Let’s Get This Par-Tea Started
We haven’t seen this much tea since the Boston Tea Party!
Tea Bar Starry, a local gem in Arcadia specializes in drinks using high quality tea and healthy fresh fruit, with various toppings and add-ons to make the customization of your drinks endless. Not only do they specialize in teas, they offer sweet desserts and traditional Taiwanese cuisine.
Pearls? Bubble tea? Boba? Different names, but the same delicious topping. But what exactly is boba? Boba are the chewy black tapioca balls at the bottom of various teas or slushies that you’ve probably seen on your Instagram feed. Unlike other boba places in the San Gabriel Valley, Tea Bar does not use artificial flavoring or powders but only fresh products.
Most popular of their drinks are the Watermelon Green Tea, made with a blend of freshly cut sweet watermelon, and house green tea that will please your tastebuds on a hot L.A. day. If you’re not a fan of sweets, try their Orange or Grapefruit Green Tea for a refreshing citrus flavor which uses hand squeezed orange or grapefruit juice shaken with their house green tea.
Another fave is a house specialty crystal boba, a clear boba that is chewier and sweeter compared to normal boba since it’s made from a different sugar. But the fun doesn’t stop there! Tea Bar also offers selections of green teas, black teas, milk teas, green milk teas, juices, slushies, and toppings.
SO. MUCH. TEA.
When walking in, you might see high school and college students studying away at the booths or groups of families eating dinner. Not only is the atmosphere lively, but so are the employees.
Upon entering, each employee in the room welcomes you warmly with a “Hello! Welcome to Tea Bar” or when leaving, a “Thank you, bye! Have a nice day.” Tea Bar has a home-like vibe and is friendly to newcomers who have never experienced the boba trend.
Boba was very popular in Taiwan and around 1999, so owner Yuyu Lin decided to bring a little bit of Taiwan to America. Lin felt America needed more Taiwanese culture and he wanted to introduce his culture to everyone.
He was only 15 when he immigrated to America and said there were not many opportunities in his country. Most children at his age in Taiwan are expected to go the military for two years. But Lin wanted a better life, education, and opportunity. So he set forth this dream for America.
When he first started up his business, he didn’t receive much financial help from his parents, so between going to school at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena and working various jobs as being a pizza guy or working in a bakery, he was determined. His best friend’s parents helped him out and eventually, he received an associate degree in art and a bachelor’s degree in finance with a minor in illustration. And now his dreams have come true.
Tea Bar is a thriving boba business that gains new customers every day. They come for the quality of the drinks and Taiwanese cuisine. Lin hopes to expand his business and create a franchise. There are already other locations available: Tea Bar Jungle in Rowland Heights, Tea Bar Metro in Artesia, and the newest Tea Bar in Azusa. Lin strives to further expand Taiwanese culture one boba shop at a time.
For a list of Tea Bar locations, visit the Tea Bar website: http://teabarcafe.com/new/location/
