Sunright done right or Sunright done wrong?
That is the question.
Whether or not Shakespeare would have enjoyed boba if such shops existed back in the 17th century, he might appreciate seeing a shop where the interior pays tribute to him...or at least the first syllable.
I don't know why, but I just wasn't having a good day. After a shopping trip that took me all over town, I needed a pick-me-up before making my way home. Sunright was just a block further away from my last stop, so I figured why not make it my actual last stop? lol
Sunright Tea Studio is located on the southwest corner of South and Norwalk, replacing Nest Tea. I had been to Nest Tea a couple times before, and on my third visit, I was surprised that they had closed for good! I never saw it coming, but on that visit, I noticed Sunright Tea Studio was going to take over that spot.
It took several months even after Sunright opened before I finally made my way back to the exact same location. Surprisingly enough, I still had the Nest Tea stamp card in my wallet, so I went in and asked if it could be put to good use even after the fact. Isabelle was at the front and regretfully told me they don't accept Nest Tea stamp cards even though she also mentioned that Sunright bought Nest Tea, much to the surprise of one of her co-workers. So much for my stamp card then, but Isabelle did mention they do have a rewards program that you can sign up upon payment of your first drink. I just had to enter my phone number and tap "Claim Rewards".
Anyhow, the interior of Sunright doesn't look a whole lot different than Nest Tea, so if you've been to Nest Tea before and miss that shop, walking right into Sunright may remind you of the good times you've had there. What really stood out for me was the "SHAKE 17 TIMES" sign on the left wall. Why 17? Just because Shakespeare lived in that century? Probably not, but whatever the reason, I made sure to shake exactly 17 times before enjoying my drink. What drink did I get?
It took a while to decide because they have quite a lot of choices shown on the TV monitor high above the order counter. The Original Tea caught my eye because it's the only drink that is less than $4. When I asked Isabelle about that, she said it was just the tea itself; it would not have any milk inside. Okay, that sounds like any other cup of tea I could get at any coffee shop, so that's a pass for me.
A couple months ago, I took part in a Yelp Elite Experience (YEE) at a boba shop in Downey where I tried a flight of three milk teas and a green apple lemonade. Amongst the three milk teas I tried, the Thai Milk Tea was the best, and it was one of the next cheapest options on the menu, so I went with that. They had a few other Milk Teas like Ceylon and Oolong, but I didn't know what either was, and I certainly didn't want to be that annoying customer who asks about everything, so I just went with the Thai Milk Tea.
There are options for boba like brown sugar, honey, and agar boba, the last of which I've never heard, but it is a dime less than the first two listed. After I asked Isabelle to describe the boba they offered, that's when I said, "Honey Boba Thai Milk Tea" before I realized I recited my order out of order. Whoops! lol
Isabelle then asked what sweetness and ice level I'd like. I didn't know what options there were, so I dubiously answered "25 percent?? For both??" Yup, it worked! She then asked me for my name, and she initially heard "Jack". Am I really having that bad of a day?? I had to show her my name on my credit card so she could enter it correctly.
After paying, I asked Isabelle how long I'd have to wait. I was speculating 5 minutes because I saw several other customers inside. To my surprise, she said only a minute. I wasn't attentive enough to remember if they were still waiting for their orders or if they had already gotten their orders, but even more to my surprise, it took 30 seconds before she called my name to let me know my Thai Milk Tea was ready!
The Thai Milk Tea wasn't exactly the best, but I wouldn't say it was done wrong as mentioned in the intro of this review. I used to go 50% sweet, but decided to go lower since I'm trying to watch my sugar intake. Unfortunately, maybe that was the reason why the Thai Milk Tea wasn't as good as from the YEE in Downey, so I won't ding them for that. However, what I will ding them for is the inconsistency of the boba. Some were QQ, but others weren't cooked long enough. It wasn't that bothersome for me, but just be aware of this if you are particular about how your boba is cooked.
The milk tea was more like 3 stars instead of 4, but Isabelle provided good enough customer service to bump the rating up to 4. Getting my drink in less than a minute helped as well. So to answer the first question, Sunright was done right, but not totally right. Nevertheless, I'm down to make a return visit sooner rather than later and try a different drink. Welcome to Artesia Sunright Tea Studio! read more