Chicha San Chen 吃茶三千

I recently did Chicha San Chen’s Lishan Oolong tea tasting and it was such a great experience. Thank you Nic! We got to sample different levels of Lishan Oolong, each with its own distinct aroma and flavor profile. It was really cool to taste how the tea evolved from lighter, floral notes to deeper, more robust layers. The staff explained each brew clearly and made the whole session feel both educational and relaxing. I walked away with a new appreciation for high-mountain oolong and how much craftsmanship goes into every cup. Overall, a fun and flavorful tasting that I’d definitely recommend.

best place to get perfect tea drink. i order honey tea it was perfect not too sweet but not too light. the ice level is at perfect. very clean place and super friendly customer service. there alot parking lot but little tight.

I've had Chicha San Chen in L.A. before and absolutely loved it. I recently had the pleasure of attending a free Lishan Oolong Tea Tasting with Lucas and it was a fantastic experience. Lucas did a wonderful job explaining the origins and unique characteristics of each tea. It was so much fun learning about the different types of tea in such an engaging way. I'm already looking forward to my next visit!

😍By far our favorite milk tea place so far - only if you get their taro milk (green or black) tea with taro paste and taro ball though. We’ve tried their regular brown sugar drink (it was meh), their boba (was decent/ good), their grape series (only the sparkling grape one was good), and the osmanthus oolong milk tea (wasn’t very good). Like there’s better places out there for a similar drink. They do have unique seasonal flavors that you should try (grape, peach, taro, etc) but most of them just wasn’t my cup of tea 😉 my husband thought the osmanthus one was good but I think there’s better drinks out there. Pro tip: order on Snackpass and save up on points to redeem for a discount or free drink. You can also send a free point to your friends. It’s hard for me to finish a drink by myself so if I can drink one by myself it’s a good drink 😋 for reference, we’ve been to at least 50+ different boba stores between the US, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. Try their taro drinks, you won’t regret it 👍🏻

We were lucky customers that were picked out to participate in the complementary tea tasting here. Nick did a wonderful job introducing us to these premium oolong tea chicha. It’s a fun experience and highly recommend people to try☺️

Crowded place on Friday evening. There is a machine that makes tea like the expresso coffee machine so each serving of tea is “fresh”. You order from a kiosk and keep an eye on the screen to see when your drink is ready. There are a few tables to sit down. I had peach oolong tea with real peach bits.

Thank you again Nic for inviting us the tea tasting . It was cool to see the tea making in front and then enjoy it, makes the tea more tasting. Also the tea knowledge you shared to us is valuable, it was an amazing experience.

First time having Chicha a few months ago. I had the Mango Green tea with konjac. At $8.25 a drink, I found it pretty wild for a smaller cup also. I was able to sample the Passion fruit green tea (which is usually my go-to), but wanted to try something else. In the future, I will definitely order PFGT since the flavors seemed quite good on the sample. Overall, flavors are decent but a bit over-priced. Parking can be difficult in the plaza. Also, be prepared to wait. You can order on snackpass at times too.

Chicha San Chen has really become my favorite boba place in the bay. They offer complementary tea tasting sessions while waiting for your drink. As an avid tea drinker, I really appreciate having a solid cup of good tea. Lucas from the tea tasting session expertly explained the different roast levels of the Lishan Oolong tea and was thoughtful in each step of the brewing process. His attentiveness to detail made it seem like we were having a mini tea ceremony! Thank you for the enjoyable session! We will be back :) Also, their bubbles/boba is one of my favorites. Been here so many times, and every single time, it has just the right texture/chewiness and sweetness that compliments a cup of their pure tea!

The tea tasting was very informational and helpful, Nic was very friendly and a good guide to the tea tasting. The tea was very delicious and aromatic! Will come again!

Loved learning about the different tea levels! Lucas was extremely professional, knowledgeable and friendly. We only came in to get some milk tea but came out learning a lot more about tea which I found pretty exciting! Thanks Lucas!

The tea quality here is elite and insanely fresh and the best tasting tea I've ever had. Something magical about the water and tea leaves and process used to craft the perfect cup of tea. If you have time, I also recommend checking out the complimentary tea tasting. You get to try a few different options and I loved learning about how they harvest the tea and the specific way to brew for optimal taste. My favorite is the tea with lemon. So bright, fresh, and amazingly refreshing.

I got the Lemon and Passion Fruit Condensed Milk with light sweetness, less ice, and bubble. My drink was ready in 5 minutes. This drink had a light sweetness and tartness to it, and I could taste the hint of passion fruit. It mostly tasted like a lightly sweet lemonade. I wished that it had a stronger passion fruit flavor. They also had passion fruit seeds which added some texture to the drink. One of the things I love about this place is the fact that their boba has always stayed soft chewy even as I sipped this drink over the next 2 hours. The proportion of drink, boba, and ice was perfect for me. There are two kiosks for ordering, and you get to monitor when your drink is ready on the screen that shows estimated completion time. There are restrooms at this location which is nice. This plaza tends to be pretty busy on weekends, so definitely need to take that into consideration when looking for parking.

