Brown sugar boba was delicious & the self service kiosk made ordering & paying a breeze! read more

Tea So - 1st time trying the brown sugar boba - Desserts Near Me - Castro Valley, California

Tea So is set up in what seems to used to be a house. There was no line when my husband and I arrived and the cashier was pleasant to interact with. We waited quite a while for our egg puff, to the point where we wondered if they forgot about us. There was only 1 person ahead of us ordering French fries so not sure why there was such a long delay before we got our order. We ordered: Taro Mochi - my husband enjoyed this and said it reminded him of desserts he'd eat as a child. I was expecting more of a Japanese mochi, but this was quite different. The taste was mild but a true taro flavor. The mochi itself is quite beautiful! Matcha egg puff - this was really disappointing for me especially considering how long it took to get it.The egg puff came out borderline burned - completely crunchy all the way through. I think it was left in the waffle iron way too long. I didn't even finish 1 puff but my husband was a good sport and ate a few pieces. We got less than halfway through before tossing it. read more

Tea So - Taro Mochi - Desserts Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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So delicious! I got the sea salted cheese jasmine tea and the purple yam coconut milk tea and it honestly blew us away. Ive come here on multiple occasions and it always ceases to amaze us. The egg puff is also very good! Literally recommend anything from this menu:) read more

Tea So - Desserts Near Me - Castro Valley, California

Tea So, I think you're now my go-to place for quality tea, boba milk tea, and egg puffs in the East Bay! It's been a long time, since I've felt this way about any dessert and beverage spot, so consider me impressed. The Organic Jasmine Green Tea with Organic Strauss Milk and Boba was SO refreshingly good. It was strong in flavor, yet not overpowering at all. Boba was fresh, sweet, but not too sweet. Got 0% sugar and would get this all over again every visit. The Peach Tea was fruity, fragrant, and infused with real fruit, so it was still slightly sweet even though I asked for 0% added sugar. I liked this drink, but I probably wouldn't order it as often. But I would order the Original Egg Puffs again and again. They were cooked perfectly--golden, crispy, airy. I've had these before elsewhere, but not like these, which were addictive. Got their beautifully made Purple Yam Mochi for my hubby who ate it pretty quickly, so guessing that meant it was good! read more

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First time at Tea So and what an odd place for a Boba Shop, indeed! It seems to be a former house or something, turned into a business. Seems like they are still renovating the front of the shop. You can either park on the street or in the small parking lot in the back of the place. Be careful when entering the lot, it's a very small entrance! The interior of the place is small and seems limited, but there is some tables for indoor dinning. The drink selection is small and the variety of tea is limited in selection, which you would think would make the tea quality better, but in my opinion, it still needs work. I had the Earl Grey Milk Tea and it was just okay, I felt that the tea flavor wasn't as strong as some of the other places I've had this drink at. It just needed more strong tea and earl grey flavor. I also ordered an Original Hong Kong Style Egg Puff, and boy, let me tell you how delicious it was. It probably has to be one of the best Egg Puff's I've had in a long time. It was really fresh and you can tell the batter was very fresh. As, I dined in here and did some work with some of my friends, I ended up ordering two more while working here. It was just that good. I highly recommend ordering the Egg Puffs here, they super fresh and delicious. I would totally go back and try their other flavors as well! The customer service at this place was awesome, Fiony one of the cashiers and maybe possibly even the owner was super friendly and welcoming to all our questions and concerns. When we asked if the window could be opened, she immediately helped us open it. Plus, they speak Cantonese here, so you can whip that out too, if you speak it, like me! I would highly recommend giving this place a try if you are ever in Castro Valley. :) read more

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One of the best shaved ice around. I got the mango shaved snow with coconut jelly and mango popping boba with condensed milk. Also got the passion fruit tea with boba. The boba drink was good but the shaved ice is my favorite. There is really cute patio outside with seating in front and back. You are able to order using the kiosk or someone behind the counter. I Would recommend!!! read more

Tea So - Mango shaved Mango Snow Ice (PLEASE PICK 2 TOPPINGS) - Desserts Near Me - Castro Valley, California

As an egg puff lover, whenever I hear about a place that serves good egg puffs, I would go and try immediately since I have been looking for THE one - and I have found it! The egg puffs here is definitely the most authentic to HK style when compared to other place in the east bay. After the first bite, I fell in love! The egg puffs smell so good - it's crispy on the outside and soft in the inside. This will be my go to place whenever I am craving for egg puffs! Haven't tried other items on the menu but I will try it out when I come next time. read more

