would totally recommend! My roommate got their strawberry matcha, and we watched them make their matcha and 100% authentic, it's not just some concentrate, we watched them mix the matcha with the designated whisk- super high quality and she loved it too. I had a sip and their boba quality is also 10/10, super super chewy and nice! The guy behind the counter was also really kind- very quick service, patient with you as you look at their wonderful menu. You can also ask to sample some of their toppings to make a well-informed decision for yourself. They also have little gifts you can buy in the form of tea, popping boba, or even cute boba/drink carriers. Also, they have a cute interactive wall where you can write a note or draw some pictures. Would be back again! Personally think it would be fun if there were also board games around too!

| Overview + Brown…read moreSugar Ice Milk is deliciously creamy + Boba texture is perfect + Decent milk tea size in a cute cup with "ears" + Good selection of fruit teas, smoothies & iced coffee drinks + Cool ambiance + Fast customer service - Boba cost extra for Brown Sugar Ice Milk - Taro milk tea here is made of powder / other ingredients look artificial - Various toppings in the open - are they clean? - Menu is purely drinks; no desserts or snacks | Full Review Located in a corner of the Hope Valley Commons shopping area, Bapu Teahouse Durham looks inviting from the outside with its cool boba milk tea structure by the cafe's front door, showing Bapu's simple logo outside. Bapu's ambiance inside looks artsy, with cute aesthetics and cool atmosphere. What stood out to me was the assortment of toppings displayed. The good thing: they look pretty colorful and fresh; the not-so-good thing: they're uncovered, so I'm not sure if they're clean. Nonetheless, it's convenient to see the different topping options you can add to your milk tea. I noticed Bapu uses the artificial purple taro powder for its milk tea instead of taro paste, so I eliminated that choice from my milk tea selection process. There was only one young employee who took orders and also made the milk teas when I went, but his customer service was good as he made fine recommendations and served my order fast. Unlike Boba Baba's eye-aching menu screens, Bapu Teahouse's menu overhead looks clear with photos, highlighting its special drinks. There are no kiosks here, so you'd have to order face-to-face. As the server recommended, I ordered the Brown Sugar Ice Milk (75% sweetness, light ice). It doesn't look as Instagram-worthy as Tiger Sugar's brown sugar milk teas, but it looks yummy enough, with brown sugar syrup clearly visible in Bapu's cute & translucent cup with ears. Bapu only serves 1 size for its drinks. When I ordered this, the server asked if I wanted boba. Most decent milk tea cafes I go to automatically already have the basic tapioca pearls or boba by default in their brown sugar milk tea drinks but Bapu charges extra for that. Brown Sugar Ice Milk is listed as $6. With the boba topping, I ended up paying a total of $7.76, which is slightly higher than average price of brown sugar boba milk teas in cafes I've been to. Compare that to Feng Cha in Morrisville, which offers Dirty Boba (brown sugar milk tea for only $6.25 with the boba already included, so Bapu's pricing here sounds like a joke. To be fair, the size of the cup is large enough, with its cute top that reminds me of Doraemon or Hello Kitty. The material of it doesn't look cheap and it feels fun to hold. The sweetness of the brown sugar flavor was just right. It might have been too sweet if it was set to 100% sweetness level, and it's still probably slightly sweet at 50% but my usual preference of 75% for any brown sugar milk tea was perfect here. The milk was deliciously-creamy with the fresh & chewy boba - perfect texture. Server did a good job blending with just the right amount of ice, good amount of brown sugar syrup & boba. It's not on the same level as Boba Baba's Brown Sugar Boba or Tiger Sugar's brown sugar drinks but it's better than many mediocre brown sugar milk teas I've tried in other cafes. Bapu Teahouse's menu is purely drinks, with a nice variety of milk teas, fruit teas, smoothies & iced coffee. Sadly, there are no snack or non-drink dessert options here that you can pair with your milk tea. It's not a big deal if you're only craving for a drink, and it looks like Bapu has a good selection of toppings to customize your order. Just prepare to pay extra for those. | Overall Score: 3.4/5 | Recommended Alternative: Sharetea in Morrisville

Amazing as always! Customer service is great and the employee even offered to remake my Nutella…read moretaiyaki if it was too dark for my liking - which it wasn't. Their rolled ice cream combinations are tasty but the made to order taiyaki truly takes the cake. Nice and crispy on the outside that gives away to warm and gooey Nutella. It is smoking hot immediately but hard to wait, hence the vanilla ice cream! The space was nice and bright, clean, and welcoming. They have redone their seating to include a couch which is very comfortable and can comfortably seat different parties with space in between. Always a treat and can't wait to be back.

