I went to Yaya Tea on Sunday during NJIT's mini anime convention event. The atmosphere is clean, bright, and cute. I've been here in the past for their onigiri, but I was surprised to see that they now have udon, snacks, and decorative pins for sale! I really like their onigiri, which you can get in either small or large sizes. My personal favorite is the ume onigiri, which is a tangy plum flavor. But if you want something with more protein, the salmon onigiris and the chicken onigiris are really good as well! The staff are welcoming and kind, and they were open to answer any questions we had. My husband and I shared 3 onigiris and an udon, and that was enough to fill us up! The shrimp tempura that came with the udon was delightfully crunchy and savory. All in all, I love how convenient this spot is for students, and I'll definitely be back to try more onigiri flavors! read more

Yaya Tea Newark - udon and 3 small onigiris - Bubble Tea Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

I learned about Yaya Tea from a friend who lives around the area and had their rice balls for lunch one day. While Yaya Tea is most known for their teas and rice balls, I was feeling adventurous and decided to pick something up from their take out menu for lunch. I called in an order for vegetable yaki soba (extra charge for proteins) and was initially shocked and disappointed at the size of the container as it was much smaller than I had expected. However, my thoughts changed when I dug into the dish -- the noodles were packed to the brim of the container so I found the portion to be quite filling. I wasn't so terribly full, but at the same time, I also didn't need to procure additional snacks to get me through the rest of the workday. The flavor was good, albeit a little salty for my taste, and what really made the dish were the mushrooms that had a nice spongy texture that was reminiscent of animal protein, particularly Chinese food beef. Will be returning to try their other entrees and rice balls! read more

Yaya Tea Newark - Bubble Tea Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

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Yaya's will always be so nostalgic for me because I always had it when I was younger!! I ordered the Japanese onigiri, shrimp tempura onigiri and a lychee tree. Was deff full after but if you were to come here starving, you would not be satisfied. The cashier was very nice and my order came out quick. The tables were clean and there's a lot of cute decor inside There is parking available on side streets read more

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Having yayas was a step into the past as I remembered going to the original Chinatown location in highschool (11 years ago) every weekend. Great service and the store had a very young vibe. Would definitely come here for a quick bite. Came to Yaya's after craving onigiri and bubble tea. Its a cute shop situated in a college neighborhood which means parking could be hard to find when school is in session. Ordered the following onigiri rated from best to worst 1) yaya chicken- packed with flavor and sauce. Chicken was salty but it paired perfectly with the rice and seaweed 2)shrimp tempura- very crispy with very large shrimp. Recommend pairing this with spicy mayo 3) spicy crawfish- looked like a paste which could be a turn off for people that rely heavily on texture or the ones that eat with their eyes first. Very flavorful though 4) Japanese- I remember this rice ball being a lot better than what I experienced today. It was a bit dry and bland but packed with ingredients. Would definitely recommend getting spicy mayo for this. 5) takoyaki- I had high hopes for this one as it was the most unique onigiri but it didn't meet my expectations. The takoyaki was very creamy but lacked the umami flavor and there was very little filling. I think a large takoyaki onigiri only had one takoyaki cut into 2 pieces? Drink: Small Boyfriend with Lychee Jelly. read more

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One of the rare boba store in NKIT/Rutgers Newark campus. This a bright and colorful store, offering drinks, teas, appetizers, rice balls and noodles dishes. Being my first visit here, got the mango strawberry drink with bubbles. It was refreshing, not too sweet. Many different variety of other fruit flavors are also available to try. Got the takoyaki and chicken rice ball from food menu. Takoyaki was decent, it was little extra fried for my taste. Comes in 7-8 pieces, good size to share. I liked the chicken rice ball more than takoyaki. Rice was fresh and soft. The chicken stuffed in had a good taste too. Overall I had a positive first experience. I am delighted to have found this place next to my work. Will be stopping by more often for lunch and drinks. read more

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On the Fourth of July, I was craving bubble tea. Luckily Yaya Tea was open. First time here at this location. Parking was easy. There is meter parking on Central Ave. Once inside, I ordered a large taro milk tea. The boba would have been extra charge. My drink was made quickly since it was empty inside. I got the narrow straw since I didn't have any toppings added to my drink. Unfortunately the straw could not puncture the top of the drink. It ended up breaking. The taro itself was good. Nothing spectacular about it but good enough. The price was reasonable. 5.95 ($6.34 after tax). Typical price you would pay at other bubble tea places in north Jersey. The staff were not memorable. One took my order and one made it. read more