A good spot to hangout and chat with friends over boba and sweets. They only have outdoor sitting as of February 2022. I tried the taro mochi, egg puff with purple yam and egg puff with mango ice cream. The taro mochi is made fresh. It doesn't have a very strong taro flavor but the pastry is flaky and the mochi is soft. A bit pricey for the size though. The purple yam egg puff was a bit soggy and soft but the regular egg puff was made perfectly crispy. The egg puff itself has the signature half hallow interior which not a lot of places that make egg puff could do. The texture is on point but it lacks the eggy flavor. They are very generous with the ice cream portion but I am not a big fan of the artificial mango flavor. I love the presentation of it but I wish they will have more ice cream flavor though to go with the egg puff. read more

Tea So - Egg puff with mango ice cream - Desserts Near Me - Castro Valley, California

This is an awesome location for a tasty summer treat. Took the kids and they loved the shaved ice along with the games they offer inside. read more

Tea So - Outside - Desserts Near Me - Castro Valley, California

Saw the 4.5 star rating and came from a hike in lake chabot. This place is ok. Saw some reviews ordered sea salted cream organic jasmine tea. Honestly very bland tea as if the leaves didn't sit long enough. We even asked for some sweetener on the side so we can taste something. We asked the worker about it he stated that their stuff is less sweet than most places but just gave us a small cup of sweetener Popcorn chicken and fries are nothing to rave about quite lacking so we added the spices they had on the side read more

Tea So - Extra sweetener - Desserts Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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Quaint and cute little milk tea and snack spot that opened up just a couple months ago, this place holds a nice afternoon tea charm. The decor is very welcoming and would be a delight to sit in, drink some milk tea, snack on a taro pastry, and chit chat with your significant other or a few friends for an hour. Maybe after the pandemic and when it is safe to fully dine indoors will we get to have this experience, but for now we can still do that in their outdoor patio (they have a small parking lot and four round tables with umbrella shading that can sit 3-4 each...social distancing might be a bit on edge, as the patio is small). For drinks, there's a wide variety of teas and lattes (from lavender lattes to classic milk tea to hand crafted brown sugar oolong milk tea). You can option to put in a variety of toppings as well (popping bobas, grass jelly, red bean, etc). So far seems only to be one size at a $5-6 range. Taste is on the sweeter side if you don't change the sweetness, so I recommend doing less sugar to get more of the tea taste. I like the brown sugar drinks, as you can really taste the brown sugar's rich flavor. As for food, they have savory (popcorn chicken, chicken wings) to sweet (eggettes, pastry puffs with different fillings, etc). Price for food ranges $4-6, and are mainly light and small quantity, so it is fitting for a light afternoon tea time snack. If you are looking for a nice spot to hang out, snack, and enjoy some milk tea outside of the chain milk tea places such as U-Cha or iTea (don't get me wrong they are great too), I recommend giving this place a try! read more

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Tea So took over Cloud 9, I am not sure if it the same business that has been rebranded because it has a similar vibe. Their parking situation is kind of awkward. There are a few spots in the front which I do not recommend parking at - it is hard to back out of with oncoming traffic, they have a parking lot in the back, it was hard to tell they have one - I did not know about it when I came here when it was Cloud 9. I tried their jasmine milk tea with boba. I thought it was okay, it was creamy while a bit bitter as well. The drink was not as sweet as I would liked it, but it was decent. read more

Tea So just opened in Castro Valley. It's a very cozy boba shop. Their menu is simple. To tell if the boba shop is good I would always order Jasmine milk tea for testing. (and it's my go to drink when I just want milk tea) I ordered their Jasmine Milk tea with no ice and 25% sugar, Egg puff, French Fries, Chicken Wings and Chicken Nuggets. Egg Puff was on point! I have to say, its been hard to find good Egg Puff around the bay. Their egg puff is not soft, it has a perfect crisp. I finished that in minutes. They use Organic tea leaves for the Jasmine Milk Tea. I m all for that! Today they have a special for buy 1 get 1 original tea, their original tea is good too. Chicken Nuggets is very juicy inside. I love Nuggets and they are really good at Tea So. No sauce needed. Fries and chicken wings were cooked perfectly. I also got their Pastry Puff. Today flavors was Taro, Purple Yam and Sesame. They tasted very fresh and not too sweet! Looking forward to try other flavors too! I wish I live closer but if I m in the area again, I will need to visit again! read more

