Ian at Ear Joy is one of the nicest guys I've met…read more We were visiting the campus of UConn Huskies and after traveling from the West Coast, wanted to get some food Poké bowl and some milk tea and he was already closed about 30-40 minutes and when I explained to him that we were desperate, and also pushing my luck, a little bit, not only did he take the time to make food and drinks. We had a chance to chat and this just goes to show the personality the service and people going out of their way to run a business. I just want to think Ian and the Business for staying open and helping us out The milk tea was good and so was the Poké bowl. If you are deciding on what to check out when you are on campus at UConn this place is right across the street. Highly recommend.

We ate here while visiting our kid at school. Everything tasted very fresh. Their bowls are pretty…read morebig and very fufilling. We all made up in our bowl instead of ordering the premade ones. The place is clean. I advised staff of my allergies and they worked with me. They use gloves constantly which I loved.

I love tea break! Virtually every time I go to West Hartford I have to swing by this place. I used…read moreto be a pearl tea addict when I lived in the Bay Area. Thank God this place exists for people like me. One time I went outside and spilled my tea by mistake, and when I came back in to get napkins, they gave me two new teas free of charge. They are awesome human beings. I also love that they have really weird flavors like lemon citrus with sour plum and taro and all the good stuff

I'm a bit of a boba tea snob and I hail from South Florida, I'm just here visiting the area. I…read moredidn't expect much from Hartford, CT. I like my boba to be actual tea plus milk and the only sweetness added comes from the boba. So, I was really grateful when I asked about swapping out the powdered milk for liquid milk. They swapped to lactaid, which is my preferred milk for milk tea. They also allowed me to adjust the sweetness and the ice level. I was still skeptical, given the unassuming store front. But they mixed real, actual, brewed tea with the lactaid. Their boba was the perfect size and consistency. I tried their black and jasmine teas and both were perfectly brewed. You'd be surprised at how often people get the jasmine tea wrong, but these guys checked all the boxes. Keep on being your authentic selves, guys!

Finally a delicious boba tea shop in Longmeadow! Plenty of tables and seats inside. There are board…read moreand card games to keep busy. Good place to hang out with your friends. There's a wide selection of drinks such as milk tea, specials, smoothies, coffees, and Vietnamese snacks like spring rolls or egg rolls. My group came late at night and the owner was so accommodating to my picky aunt. Much appreciated for making her something I've never heard of. I enjoyed my ocean blue milk tea. It has a nice caramel flavor and the color contrast is so beautiful. There are plenty of parking on the side, in front or in the parking lot across the street.

I randomly stopped into Joy Cup in East Longmeadow after visiting a shop next door, and I'm so glad…read moreI did. They have such a wide variety of drinks it almost makes it hard to choose. Milk teas, fruit teas, smoothies, Vietnamese coffee, and some really fun specialty options like their Cream Brûlée and other unique blends. The space is super cozy and inviting with cute decor, little games, and just a really good vibe overall. You can hang out and sip or grab it to go, and the service was genuinely friendly. I left with 3 different fruit juices (fresh start, happy hour and red dragonfruit) for myself, partner and mom and we all loved them! Honestly, I wish I lived closer because Joy Cup is that girl and I would be there all the time.

Kung Fu Tea is my go to no matter where I go because they are always consistent. The passion fruit…read moretea and the mango fruit tea are great. The popping bobas are always good and the tapioca bobas are ALWAYS fresh.

Not my cup of tea…read more I've been meaning to come to this location to give them a try. Had the opportunity this time around, and decided to jump in. The location is very small. Not a lot of room to order or wait. There's a singular tablet to order from. Ordering kiosk was buggy. Had to select espresso multiple times to get to the coffee and had multiple upcharge prompts. And I guess they just started a Barbie promotion? Because the 4 seats in the place were taken up with influencers in Barbie and Ken garb. Decided to try their pumpkin coffee, because why not? Wait was a little long, but eventually I got my coffee As a coffee location, it's not great. I appreciate they have it, but it's very much a hint of coffee with a sickly sweet combo of pumpkin and strawberry foam. Not the flavor combo that works I get it, it's a boba tea place. Coffee is not its strong point, and it's not right to compare a coffee in a place that deals in almost exclusively tea. Even if I were into tea, I do have expectations. A kiosk that works, expediency in a chain location, and a drink that's not looking to hide any form of bitter in a mountain of sugar. If you really like boba and presenting yourself on social media, then this place could be your jam (or jelly, or boba) for me it's a pass

Awesome boba! Don't judge the fact that it's in a gas station, it's seriously good. I ordered the…read morebrown sugar milk tea and it was sooo good. The boba was soft and chewy. It comes with milk cap then they sprinkle more brown sugar on top and torch it! I gotta take a video next time. Oh yes, there will be a next time.

Cute hidden gem inside the Shell gas station. The 1st time that I visited Sippin' Bubbles, was when…read moreI was craving boba, & wanted to try a new spot. Immediately I was greeted by the owner who was super polite & friendly. He had some samples he let us try, so we could make our decision. They also have a rewards card that can get stamped each time you go. They have so many different options to choose from and sandwiches available as well. I've already returned several times, hasn't disappointed yet.