My partner and I ordered boba after hearing amazing reviews about Chicha. I ordered on my phone which made the wait more tolerable. When I went in to get my order, it was pretty crowded inside. There's minimal if any seating. I got the Dong Ding Oolong milk tea with boba and it was light and aromatic. The boba was perfectly chewy.

Wait time was pretty standard for this location. Waited maybe 5 mins to order and then 25-30 minutes for our drinks. The store is packed as usual but can easily get a seat to sit and Waite if you stand around. While we were waiting, we got a tea demo by Nic! He was so thorough and knowledgable of each tea blend and it was a cool experience while we waited. Would recommend trying at least once if you are curious about it.

Everyone kept recommending the honey osmanthus drink but I didn't really like that because I am a sugar girl. The creamy mango tart was SO good. It was like drinking a liquid dessert and I loved it so much. My friends all came here and with online ordering, we got our drinks quickly. The interior has limited seating but it's super well decorated and educational in tea making.

We stumbled upon this little gem as we were driving through the neighborhood, but I'm really glad we decided to give it a try! There's plenty of parking and accessibility features, for everyone to join and enjoy tea! When you enter, their self service kiosks to place your order on the right. Even though there were plenty of guests, the wait did not feel that long. They have your usual Asian teas, such as jasmine, oolong, and black tea, but they also have other unique varieties that I tried for the first time. My favorite was the very refreshing High Mountain Pouchong Tea with Lemon! With plenty of seating, a relaxed atmosphere, and delicious tea, this is someplace will be back for a casual tea outing!

Always impressed with the tea here :) Luckily, the hype has died down a bit and I no longer have to wait so long to get a cup of tea here!! Pretty straight forward -- you order at the kiosk and wait for your order to be called. I recently tried the green grape osmanthus oolong tea, which was so refreshing and yummy! Not too sweet and I loved the addition of grape bits as the topping. Felt like a healthy version of "boba" hehe! The space is pretty open and inviting. We were asked if we wanted to do a tea sampling as well that day, but we didn't have enough time to stay. The quality of the tea here is just amazing and they have so many options to pick from! Make sure to stop by :)

Had the opportunity to stop by on a week day and there was no wait! The shop is located in a plaza with ample parking. The inside is nicely decorated and lots of seating. In the very back, it looks like they offered some tea samples which was really cool. Service was nice and efficient. I ordered a bubble milk tea and dong ding oolong milk tea. Both were really good and I give it a 4/5. The boba was also cooked to perfection as well. The price point for the drink is a little high in my opinion. Although the drink was good, there's nothing about it that really stood out to me compared to other tea shops in the area. If I'm in the area and there is no line, I would come grab a drink. Don't know if I would go out of my way for it.

Note: cannot use gift cards at the self service tablets, must use it with a cashier It was our first time at this location and it's located in a very busy plaza (Saturday). Parking wasn't too difficult if you park closer to the starbucks. We originally tried ordering at the self service kiosk, but it didn't accept gift cards, so we redid our order at the front. We ordered 2 drinks: lemon and mango condensed milk with taro balls (bf drink) and ice peach green tea. I really liked the peach bits inside of the peach green tea and it was very refreshing! My bf's drink was very interesting, too many flavors going on, but the taro balls were perfectly chewy! It's nice that there's a screen at the front to show if your order is in progress and how long it should take. I will say it's a bit inaccurate especially with online orders. Originally ours said to be done in 8 minutes, maybe took 15-20min? Also there were alot of people crowding around the drink pick up station, making it very chaotic. There's a tea station in the back that looked very interesting to learn more about teas and taste them! Maybe an activity for next time :) Overall, I liked my drink and would come back to get drinks togo

I have been to Chicha San Chen for 3 times total and was able to do the tea tasting recently, that's when I learned that this franchise take a lot of pride in their business from creating their own tea maker machine to curate the quality of each tea leaf before serving their customer, i admired their passion for that. Staffs were professional and provide great service every time I visited, overall good experience but maybe their drinks were just not suitable for my taste, even though i tried different items each time i visited but still haven't found anything exceptional or make me want to comeback for more, it's good and i can tell they use high quality ingredients to make their drink but for me personally the taste is quite bland.

After a family reunion, some family members wanted to try this Michelin rated Boba Tea shop. It is located in a very busy shopping center so we had to wait for parking. Upon entering, you can place your order at the kiosk on the right and pickup at the front. There are several table and bar seating. We tried a few of the drinks and they were very good. Did it live up to the hype? I will say the presentation in their carriers were cool. Service was friendly and efficient. Give it a try and decide for yourself.

I ordered the Grape High Mountain Pouchang Tea. It came out within 10 minutes. It tastes a bit sweet at 25% sugar. The tea tastes like butter which was very interesting! The store is big and there are 2 high tables and 1 low table to sit at. It's a great place to have a small hangout. The parking lot is full most of the times so find parking early as possible.