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I very rarely give 5 star reviews for boba. But Tea So makes such a fresh, delicious strawberry matcha that they definitely deserve it! The matcha is of exceptionally high quality. Not bitter at all and very smooth. Things to note: * you can order on T-Pass * parking is very weird in front of the shop. Might have to park in the nearby shopping plaza or on the street. * it does take a little time to get the drinks just right. We'll definitely be back! read more

Tea So - Grade A Matcha Strawberry Latte - Desserts Near Me - Castro Valley, California

This place is a gem and I respect the heck out of these workers. Have respect for the service workers working hard to make your desserts. When I visited you could tell they are obviously understaffed (only 2 workers), have tons of online orders coming in, rowdy teenagers, crying babies, and impatient people. And yet they still managed to deliver a solid Mango Sago and Fresh Taro Latte. Hit my craving so well and didn't even change the sweetness levels. We ordered a purple yam egg puff and upon the manager giving it to me he told me he wasn't satisfied with the quality and said he would make another one for me. I tried to tell him to stop and it was okay but he insisted. This is on top of all of the chaos that is currently happening in the store as well. read more

As I am writing this review, I am also eating it.... Not only did I received the best customer service at Tea So, but I think I made a new friend. John showed me the ropes when it came to AUTHENTIC, HAND MADE DELICIOUSNESS. I have seen "hand made" signs before, but John and his wife have truly lived up to the meaning of "HANDMADE". His egg puffs are delicious and full of flavor! I tried his DURIAN pastry: at first I was a thrown off, but once the flavor settled I was won over! The PURPLE YAM, OMG is all I have to say. TARO TARO TARO pastry was amazing!!! John, thank you so much for bringing original flavor to this small town. I am super sad I wasn't able to try the Chestnut but I will get their earlier in order to try it! I haven't even started on the BOBA TEA! One of my favorite teas is the OOLONG TEA, but most places either burn it or steep it too long. John, I think, has mastered the perfect balance of flavor and sweetness. John specifically told me : :NO FRUCTOSE: : and for that I am highly grateful. The flavor of the BOBA TEA was perfect. This is the only place that I will get my BOBA TEAS and PASTRIES from now on. And the place is super cute! Take a look! read more

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I stopped by this place right before school as I was really craving some Thai tea! It's a little shop so it's really easy to miss, but there is street parking right at the storefront. I was greeted and ordered my drink. It didn't take too long to make. I also noticed they have a few baked goods, but they were a little pricy. However, I might go back and pick up a durian flavored goodie since my boyfriend loves durian. The drink itself was good. I ordered it with 25% sweet, but it did taste a little watered down (the tea flavor itself wasn't that strong). The boba was also average. I'll probably come back again to try a different drink without making any modifications to see if it tastes any better. read more

Tea So - Price of one drink + boba - Desserts Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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Was in the area and had to try a boba spot. Cute little shop with even cuter decor. My go to drink is usually anything fruity or passion fruit so I got the Passion Tea with lychee jelly. Just the right amount of sweetness and not watered down. Also had to try the Brown Sugar Tea with boba. Also a winner! Got my daughters the Strawberry Smoothie and they loved it as usual. I tried the Taro Mochi but have to be honest that it was expensive and not that great. Didn't really have much flavor but it looked beautiful. Average price about $5-$6. Worker was friendly. There's seating in the front and back which is nice. read more

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Open during pandemic. Parking lot available. Came on a Monday to try their pastries. Ordered taro mochi and durian mochi. ~$8 Very fresh and soft layered pastry with small piece of rice mochi center. Taste real, not synthetic. Hope they can expand their menu. read more

Tea So - Taro mochi and durian mochi - Desserts Near Me - Castro Valley, California

Drove by looking to park (entrance is small and I have a big car). What looked to be a eager and excited man, wearing a mask, was standing at the window. We turned back to park and were welcomed in by the owner. He shared that everything he sells is house made- including the boba and uses his grandmother's recipes for the pastries... my kind of place! Unlike many other local boba tea shops- here they have soy milk as an option. I ordered oolong tea and egg puffs - highly recommend both! We tried a variety of pastries which are fresh, flavorful, colorful and have many textures. Next time I'll order a latte and sit on the patio! I like that it's behind the store and not in front read more

