Final Thoughts: 3.40/5
First time here. They do have multiple locations available for anyone that was interested in trying their drinks. I've actually hear of this place before, but just never tried it myself yet. We were in the area and mall today and decided to stop by here for some boba. Nothing too too significant to note. Very simple boba run after some shopping and dinner there. Very quick, order and grab-and-go kind of experience today.
Drink:
Strawberry Matcha Latte with Oat milk; 30% Sweetness: 3.1/5
Starting with the pros, the sweetness of this drink was actually quite good. I don't like my drink too sweet, but at the same time, there needs to be some sweetness to it. The balance of sweetness from the strawberry puree and drink itself balanced out very well. Perhaps the strawberry puree is made in-house since it really didn't seem that sweet to me. Usually storebought ones are overly sweet because the sugar content can help prevent it from spoiling. The strawberry is quite prominent, which is nice, but almost too much that it consumed most of the flavor. With that said, the matcha is almost too subtle and not that strong for me at all. The flavor is just barely there and it's this earthy and grassy tone. Definitely had a preference for other matcha flavors that I've tried. For the milk, I got oat milk today. Nothing too significant from this choice. Can't really say the drink was any thicker or smoother, which is interesting because this milk tends to lean more on the rich and thick side. Overall, mostly just an oat milk with some strawberry and mild taste of matcha, which is unfortunate.
---------
Quality: Could be better
For me, I've liked other matcha flavors more. Perhaps the quality of the matcha isn't the issue, but it's the type of matcha. Crossing fingers that it is ceremonial grade though. For the strawberry, I am slightly more convinced that it is made in-house because of the level of sweetness. Either that or it just mixed into the drink really well and diluted it. There were some strawberry chunks in there too, which is nice.
Price: Fair and seems average
The price is fair and seems average for a boba shop. Ranges in price will be between $5.50 to $7.00. There are different topping options and milk alternatives too. There is an upcharge for the toppings, of course, but also for the oat milk unfortunately. I always appreciate places that allow milk alternatives without the upcharge as many individuals are unable to consume regular fluid milk.
Service: Limited Interactions
There was honestly zero interaction with a worker today, which can be rare. Usually we at least see and greet someone when we pickup our drink. Today, we simply ordered on the kiosk, we outside to wait for our number to be called, and then came back in to pick up the drink. We came back inside to wait for our drinks just in case. There is actually one person manning the drinks at the front, but we noticed that our three drinks were done and went up to go get it. Right before that, the person managing the delivery of the drinks decided to step to the back of the kitchen, so we just got our drinks and left. Quite literally no interactions at all.
Ambiance: Busy
Because it's a mall, there's going to be a lot of traffic in general. It was quite the small little shop on the side. Some tables are present on the side with a decently sized walkway and standing space in the middle. If there aren't tables here, there are some tables outside that are placed for anyone to sit at. Quite a lot of background noise in general, so you'll definitely have to carefully listen for your number. They also send a message to your phone, so that seems to be the safer option than just listening for them to call out your number for pick-up.
Location/Parking: Oakridge Mall
It's located at Oakridge Mall. A little directionally challenged here, but it is kind of near the food court (ish) in the direction and around the corner where Jamba Juice is. To be more specific, it's next to Michael Kors and right across from Auntie Anne's. Parking probably shouldn't be a problem just because they have so many parking lots and parking garages in general. If you're trying to park at a specific location, it'll depend on the lot/garage. I've have multiple experiences where I've had no concern with getting a parking spot, but I've also had a fair share of experience where I've had to drive around in a few circles before getting a spot. Weekends and rush hours are definitely most crowded, but that's to no one's surprise. read more