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I got a shrimp tempora with crab and spicy crawfish. I paid extra for spicy mayo and there wasnt as much as i would like but it was okay. The shrimp tempora one was dry but the spicy crawfish was really good. Flavors were good but could've been better. This is My First time trying onigiri so I'm not sure what the ratio is supposed to be but over all it was good and I would recommend people come here to try. read more

Yaya Tea Newark - Bubble Tea Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

Half of the tea was just ice. And I asked for less off. It was super watered down. I had to wait for 30 minutes for a black milk tea read more

Yaya Tea Newark - Half of it is ice even tho I asked for less ice - Bubble Tea Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

Love this place! If you're looking for something quick in between classes or want a chill spot to hang with friends, this is the spot to go! They have so many options for Milk Tea and Fruit Tea. The flavors always taste fresh and crisp. read more

I've come here so many times, but I usually find myself ordering the same things each time. I always stick with the rice balls because they're so fun to eat, and they're also much more filling than you'd expect. My boyfriend and I usually each get one and an appetizer or third rice ball to split, and we always get a tea to go with it. Our favorite is the Japanese, but we also really enjoyed the spicy crawfish, shrimp tempura, and salmon. We didn't particularly enjoy the ume, but we just weren't used to the flavor of it. We also didn't like the shumai since it was more dough than shrimp and tasted quite bland. For appetizers, we always stick with the fried takoyaki, and they've been perfect every time we've ordered them! We've enjoyed every tea we've ordered, so you really can't go wrong. The fruit teas are super refreshing, and I love the hot milk teas. Overall, it's a good place for a quick meal, and all the merch is sooo cute :) read more

Four of us stopped at Yaya yesterday after visiting Branch Brook Park for the cherry blossoms. After a few hours of walking the park, a sweet milk tea and onigiri were definitely on the brain. I've been meaning to check out Yaya Tea Newark by NJIT for the longest time. We found street parking on Central. It was about 30 minutes before closing on a Saturday afternoon, and the place was busy with customers. Place was abuzz. There were placing orders and people picking up mobile orders. I ordered a small taro milk tea and a spam rice ball. My dude got a thai milk tea large and spring rolls. Boba in the drinks was the right amount of chewy, spring rolls with sweet and sour sauce hit the spot, and the spam rice ball was amazing. Btw, if you get the rice ball, ask for spicy sauce inside -- so good! There's also a great selection of shelved snacks by the ordering register. In line, I kept going back and forth in my head, "Should I pick up that bag of Calbee chips or those matcha Kit Kats? Hmm..." There's also merch - hoodies, plushes, and stickers :) If you are in the area, check it out. If you are short on time and don't have time to wait, do a mobile order and pick up. Recommended! read more

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Since I had to head to NJIT for my vaccine, I checked for foodie places in the area and luckily Yaya is right across the street! I placed my order for pick up through the website which was quick and easy. Since I visited on a Sunday afternoon it was a bit busy as there was a line for pickup and ordering. I went in to pick up my order 20 minutes after ordering and had to wait an additional 20 minutes after that. I also visited on a Friday morning and was still waiting quite a while. I think next time I will order in person and see if that is quicker. Also, since I ordered actual food that probably added on the time as well. There isn't much parking in the area so you'll get lucky if you snag a spot. I think it mainly caters to NJIT students as it is right on their campus. What a sweet place to have while going to college! I've tried the shrimp rice ball, better life fruit tea (Strawberry, Lychee, and Pineapple Green Tea with lychee jelly), and the period pad fruit tea (Peach, Mango and Strawberry White Tea with tapioca). The teas were pretty good; I love the options they have as well as how you can customize it with less/more sugar, choose less/more ice, different jellies and if you want it in a regular boba cup or a yogurt bottle. The yogurt bottle is $5 and you can bring it back for a refill (about $3+) which is cool! The shop is super cute, I can tell it was the spot to be at especially when they open back up their indoor seating. They have cute sayings and pictures on the wall as well as different snacks and Yaya swag to choose from. Will be back for my future rice ball and boba fixes! read more