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Hidden gem that worth cheating on your usual boba shop What you must try? Hands down the handmade mochi pastries are truly exceptional. From the first bite you'll get a flaky soft and chewy texture that explodes with flavor. Taro, chocolate, matcha and pineapple are the current flavors What about the tea? The tea is quality driven, using fresh ingredients and not just a marketing ploy. They really do take the time to put the secret ingredient of care in every drink I've purchased. Definitely vote with your dollar on this one and help expand this business across the bay. Absolutely delicious and a must try read more

Tea So - Desserts Near Me - Castro Valley, California

I tried the matcha strawberry and jasmine tea crema. Both were so good! Matcha strawberry - strong matcha flavor, real milk and strawberry! Jasmine tea crema - the tea flavor is smooth and strong. The crema is very well made, not too sweet, and blends really well with the tea. Very high quality. Can't wait to come back and try the other drinks! read more

Tea So - Jasmine tea with crema, matcha strawberry - Desserts Near Me - Castro Valley, California

All this food is absolutely fantastic for being a small town shop. It will absolutely blow your mind the inside is astonishingly beautiful and the food is very I appealing especially the drinks and the egg puffs. We were 1000% satisfied with all of our items. The customer service is fantastic as well they are willing to work with you at any moment of change. Overall it is one of the best Boba shops I've ever been to! read more

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My friends and I bike here a lot, and for a good reason! The popcorn chicken is amazing, and they've got wonderful drink customization as well. One thing I recently found out was their seating in the back, which is so cute! Very quick service and wonderful staff. They did not get annoyed by us rowdy teenagers! read more

came here after bowling to get some shaved ice for the family. got in nobody inside. ordered via kiosk and we got our matcha and strawberry shaved ice quickly. portions were nice and topping tasted very fresh. there is street parking in the front or they have parking in the back as well. they also sell milk teas and egg puffs as well. We been coming here for about 5 years now and will continue to support them read more

Glad this place is under new ownership. Their milk tea is completely different than the pervious place. It is a lot better and you can adjust the sweetest and ice level. Their handmade Mochi is a must have item. Especially the Purple Yam flavor is amazing . When you have one, you will get addicted to it. I also ordered the egg puffs and it was crispy, light and fluffy. Customer service was excellent. The cashier greeted you with warm smiles. This is my third time coming here and I learned that you can call ahead to order. It saves me a lot of time, Must try! read more

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I hate giving low ratings, but this place is real expensive for the low quality you're paying for. Paid $20 for 3 drinks, all 3 drinks were watery(0% ice for all 3), had barely any tea flavor, and the boba tasted pretty old(inside hard, outside disintegrating). Matcha quality is either bad, or they don't know how to make matcha drinks. Or both. Powder separated not too long after purchasing. I'm lazy enough to buy a matcha drink, but paying almost $7 for this..? Sorry to say but I could dump matcha powder and milk into my blender bottle and it'd be significantly better, and cheaper. If y'all looking for a local business to support, as of right now... this ain't it. read more

Tea So - Matcha latte - Desserts Near Me - Castro Valley, California

Such a cute local boba spot! The ambiance inside is so cute but we opted to sit outside, since it was nice enough and also, you know, pandemic lol. I'm a fan of strawberry matchas and I feel like I could tell the strawberries were really fresh. They delivered it to me while I sat outside with my friend and service was fast! Parking is a bit tight in the back but just being able to find free and easy parking is a plus. I'll have to come back to try pastries! read more

Came here after work for a drink to refresh - the building is a single unit with parking at the back. I was recommended the purple yam peach gum and coconut milk tea by the owner who is very friendly and helpful. The tea itself is mellow in flavor with the peach gum adding an interesting texture to chew on. The drink itself isn't too sweet, which i appreciate. Overall, the drink I would give a 4.5 and the interior + service a 5.0. Worth a visit if you're in Castro Valley and am looking for a selection of milk teas to consider and try out read more

