This is a really strange Xing Fu Tang that definitely doesn't meet the brand standards. They don't have the wall of fortunes and neither do they serve home made brown sugar boba. Not to mention that they use cups that are labeled with Yi Fang Fruit tea branding. Very strange.
We walked in on a Sunday afternoon for boba. Ordering is easy thank to a kiosk right in front. It's also helpful since the surly bobarista seems like she wants to be anywhere but in the store. Menu-wise, there are some similarities between Xing Fu Tang and YiFang menu, mostly focusing on the brown sugar milks and fruit rather than milk teas. Xing Fu Tang is a usually higher quality in fresh milk drinks, while YiFang is usually a bit better in fruity teas, but standards vary between stores.
Brown Sugar Pearl Milk Tea, 50% Sugar ($7.99) - Before shaking, the drink tastes heavily of the brown sugar surfacing the outer rim of the cup, albeit much weaker than a typical Xing Fu Tang. After mixing, the flavor dissipates a bit into a somewhat creamy and malty tea flavor. It's not especially strong, but it's definitely identifiable in the mostly milky drink. Ice levels can't be adjusted, but also aren't too bad for the drink, at least compared to my expectations. The sweetness level, typically very high compared to other boba shops at other locations I've visited, isn't too bad either at 50% sweet here. It's not the highest quality milk tea for certain, but it hits the spot for a milk tea craving.
The boba served at this boba shop is excellent. It's definitely not homemade and is clearly a commercial boba given the texture, but it's cooked until pretty much the perfect bouncy and chewy texture. It's clearly soaked in brown sugar, marinated for a long time, giving a deep sweet richness to the pearls.
Milk Tea Rating: 3.5/5
Boba Rating: 5/5
This store is definitely more YiFang than Xing Fu Tang. My guess is that they are using the old signage to drive interest and sales considering that Xing Fu Tang is a slightly higher tier brand. I consider that a deceptive and unethical business practice, which automatically gets a 1* rating regardless of the actual quality of the food or drinks.
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