Michelle T.
Yelp
This shop initially caught my eye with their gorgeous cups and interior. The location in Arcadia was also recommended to me, so I was looking forward to visiting here since it's the same franchise without having to make the long drive. However, the drinks here unfortunately fell flat for me that day.
Originally, my group got the Peach Oolong Milk Tea (no adjustments), Tea Cube Milk Tea - Jasmine Tea (25% sweetness, no ice), Pistachio Cloud Milk Tea (100% sweetness, no ice), and Osmanthus Rice Milk Tea (75% sweetness, less ice). We got some of our drinks replaced because we didn't like it, which is very nice of them (obviously don't be greedy and drink everything before asking them). Also, when we ordered through the self-order kiosk, most of their menu items did not have descriptions, so it felt like we were ordering somewhat blindly as there was only the names and pictures to go off of. However, even with the pictures, some of the drinks had the cups that were opaque and made it difficult to discern.
- Peach Oolong Milk Tea: I got this at 100% sweetness. At the first sip, I had to pause because it did not taste like any peach oolong milk tea I've had anywhere else and not in a good way unfortunately. There was a slight tang that I couldn't explain. I can only assume that it might have been the peach because there were very little bits of something that I couldn't identify. After a couple more sips, I discovered that there was a topping inside too (automatically included in the drink apparently), but I don't know what it was based on what I'm seeing on the list of toppings they have. It was a chewy ball that pops and leaves you with a small flavorless piece inside that crunches like a softer crunchy veggie (I imagine it to be water chestnut popping boba as it's a popular boba topping overseas, but their menu only lists popping boba, which is entirely different that I've seen here in the States). Looking a little more into it, I translated their 'Popping Boba 马蹄爆珠', and according to the Google search, first link says it's 'water chestnut popping ball'. The sweetness was actually fine, not too sweet, but I did not enjoy this drink overall. I'm not sure if it was just a bad day, but if this is what it's supposed to taste like, I wouldn't recommend this.
- Tea Cube Milk Tea - Jasmine Tea: My friend got this at 25% sweetness with no ice. The texture of the tea cubes was a nice jelly-like firmness, but it lacks a strong tea flavor despite being called tea cubes. This wouldn't have been an issue if the drink was flavorful. The tea in the drink, I could not taste because it tasted like milk diluted with water. I tried very hard to taste the tea, but unfortunately, I couldn't enjoy this drink to its full potential. My friend who usually gets this at their Arcadia location also agrees that this drink was flavorless and not what it's supposed to taste like from her previous experiences at the same franchise elsewhere.
- Pistachio Cloud Milk Tea: My other friend got this at 100% sweetness with no ice. Again, I had the same issue with this drink where the flavor was lost on me. I couldn't taste the tea or pistachio. All I tasted was watered down milk. Would not recommend.
- Osmanthus Rice Milk Tea: Another friend got this at 75% sweetness with less ice. It sadly tasted like the other two friends' drinks: bland and watered down milk. It wasn't any different from the other two despite the three having completely different flavor profiles: Tea Cube Milk Tea with jasmine tea, Pistachio Cloud Milk Tea, and Osmanthus Rice Milk Tea. I also would not recommend this drink.
- Passionfruit Super Fruit Cup (not pictured): This was my replacement drink for the Peach Oolong Milk Tea I originally ordered. At 100% sweetness, it was perfect for me. I also tried my friend's at 50% sweetness, and that was good too. Fresh, light, and refreshing on a hot, sunny day! This drink helped me reconsider giving this shop another chance next time, giving the impression that they do have some great drinks on their extensive menu. However, it's unfortunate that I only came to this conclusion because of their drink dissatisfaction policy.
Overall, I don't think I'd revisit this location as there are so many other shops local to the area to go to for consistently better drinks. Originally, I would have given only 1 star but decided to give an extra star for the nice service because they honored their drink dissatisfaction policy and for the replacement drink that convinced me to perhaps give them another chance in the future. So, based on this visit, I can only say that their drinks are a hit-or-miss, so for a good drink here, choose your drink carefully and don't be afraid to ask the workers if you're curious of a drink before making your order.