Tea So - Very unflattering picture - Desserts Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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Heard about this new place from a friend and decided to give it a try. They are having buy one get one free regular milk tea promotion now. Had the organic jasmine milk tea with boba and lychee jelly. Tea taste is strong, unlike other boba place where lack of taste. Also tried their egg puffs recommended in other reviews. 5 stars for the egg puffs. Don't forget to pick up their puff pastries. They serve different filling every day. You can inquire about other fillings. My favorite is purple yam and sesame. read more

We stopped by this cute little tea shop after lunch with some friends! Love their drinks and interior decor! A must visit when you are in Castro Valley! read more

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Wow. This was my first time here today because I told myself to go try someplace new. This is a Durian Lover's Must Try. I ordered a passionfruit boba tea and tried one of their made fresh daily durian pastries to go. All flavors were well presented and in small quantities... made fresh daily until sold out! There were also Chestnut and Purple Yam Mochi, Salted Egg Yolk Mochi and another inventive flavor. My tea was blended just right with the right amount of sweetness and the variety of added fresh fruit slices were a nice touch. When I got to the car I took a bite of my durian pastry and it was so amazing that I immediately knew I would be walking right back to Tea So and ordering a few to take home... durian can be a tricky fruit to work with and I feel that an excellent durian dessert is not easy to find... Tea So definitely has a winner here.... generous, creamy bites of amazing fresh durian and a not too sweet pastry dough. I loved it so much. I ordered two more Durian plus a Chestnut Mochi to take home, can't wait to try the other flavors. Definitely will be returning here again, what a wonderful hidden gem. I hope they take pre orders for small get togethers because I'd love to bring these for friends to try. read more

The egg puff was excellent. Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Really great to taste! The tea was also very strong and high quality. Such a great combo to enjoy as an afternoon snack. Spacious store front to ensure social distancing, and great customer service! read more

New boba tea place when i pass by castro valley downtown. Love they have outdoor sitting for us to hangout during this pandemic. Their Egg Puff is so good! Especially the red bean Egg puff! Also their seasalt creama is just the best! And surprisingly they have freshly made pastries called "SO" taro mochi is a must try! read more

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My favorites Hand Crafted Premium Oolong milk tea with boba, lychee jelly or crystal boba. Purple yam peach gum milk is absolutely delicious. Mango sago is good too. Super friendly staff. Cute place. read more

Their mochi pastry bites are amazingly good. Most of the flavors that I have tried were taro, ube, red bean with matcha & durian all very flavorful and yummy if you're craving for something sweet but not too sweet. However, even though their snacks are the only main reason why I would come back for more but their customer service and drinks are a downfall to their shop. Customer service: I came in to do a pick up for an order of mochis that I ended up buying 34 of them or so and the shop workers gave me a sassy attitude as if buying so many from them means nothing. Drink wise: super watery taste. The tapioca is hard and isn't chewy at all. Taste very artificial but they calm it's "organic"? I don't know tapiocas can be "organic" if the ingredients that make it is basically all sugar? They also calm their tea within the drink is organic....it's not even strong. Overall, I only think their mochi is worth a purchase but if you were to ask me about my experience so far with this shop, it's a so-so read more

I need to give this another go. I had their jasmine tea with boba and while the tea was perfect the boba wasn't chewy and actually disintegrated when I tried to eat it. Ended up pouring my drink out. Will give the another go to see if I just got a bad batch. read more

Brown sugar premium oolong milk tea, durian mochi puff, match mochi puff. Drink and puffs were just ok. Overpriced puffs though.

I drove by this place and stopped because I saw chicken wings and nuggets. I like boba, but what I always crave is something savory to go along with it, so this place was calling my name! The wings were sold out, so I got the nuggets. I wolfed those piping hot juicy bois down in less than five minutes, and enjoyed it with a side of their brown sugar milk tea. The tea was so flavourful! The inside was very cozy and peaceful with cute decor. It's a great place to hide out for some peaceful snacking. Also, the owner's adorable little girl was there so I complimented her on her shoes, and she shared to me about her shoe collection. Delicious nuggets, milk tea, and chit chatting about shoes in a cute little cafe? Consider me a regular read more

This place is so cute. I love that angel wings on the wall, definitely Instagram worthy :) those marble desserts are so tastyyyyyy! I got the brown sugar jasmine. It wasn't too sweet which I liked, and the tea flavor was not too strong which I liked as well bc it didn't overpower anything. I definitely want to come back for those other desserts and their drinks. Definitely suggest this cute boba place to everyone ! read more

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