By Regina Park
It’s the return of the boba.
Boba is good in San Francisco — perhaps you saw our best boba spots guide. But there are definitely some gems in the Bay Area that got passed over, so we decided to look eastward for amazing boba locations and were definitely not disappointed.
Considering the size of the East Bay (huge), we broke down the Bay into six different cities — Berkeley, Oakland, Richmond, Union City, Fremont and Alameda — and chose the best ones from each location.
BERKELEY
Purple Kow
2146 Center St.
Introducing a staple of Berkeley college students that may or may not have a cult following: Purple Kow. Its trademark bucket cup and the ability to moderate the sweetness of your drink earns it a place on the list. The Berkeley location also has a bright upstairs location for people who just want to hang out with their boba.
Must try: D7 with chocolate, pudding and boba — make sure to get it 50% sweet!
Asha Tea House
2086 University Ave.
Asha gets points for its prime location (right at the entrance of the Berkeley BART station), its huge variety of teas, and for consistent quality — they actually measure out ratios of tea and milk! Asha is also a bonafide alcoholic teahouse after 5:30pm, so make sure to grab one of their soju boba while you’re in the neighborhood. The inside is huge too, which makes it a perfect place to grab a seat for a couple hours.
Must try: Matcha green tea latte
OAKLAND
i-Tea
388 9th St.
An Oakland go-to for a reason, i-Tea creates its boba in an authentic Taiwanese style. Their toppings are fresh and the portions generous — what’s not to love? The store is small and the wait time can get pretty long (about 30 minutes), so make sure to go earlier in the day!
Must try: S4 Mango Sago, Pearl Milk tea, any of the Kreama drinks
The Sweet Booth
388 9th St.
The Sweet Booth is all about authenticity. They use real fruit and tea to create their drinks — none of that goopy fruit syrup stuff. They even use real ice cream — ice cream! — for their milkshake bobas. Their entire menu is customizable and the tapiocas are soft, chewy and a bit on the sweeter side. Their prices are also reasonable, ranging from $2.50 for a plain milk tea boba to $4 for a mango boba.
Must try: Mango smoothie, avocado
RICHMOND
Ten-Ren Tea
3288 Pierce St.
Since Ten-Ren is mainly a tea shop, the tea inside the boba is always solid. Ten-Ren is best for people who like the taste of tea in their boba strong, present and slightly bitter. Another one of the upsides of Ten-Ren is its proximity to Bubba Loca, another boba store that is slightly less pricey.
Must try: Honey green tea, roasted oolong milk tea, almond black milk tea
UNION CITY
Tapioca Express
1707 Decoto Rd
Union City’s TapEx is known for its consistency in quality over the 10+ years its been in business. Several Yelpers have a long relationship with this TapEx that most boba shops don’t have with its customers; Alex R. says “I’ve been going to this TapEx since high school and continue to go here 5+ years later.” The boba itself is chewy and the drink is flavorful, although customers can’t adjust the sweetness of their drinks unless they specifically ask.
Must try: Peach green tea, watermelon snow (try the honeydew snow balls instead of tapioca for a twist)
Che-Lo
1767 Decoto Blvd.
Union City is a haven for boba lovers, but even among the best Che-Lo tops the rest. The reason? Che-Lo is a personable little mom and pop store that makes their ingredient from scratch, most notably their house-pressed coconut milk. Since all of its drinks are given so much attention, the downside to Che-Lo is the wait time. But if you’re up to it, Che-Lo will more than make up for the wait with the quality and freshness of its drinks. As an added bonus, Che-Lo also gives you 6 different toppings for free if you opt to create your own drink!
Must try: The freedom of ceating your own boba
FREMONT
Gong Cha
46827 Warm Springs Blvd.
Perhaps the most highly rated and overall best boba shop on this list, Gong Cha enjoys stellar reviews such as “my favorite” and “#1 go-to” on Yelp. Gong Cha is also home to a particular drink series called Milk Foam that clashes sea salt with sugar — a must-have. With premium flavors and fast servcie, the Gong Cha in Fremont shows that it’s the very first Gong Cha in the U.S. (and the very best) for a reason.
Must try: Milk foam green/earl grey tea, brown sugar fresh milk (try with healthier white pearls!)
T4
46132 Warm Springs Blvd.
Trendy and clean atmosphere? Check. Delicious boba? Check. Crazy and innovative flavors? Check, check and check. When all these qualities are coupled with affordable prices (snacks and drinks start at only $2.50), T4 effortlessly cements its spot as one of Fremont’s premier boba locations. Beware of the wait time though — thanks to its popularity, T4 usually has a long line.
Must try: Okinawa milk tea, honey peach green tea, mango sea salt cream
ALAMEDA
BAMBU Dessert & Drinks
1321 Park St.
Bambu’s boba can be described in one word: filling. This relatively new location busts out all the toppings for their drinks, resulting in a heavier-than-usual concoction that stays true to their Vietnamese roots. All the drinks here are also different than the usual milk bubble tea fare; as one Yelper puts it, “it’s a bit adventurous if you’ve never tried Vietnamese or Asian desserts before.”
Must try: #4: grass jelly, red tapioca, pandan jelly, jello, mung bean
Tmix
650 Central Ave.
Tmix is an overall trustworthy spot with good customer service, a clean storefront, good boba and not much of a wait. Go on the weekend to try their tea creama boba if you want to taste something new. Like your reliable pair of beat-up jeans, Tmix is a good bet on any day for a delicious boba treat.
Must try: Mango smoothie, rose oolong milk tea, tiger milk tea
What is your go-to boba spot in the East Bay?
[Featured Image: Foldedmemos Photography via Flickr]
Originally published by www.upout.com/sf.