Yaya Tea Newark - Yogurt bottle (period pad fruit tea with tapioca) - Bubble Tea Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

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Can you say ADDICTING?? Wow. I've had Yaya Tea 8 times in a single month. I am addicted and so is my family. We love Boba tea and even more so tea itself. I love the option to make your own flavors, very unique. I favor black tea and oolong and love the ability to add in my own flavors, my own bobas, control the sweetness levels and ice portion. We've even tried their little sushi triangles which are super cute, easy to eat and pretty good. Their shrimp gyoza is a definite favorite for me. This place has long term ability in my opinion. As a tea and boba lover I say Yaya tea I'd taking over and I'm here for it!! read more

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Always love coming to this place party because ever since my trip to Japan I've been addicted to onigiris (rice ball) I've been here a few times and typically get the shrimp tempura rice vall or sometimes the salmon rice ball and add tempura shrimp its so good. This time I got the shrimp tempura rice ball and the hulk fruit tea which is green apple green tea. They just added pressed drinks too so I got a few fresh pressed juice shots read more

Yaya Tea Newark - Bubble Tea Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

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Came in today to get blue blood tea, i always order online and pay venmo in store. I love how fast my order is made when i order online while I'm walking there. Workers are really nice. read more

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PLEASE READ IMPORTANT!!!: As I walked into the store it seemed like a very neat tidy place. I ordered on the self service, a small hot black tea with tapioca. When my order was ready, the person called me up and handed me my drink. I noticed it was leaking a little bit at the top, and when I drank from it, I realized that it was the wrong drink and did not have any tapioca in it. I went back, and they made me a new one, but it leaked from the bottom. They made me another new one, which was nice of them, but they were laughing and playing around. Then, when I got my new drink, it was the right drink, but did not have tapioca in it, which cost a lot more these days. Therefore I would not recommend unless you want your drink messed up 3 times. Thank you for reading. read more

The onigiri here is absolutely disgusting. I'm just appalled they would think to serve a bunch of fishy mush to their customer. Let me preface by saying, I have been to their other locations in NYC where the onigiri were fresh and delicious. I thought this would be the same experience... NO. The rice cooked to the point where it looks like mashed potatoes ? And the shrimp was extremely fish, I threw the rest out. What a waste of money and food. I've never had shrimp tempura that was fishy, which made me think the food is not fresh at this location. If you're looking to buy onigiri here, look elsewhere... it's disgusting here. Looking at the picture makes me gag. Unacceptable. read more

Yaya Tea Newark - Yaya Shrimp (L) RB - Bubble Tea Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

This is a review for their food rather than their tea. The food was mediocre tbh. I ordered the seaweed salad (good but a bit lacking in flavor), shrimp tempura (v good), and pan fried udon (possibly one of the worst things I've tasted in years). The noodles weren't pan fried but were greasy and wet, the red onion was barely chopped up and ranged from nearly raw to burnt and the flavor was terrible. I only ate about 1/3 of the dish then gave up. A shame because I hear their teas are great. read more

We've been wanting to try this place for a few months now and finally made it over. The milk tea is pretty good (pretty standard) and the staff was super kind. I'd love to come back and try some of their food offerings! read more

Love their boba milk tea which is not too sweet. Perfect flavor for me, lots of choice.

It's a cool spot on my campus but the food is beyond expensive for a college kid. $20 for soba noodles is absurd when the portion isn't that massive. Service was good given the long, quiet line from my antisocial college across the street. Food was tasty just not worth the money read more

I had ordered Tokyo Chicken to go. Got diarrhea afterwards. The chicken was like rubber band and the cabbage was hard raw, not cooked. I suspect the food stayed in a fridge for a long time. Will not go back again. read more

This is one of my favorite places to eat when I am on the go. My favorite thing to order are the rice balls (no matter the variation) My go to rice ball is the tempura with crab riceball! Don't forget the spicy mayo! So good! Pair that with a Taro Milk tea and you have a filling meal. The menu is fairly priced and decor of the place is very "instagrammable" I gave this 5 stars because I frequent this place a lot and have yet to be disappointed. read more