I ordered food for take out at the kiosk, it was very easy. I ordered many rolls. I forgot to tell…read morehim no crunch for my spicy salmon but it was too late. When we ate the rolls, I couldn't even tell there was crunch in it. Each roll was very good and was made well. I would definitely order from here again.

Ambiance was mid, service was ok as well as the food. There wasn't any wow factors in my opinionread more

With the cool New England fall weather upon us, we wanted a nice bowl of ramen to warm us up. We…read morewent to visit Whale Tea on Halloween. After seeing the menu, I decided to try their chicken katsu instead while my fiancé tried the beef ramen. We also got two medium bubble teas. Both drinks came out first. For mediums, they were pretty small (especially with a $7 price tag). I will say though, my creme brûlée oreo tea was incredible. I absolutely loved the flavor and the oreo in it. Still pricey but at least it was good. My fiancé ramen came out shortly after and we weren't too impressed. The beef broth was a muted color which looked more like miso. He said the noodles were sticky and pretty soft. I waited about 15 minutes until my chicken katsu came out (we were the only ones in there so it wasn't busy) and it looked promising... Good crunch but seems like chicken thighs were used as there was a good amount of fat in it. It quickly became kinda inedible because of how much sauce was covering the whole dish. I'm a sauce girly and love my condiments, but this was just so excessive. I asked for a box to go and maybe my fiancé will finish it later lol. The girl was so sweet and even offered MORE sauce to go, but i quickly declined. Overall, may be back for the teas if it's payday. Would not try the food again.

This place took 40-45 min for me and it was not worth it! I would rather drive to New Haven for…read morefresh soup dumplings. My cousin wanted to go bc she was craving the popcorn chicken. Nothing special about this place an even the fruit tea was not good. The price you pay and the drive you take; I rather ate McDonald's chicken nugget happy meal. skip this unless you live near by

I'm finally back here. The restaurant is Vietnamese and is located at 252 Broad St. in Manchester,…read moreCT. It's been quite some time. This is possibly the largest pho (Vietnamese) restaurant in the state (next to Pho Boston). The decor is real nice too. The menu is huge. There are a lot of options including classic Vietnamese non-soup dishes (one of which I am getting). Unique items include salmon spring rolls and salmon noodle soup. There is no music. That should be on while they're open. The owner, Pete, immediately serves me a huge glass of ice water with a lime. It's warm outside so it's very refreshing. For my drink, I'm having a Nuoc Chanh (fresh lime). Nước chanh is a classic Vietnamese limeade, known for its refreshing balance of tart, sweet, and occasionally a hint of salt. In Vietnamese cuisine, "chanh" usually refers to green limes, though lemons can be used as a substitute abroad. This is good! It tastes closer to lemonade. For my appetizer, I am having the Goi Cuon Ga (chicken spring rolls). Gỏi cuốn gà are fresh, non-fried rolls filled with poached chicken, rice vermicelli, fresh herbs (mint, cilantro), and lettuce wrapped in thin rice paper. They are a light, healthy alternative to the traditional pork and shrimp version, often served with peanut hoisin dipping sauce or fish sauce (nước chấm). These are light and easy to eat. The cubed or diced or minced chicken is a different approach I haven't seen before. Add sriracha sauce for a little kick. These are good! They do serve everything on styrofoam plates. Adding some ceramic plates would be a nice touch. For my entree, I'm having the ga luclac (also known as Shaking Chicken). This is stir fried chicken breast with mixed vegetables and white rice. Vietnamese Shaking Chicken (gà lúc lắc) is a popular dish featuring wok-seared, cubed chicken thighs marinated in soy sauce, oyster sauce, and garlic, resulting in a caramelized, savory flavor. It is typically seared at high heat to create a crust, served over greens with onions and tomatoes, often accompanied by rice. I've asked for extra spicy. Let's see what comes out. There's always sriracha sauce as a last resort. This is more like it! It's served sizzle hot! That's a big portion! This tastes great! It's nice to be served by the owner himself! What a great meal here! P.S.: When paying, you need to go up to the front counter.

Pho in Hartford is like pizza in New Haven: whichever one you say your favorite is, three people…read morewill line up to tell you you're wrong. So my advice? Don't concentrate too hard on trying to figure out if Pho 99 is the best the region's got. After all, luminaries like Mrs. Lee's and Pho House are gone, but Pho 99 is still here, and it's still so damn good. As a vegetarian, I love the tofu and veggies in Pho 99's pho chay. The pillows of tofu have the right combo of chewy skin and pliant interior, there are the right amount of auxiliary veggies, and the slender noodles always melt and dissolve just so into a silky oneness with the broth. I love the slight cinnamon smell in the broth and the way it gets better the longer it sits there, absorbing the squirts of sriracha and the bean sprouts you dump in. If you want something else, take it from my husband, a philistine on whom the delights of all soups are wasted, who says he adores their shaking beef. Family run, consistently delicious, and not overpriced at $20 for a large bowl, Pho 99's enduring goodness is a reminder of the astronomically high level of Vietnamese food in Hartford we are privileged to enjoy.