Relaxing visit with my aunts coffee, mango rolled ice cream and Kashmiri pink chai with pistachios…read more Soft soothing music and bright clean store. Some pastries available but we came for ice cream

Wonderful place for dinner with a extensive menu. From the ramen, appetizers, sushi, and hibachi it…read morewas a difficult decision. We loved the Mojito Rainbow was absolutely delicious. We had the pan fried gyoza and pork buns that were perfect to start the meal Our server, Peyton, answered our questions and provided several recommendations. Great service! They have a full bar and the decor is nice. Terrific place and we will be back.

My buddy and I finally made it to Kinya Ramen in Durham ( @kinyadurham )for lunch and I'm so glad…read morewe did. i can't wait to host a party in their massive karaoke room which can fit 50 of your favorite people. (they also have a smaller karaoke room that can fit 20 guests) A few of our favorite dishes included: Soy garlic wings which were crispy, saucy, and finger-licking good. The signature Kinya ramen; rich, decadent, and simply unforgettable!(my buddy enjoyed the tonkatsu ramen with chicken) The sukiyaki with beef; that sweet, savory broth is still living rent free in my mind Shoutout to the soup dumplings; even though i didn't get one, I lived vigorously through my friend's satisfying reactions And to finish, the taiyaki (a fried, fish-shaped pastry filled with creamy sweet red bean paste) served with matcha ice cream, plus brown sugar milk tea with boba. Definitely a go-to spot for good food, good friends, and a fun experience. - Special thanks to our amazing waitress, Claire, and the fantastic staff at Kinya!!

You know you're in a solid Taiwanese spot when the speakers are blasting a piano cover of 童话 when…read moreyou walk in. The decor and the smells are all reminiscent of my youth - kind of like that scene in Ratatouille where Ego takes his first bite and gets flashbacks. The thing is though, while everything is passably good, almost every dish or drink has something that is just off enough to miss the mark. For example, the braised pork bowl has lettuce and not cabbage and was quite oily. The popcorn chicken had no basil, and the boba was just lacking in depth. Overall, it's a spot I would really love to love - but it's just not offering quite enough to be on my list of go-to spots. That being said, the service is very kind - a friend had an issue with her drink and it was promptly replaced without question.

Will be coming back often. Great price with good tea and good chicken. Nice cleaning seating area…read moreand public bathroom. Quick service too

I know you close at 9 PM, but to lie to a customer who walks in five minutes before closing is…read morestill not OK! I was told ALL of the yogurt machines were EMPTY as ALL yogurt was sold out. Oh yeah? Then why was your open sign in the window still on, why were you just in the process of packing away the toppings? And, why were the doors still unlocked? You don't sell anything else so there is no reason for anyone to come into the store unless they were getting frozen yogurt. I had to listen to the lame excuse that the doors can only be locked from the outside so you could not have locked them. Seriously? I feel sorry for people working there as that is no doubt a security risk. I probably wouldn't be happy if you had told me five minutes before closing that you had already shut everything off, but I would have been more understanding than being lied to. That's not OK. Good thing, there's a brand new ice cream/yogurt place, just a few miles down the road, locally owned and operated, not a chain and open until 10 PM!

The establishment was amazing! I've gone here 3 times and it hasn't disappointed me once! The fruit…read moreboba is very delicious. I usually don't like tapioca pearls so its great that they have the popper pearls! But even the tapioca pearls here taste better than other places. The guy who i've seen work there is very nice and gives great service by being patient with me, hes very nice. I love the surrounding of the business its very cosy and the drawings around the cashier area are beautiful and make me happy to be there. Im a bit sad that they have 4 stars because i think they deserve more from what i've experienced. I definitely recommend this establishment :)

Gossip Tea Lounge is relatively new in Durham, and tucked away off of McFarland Drive. Had I not…read moreseen an advertisement for this place on social media, I would have never known its existence. A friend of mine and I were in the area and decided to check it out. We both ordered a bubble tea. I ordered a Banh mi, while she ordered what looked like dumplings and a green looking dessert. I had really high hopes for the Banh mi, but what didn't sit right with me was that there was red onion in the Banh mi. I wish I knew this beforehand, otherwise I would have opted out. I do always wonder what the Banh mi would have tasted like without.. since the onion did greatly overpower the Banh mi. Despite that, the Tea Lounge was a nice place to hang out and even play some games. There is a wall of activities to partake in, which makes it inviting for people to want to chill and stay a while. While we were there, there were several people treating it like a coffee shop, with their laptops in full work-from-cafe mode. I like that a lot, because that means the wait staff aren't trying to push you out, instead, it's a place to truly enjoy the company of others, or yourself. Stop by and try everything here, but.... beware of the red onion!