Yaya Tea Newark - Takoyaki (S) RB - Bubble Tea Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

I'm so sad that the year I graduate I found this place. After finds this spot right across NJIT campus, it became my go-to spot for a quick bite that you can eat in the go. It's right next to campus and the rice balls are fairly priced in my opinion, which makes it great for students in the area! Food came out within five-ten minutes and was always fresh. I recommend getting a Spicy Crawfish rice ball and a Thai tea with tapioca pearls! read more

Yaya Tea Newark - Spicy Crawfish Rice Ball and Thai Milk Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

I got a peach mango passion fruit oolong tea and lychee pearls and it was honestly the best boba tea I've had it was the perfect amount of sweet and I could taste all the flavors definitely recommend. read more

Yaya Tea Newark - I got a passion fruit mango peach oolong tea with lychee pearls - Bubble Tea Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

This place is so cute I can't wait till we get the chance to really sit inside and enjoy it! They have a counter to order and a place to pick up, the menu is up on the board and while you wait you can take a look at their fun snacks and cute plushies! The decor is so creative and the whole place has a great vibe. Staff is following cdc guidelines and their customer service is amazing, drinks come out within minutes or ordering. The Thai ice tea was delicious, not too sweet but still had a strong flavor. The black milk tea was good too, perfumey and smooth. Will be back to try some of their onigiri and other appetizers, if you're in the area try it out! read more

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During quarantine I had been ordering Yaya Tea through delivery service apps and was already a fan, but decided to stop by the other day and was even more impressed than I was before. They are located near the college section in Newark so parking can be a little difficult to find but worth the trip. The tea house is really cute. They sell many snacks that are difficult to find in the area. The rice cakes and the Boyfriend tea are my favorite things to order. Staff was so nice. They also offer a tea card and after a few purchases you get a free one. Great addition to the area read more

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Gave this spot a try and happy we did. I can't say no to anything lychee flavor. It's right by NJIT so students should pop in if they have a break. My husband ordered through Revelup because we were picking up and it was ready when we got there. But they also have GrubHub, Doordash, and Ubereats It was warm out so I opted for the lychee tree with popping yogurt bubbles but they have milk tea too and several options for add ins. Onigiri were pretty large and there is quite a selection. I have Spam and crab on my list for next time. The squid balls were tasty. And how cute is their artwork?! We will be back! read more

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I ordered 1 chicken and 1 rice ball and two fruit teas (make my own and the Boyfriend). I placed most of my order online which was relatively easy and placed my other items at the store. The staff were very friendly. It was the soft opening and I couldn't tell you how happy I am that this establishment is open. I would 10/10 recommend Yaya Tea to anyone in the neighborhood. Nice to support our local shops! And if you get nothing else make sure you pick up a chicken rice ball. It's $2.50 and so filling! read more

I visited this place after I got my second vaccine at NJIT. Honestly, this place probably has the best location for business. When you come out from nJIt, you always see many crowds outside their store. However its customer service didn't meet up to their demand. I ordered a drink and a YAYA chicken rice ball. Drink was ready in 10 mins. The rice ball on the other hand, it took more than 45 mins. I waited from crowd full of people (probably also waited forever ) to only me in the store. When I asked how long is my rice ball gonna take, they ask me to wait another few minutes?? I rejected and they said "it's only a few minutes and triple questioned are you sure? And gave me a angry look. Like hello? I'm not the one who takes 45 mins to make a rice ball!! The African American girl at the front is rude too. No apologies and just toss me the drink. I personally won't go back to this store because I had a bad first experience but also I have tons of other options which make equally As good or better drinks/food in my area read more

Yaya Tea Newark - Bubble Tea Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

