I don't know if it's because this used to be a Quickly for so many years, but, for whatever reason, Teazo never seems to come to mind when I think of milk tea joints on this side of city. Even when we've found ourselves eating at nearby restaurants along Taraval, my brain would still default to one of the spots on Irving or by 9th Ave. As such, it has felt more than a little random that we've ended up here so many times these last few months with entirely different circles of friends!
Compared to when this was a Quickly (possibly the same owners, but now rebranded/independent), Teazo is a marked improvement for the neighborhood. Besides just not being a chain, the vibe of this place feels livelier (they have several tables inside, which is kind of rare for boba shops) and the menu is far more unique. In addition to your typical sorts of milk teas, fruit teas, and snacks, they also have drinks featuring their specialty "cheezo" (salty cream cheese), creme brulee and tiramisu flavored drinks, desserts, and even souffle pancakes!
-- POPCORN CHICKEN
Ehh. While the portion is fairly generous, the popcorn chicken was just okay. The chicken itself was moist and piping hot, but the batter wasn't that crispy and didn't have all that much seasoning on it.
-- BLACK SESAME MOCHI LATTE - Toasted Sesame with Housemade Milk Mochi and Cream
Not sure if this is a seasonal offering (haven't seen it since), but this was pretty good. The black sesame in this was great (just a touch of nuttiness) and I liked the mochi in this was really nice.
-- STRAWBERRY MATCHA CHEEZO - Strawberry and Milk Layers Topped with Matcha Cheezo
Ironically, the description of this didn't sound that great, but this was actually terrific! This had just the right sweetness (50%) and I liked that the strawberry, matcha, and cheezo flavors didn't overwhelm each other.
-- OREO MILK TEA - Signature Milk Tea Twisted with Puff Cream and Topped with Crushed Oreos
As good as this sounded, it was a miss for me. Not because it tasted "bad" or anything, but because it didn't taste like Oreos at all. Rather, it was more like a thin milk tea with Oreo chocolate bits on top.
-- FRIED OCTOPUS
I sure I wish I had learned from the Popcorn Chicken because this was just not good. Not only was this underseasoned, but both the batter and the octopus itself were super dry/overcooked. Hard pass.
Similar to how what we've tried has gone over so differently, how long it has taken for our orders to be made has been just as varied. The times that we've been here on Friday and Saturday nights, even when it has been mildly busy, orders seem to come out relatively fast. Yet, when we stopped by in the dead of a Sunday afternoon, without any customers there ahead of us, it took a curiously long time for our one drink to be made. Granted, they might have been working on online orders, but I can't imagine there could've been that many.
Considering how we've had far more luck with Teazo's drinks, especially their Strawberry Matcha Cheezo, I'd probably just stick with that if/when we come here again. Plus, I like how they have so many outlets/USB ports available for folks to charge their devices. However, while I wouldn't be opposed to trying one of their dessert options, like their souffle pancakes and brown sugar mochi, I can't say the same for their savory snacks. read more