"Vietnamese food and bubble tea next door to Duck Donuts!"…read more Came here for lunch on a Sunday-- super cute, bright little place with bubble tea, lunch foods, and LOTS of desserts. You can order either on the tablet by the door or by talking with the hostess. There's not a ton of seating, but there's some, including a few outside tables. I just got the Savory Golden Chicken bahn mi with kimchi added. My other dining partners got the bao buns and some bubble tea. Hostess seemed really friendly and was quick to help with any issues/ questions. Food came out in maybe 8 minutes. All of it was DELICIOUS. I loved the flavor of the chicken, and the bahn mi overall was outstanding. Heaping with meat and toppings, too-- it was a good quantity of food for a good price (under $15 for my dish). My dining partners loved their dishes too. Eager to come back and try more.

I always get the Liquid sunshine (sweat tea) and it is AMAZING. Best sweet tea ever. I grew up…read moredrinking sweet tea and this one is not too sweet with fresh mint and just delicious. I also have gotten there pastries which are great. I also got the chicken sausage hot dog with kimchi and it was BOMB. Great service and really sweet owner. Love this location and I hope the Sweet Tea Cafe stays forever!

Got the "ROMANZ TEA™ Signature Artisan Craft original sun brew flavored Sweet Tea/Lemonade…read moreLiquid Sunshine" is absolutely amazing, refreshing and minty with a slight sweetness that doesn't over power. The service was polite and informative, willing to talk with you about the options available and how they pair. Road side, laid back, in and out if need be but also far enough off road allowing you to enjoy the nature around you while you enjoy your purchase. And the almond danish .

Loved this place for the layout, clean, and variety of flavors…read more Bathrooms not particularly clean but had a foot rest for kids which was nice.

The yogurt is great, but the prices are exorbitant! I came here by myself today and got a 16-ounce…read morecup of yogurt, which I thought was a reasonable amount. I topped it with a few strawberries and a little bit of kiwi. My cup cost almost $13! When I asked about the price, guy behind the counter kindly pointed to the price, and apparently, it's $.89 an ounce. I like the yogurt, and the shop is clean, but I don't like the prices, and I don't think I'll be back. It's just too expensive!

Screaming 10/10 for me! This is hands down one of the best spots for DIMSUM!…read more When you walk in the restaurant the staff is very friendly and welcoming. It's nice and cozy feel to the restaurant! The food was so fresh and delicious. Everything we order was up to par delicious and so filling Run now do not walk. Thank you for the hospitality and delicious food!

Our go-to dim sum spot near Chapel Hill!…read more This is a wonderful family-run restaurant that blends modern simplicity with traditional charm. The staff are incredibly friendly and hardworking, and the atmosphere feels both welcoming and authentic. All items are affordable and with reasonable prices! It's the only legit dim sum place near Chapel Hill/Carrboro, about a 25-minute drive for us--and we gladly make the trip almost every week. We simply can't get enough of their food! Warning: Everything on their menu is dangerously addictive. You've been warned! Our Favorites 2. Pork Dumpling (Siu Mai / Siomai) -- Steamed pork in a wonton wrapper, perfectly juicy with just the right balance of pork and vegetables in every bite. A delicious classic done right. 6. Beef Onion Dumpling in Chili Sauce -- One of the best dumplings we've had--and we've been to dim sum spots all over the world! The beef is flavorful and juicy, wrapped in a thin, perfectly chewy skin. The chili sauce complements the filling beautifully without overpowering it. Generous portion, amazing value, flawless execution. 9. Steamed BBQ Pork Bun -- Soft, fluffy buns filled with mildly sweet BBQ pork. Comforting, classic, and delicious every time. 11. Egg Yolk Bun -- Lightly sweet custard filling inside soft steamed buns. The perfect bite of dessert to end your dim sum feast. 16. Bean Skin Stuffed with Pork -- Juicy, lightly seasoned pork wrapped in delicate bean skin. Flavorful but not overpowering--simple and satisfying. 27. Crispy Shrimp Ball -- Juicy and lightly seasoned shrimp goodness inside a crispy ball. They disappeared into the void of my stomach as soon as they touched our table. 28. Crispy Taro Puff with Chicken -- Think of these as bite-sized empanadas with savory, well-seasoned chicken inside--like the best mini chicken pot pies! Crispy, flavorful, and completely addictive. I could easily eat 30 of these! 41. Crispy Beef Onion Pot Sticker -- Pan-fried to golden perfection for that satisfying crunch. The beef and chives inside are juicy and flavorful, and the portions are generous. I dream about these dumplings when I'm asleep. Absolute perfection. Take all my money! The Finishing Touch Dim sum is meant to be enjoyed with tea, and they offer a simple traditional brew that pairs beautifully with every dish. If there's one downside--it's that they're only open Friday through Sunday. We wish they were open all week! Everything on their menu is so good! Best Dimsum and service in Durham!