It's sooo cute here! I love the details they put into their packaging, from the onigiri stickers, to the bubble tea cups, to the menus! The store is pretty spacious, with tons of diff aesthetic spots for photo taking. I came on a weekday around 1pm and though there seemed to be a good amount of people coming here, it wasn't crowded or too busy. The staff was nice and greeted us when we came in. I got the yogurt Boyfriend (mango&lychee) fruit tea with mango stars. The yogurt drinks come in a cute Yakult-esque reusable bottle. It didn't taste too yogurty to me, but the flavor combo was good. If you like your teas a little less sweet, I'd definitely recommend asking for less sugar. For onigiris, I chose the chicken, Japanese, and salmon to try out. They came neatly packaged and had instructions on the bottom for you to unwrap it. The chicken filling was similar to a teriyaki chicken flavor, and the salmon filling reminded me of a canned tuna. Perhaps if I had gotten their spicy sauce to go along with it, it would've elevated the salmon rice ball. My fave out of the three was the Japanese-- a nice combo of creamy, savory, and a little sweet. Would also love more sesame seeds on all of these! Overall, I enjoyed these as an easy lunch/snack, and they perfectly paired with a refreshing sip of fruit tea. read more

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Great go to spot if you're looking for boba or a snack! They have a good variety of fruit teas and milk teas and you can't go wrong with either. Their rice balls are also the perfect snack and I like how much variety they have. I usually get a shrimp tempura rice ball and a Japanese one. read more

I've never had hot taro boba before and I'll say id rather like it. This spot is a bit pricey, but I guess it is right next to a college. read more

Yaya Tea Newark - Bubble Tea Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

been coming here for years after my friend recommended this place to me. so upsetting it wasn't here when i was going to school here but no matter! i work up the street so i order it on ubereats whenever i have a craving. they have an array of bubbletea flavors that are authentic-they sell the teas so you can make your own green/black tea at home (my coworkers are also addicted to this place). they also have some food/dish options which are all pretty delicious as well. make sure you get the stamp card so you can get rewarded with a free bubbletea after 10 punches! sadly they wont punch your card if you buy it through ubereats though :( read more

I've ordered a few times for delivery and I have NEVER been disappointed! The onigiri is always super fresh and yummy. I have tried so many different types and still haven't found one I haven't enjoyed. My favorites are the shrimp tempura with crab, and the unagi (which is a seasonal special right now). In addition, I have some friends with dietary restrictions (ie, allergic to all seafood) and the cute little stickers make it super clear which of the onigiri is which. That's a huge comfort, knowing that I can order for everyone without the fear of someone getting sick. The bubble tea here is also great! I have a dairy sensitivity so it's super nice to have my choice of either almond or oat milk so I can enjoy a milk tea without the fear of what will happen next. You can also control the sugar amount and the ice amount, which when it comes to delivery, is super helpful. It's also great to have a local spot that has both boba AND food. All in all, Yaya Tea is a gem in this neighborhood that I know all of my friends and I are so happy to have. I highly recommend for fast, fresh food that you can rely on! read more

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Ordered as a group with coworkers and was pleasantly surprised. I got a regular milk tea with 50% sugar and it was only slightly too sweet and the boba were nice and fresh. I also ordered a plum rice ball which was delicious and had more plum in it than a lot of other places give. Would definitely order again! read more

Great addition to the neighborhood! Who doesn't love boba tea and rice balls?! Coming from Queens, there's plenty of boba shops to choose from so we were pleasantly surprised with yaya. We got the classic jasmine milk tea w/ boba, lychee/peach green tea w/ boba and lychee bubble pop and a yaya sunrise. All were great! Aren't many boba spots that let you mix up to three different flavors for their fruit teas, so this is a nice treat to mix things up. For food, the friendly staff recommended the yaya chicken rice ball and shrimp tempura, both didn't disappoint and we'll definitely get again. Lastly, we couldn't resist grabbing a few Asian snacks as they have a nice selection like Poky, gummies and more. read more

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So happy there's a Yaya location in Jersey!! The drinks are always so good and not too sweet. My favorites are the bubble milk tea and the boyfriend!! The pricing is also really good. A large with run you just under five bucks which is pretty amazing compared to the $7 you'll pay at a national chain. The rice balls are also delish, especially the spam and shrimp tempura! Staff is always warm and welcoming. read more

The onigiri is always great. The shrimp and onigiri is fresh and delicious. I love the atmosphere and the service is excellent.

Wanted to check this place out because I constantly saw advertisements all over Instagram about it. Although I have nothing bad to say about the place but the food was about average. They place itself is a cute little cafe with great space for studying but the food and the bubble tea were lackluster. But... their fruit tea was bomb. Really enjoyed their Boyfriend fruit tea (mango & lychee) was delicious. read more

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