Final Thoughts: 2.00/5.00
After dinner, my friend and I went to get boba at the shop a few doors down. Perhaps we should have chosen somewhere else. My friend said that his coworkers will go here sometimes and they seem to like it. To each their own. I have personally had better, but I'll try anything once. Overall, will be a 2 star for me today.
Drinks:
Matcha Latte: 1.5/5
Very interesting how this place has fairly high marks and reviews. Maybe because their other drinks are better? I chose this drink today because I've very much gotten into matcha. This drink was not for me though. First look gave me that sense too. Lovely layering, but it was when it was mixed did I really see it. My one note is the amount of milk that is added to this drink. When it comes to matcha drinks, I find that less is more with the base. This drink just had so much milk and ice at the bottom and it completely dilutes the matcha. Had this matcha been in a little less milk, it may have been better. This also dulls out the color of it and makes the drink itself unappealing when it's mixed. This drink is super grainy at the bottom and I tried to mix it more, but that really didn't help. Sweetness was alright. Again, flavor of it was just the milk, so I can't say too much of the matcha since it drowned out.
Grapefruit Green Tea with Crushed Ice: 3.0/5
This was my friend's drink and I tried it for my review purposes. This was the better option of the two. The grapefruit and tea drink itself was very refreshing. Sweetness was good. Something about the crushed ice made it better. I honestly don't think this drink would be the same with the regular cubed large ice. The crushed ice was also mixed in with the grapefruit pulp at the top too. I like that addition of the grapefruit because of it's natural flavor and that texture from it. Grapefruit can be slightly bitter, but I actually like it that subtle bitterness with the sweetness and tartness in it. The green tea is a good option to have with think drink because it's very light and doesn't overpower the remainder of the drink. Sweetness was good for me. Definitely more of a passing drink than the drink option that I chose today.
Menu: Good enough variety
Again, looks to be your standard boba shop menu. There are a fair amount of items on their menu for you to choose from though. Perhaps their fruit teas would have been the better option for me here. I thought my friend's drink was really refreshing and appropriate for the weather at the time.
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Quality: So-so
The matcha really doesn't look like my ceremonial grade matcha powder. Slightly oxidized and dulled out green color. This might be because it looked completely diluted, but maybe not. What gets me was how grainy it was too. Now, looking at my friend's drink, I liked the grapefruit pulp and the use of the natural fruit inside the drink. So, will depend on what you get and your preferences.
Price: Average
Truly your average Bay Area prices for these drinks and what they are. The price will range from $5 to $8, so really within that standard boba drink price here.
Service: Friendly
They greeted us when we walked into the shop and they were also really quick to make the drink. I noticed the person making the drink come to the front too to see what we would order and he started making it right after we paid for the drinks. Loving the quick service. There wasn't many groups ahead of us, so he was able to do this. I'm sure they try their best to keep up and make it quickly to order though, which I appreciate.
Ambiance: Standard boba shop
The interior is giving your very standard boba shop and smell. There are a few tables on the side and the counter on the other side. I think this would be a nice studying stop or charting spot because it seems very peaceful.
Location/Parking: Long Plaza; Optimal Parking Spaces
This area is on Cedar Blvd. The plaza itself is quite long and made up of sections of buildings. All of it seems to be connected though, so there are parking spaces. Doesn't seem like it was super super saturated of an area during the time, so my friend and I were able to park close by. I really don't see parking being too much of an issue though. read more