I am obsessed with their tea. I have purchased lots of their tea bags to use at home too with my personal favorite being the cassia black tea. I love how customizable the drinks are. However, it's just too expensive. I got the honey green tea with boba and it was over $9. It's hard for me to justify coming here often for that price. The cups are cute with the classic holder and yarn handle. I've had Chicha in Taichung, Taiwan as well where they have bigger cups, but I actually prefer the US locations because it's less sweet here

Finally had the opportunity to do the Lishan oolong tea tasting and it was a pleasant and insightful experience! Nic walked us through the history of Chicha San Chen and the tea picking and steeping process. You can only try these teas through the tea tasting since they're not on the regular menu. Nic mentioned how the Lishan oolong teas are specifically the award winning teas for the Superior Taste Award from the International Taste Institute. Great overall experience and helped me learn how to appreciate tea more! On the regular menu my favorites are the bubble milk tea and creamy lemon! The bubble milk tea is rich and malty. The creamy lemon is always refreshing to get. The dong ding oolong milk tea is good as well, but can be inconsistent with the tea flavor by being too light tasting. I'd get it hot so the ice doesn't water the taste down. The hot boba is perfectly chewy too!

*Food 4/5 Ordered the Bubble Volcano (Hot) and Dong Ding (Hot). I've been here before a few times and only have ordered cold drinks. I think these two have been my favorite so far. Boba was soft and warm and the temperature was just right. I really liked how the flavor came through compared to the cold drinks. Unfortunately, the drinks lean a bit on the pricier side. It was $18 for 2 drinks. *Service 5/5 Very nice and quick (~5 minutes) *Ambiance 5/5 Inside decor was modern and clean. Noise levels were quiet.

I have mixed feelings about Chicha San Chen. I have heard a lot of hype around the original location getting culinary awards and all that. So, I had to give it a try. And yeah, the brown sugar milk tea was definitely delicious. Was it $13 delicious? I'm not sure. That's basically double the cost of most other tea shops in the bay. My other complaint is how inflexible their ordering is. Most drinks had no topping options. Something I like about most tea shops is how much customization they tend to offer. That's not really the case here. Overall, it was quite good. I just found it to be limiting in their offerings, and a bit overly expensive.

Wow, I really enjoyed this boba tea spot. The inside is so beautiful and the decor is spot on. We also noticed an area for tea tastings that are upwards of $175 per person. What a fancy treat! There were many staff working that day and they all seemed busy but we didn't interact with them much. We ordered on the terminal and waited until our number showed up. Offerings: - Iced Green Grape Tea: perfectly tart and had chunks of grape. Really refreshing on a hot day. - Oosmanthus Oolong Tea with Cream: A very light, complex tea flavor. I wish we had a slightly stronger flavor because it was so good! I ordered it with grass jelly as it was highly recommended here and I was pleasantly surprised. It was one of the best textures of grass jelly I had tasted. Incredibly soft and very similar to jello. Compared to other boba tea spots, I would rank this fairly high based on their variety of tea flavors and drinks as well as the high quality of their offerings. We also loved the little string drink holders! Adorable touch.

Like others have mentioned already, pricier boba but the flavor profiles are unique I personally enjoy high mountain oolong series. The tea leaves are grown at higher altitudes and result in a lighter, more delicate flavor profile without the earthiness of cheaper oolong.

Pretty good fruity tea I got here. Remeber the lines here being massive when they first opened. It was pretty spacious today. :)

Came by the other day for a bubble milk tea and it was a mediocre experience. Placed an online order when they first opened at 11:35 am and my order was ready upon arrival ~10 minutes later. Parking is available in the private lot. There is seating both outdoors and indoors in the air-conditioned cafe. The highlight of the experience was the super talented staff in their pristine uniform, name tag, along with tight disposable nitrile gloves. Some staff even wore a mask. The milk tea was a regular size which was great at an eye-popping ~$9 a cup. Ordered my milk tea without ice or sugar and definitely tasted the tea-flavored water. It quickly became apparent that their tea is quite weak without any sugar or ice to dilute the beverage. The highlight were the super chewy pearls. There are plenty of seats facing the staff to enjoy the scenery. ;)

My wife and I occasionally pass by this place a lot when we head over to homegoods thrift store. When we came around, it wasn't busy and the line was nonexistent at 5pm on a Sunday. We ordered through the kiosk screen, chose the Dong Ding Oolong tea and the Taro milk tea with taro pearls and taro paste. We waited for a bit, good thing the waiting status display was right behind us and we could watch it whenever we wanted to know where the baristas are at. The place was fairly loud but the room looked so bougie and bright with the white floor and white ceilings with lots of windows to keep the place well lit. We stayed outside for half our wait to get some sunlight near the water fountain in front of their store. When seats were available, we sat at the back with those high stool/high tables and we noticed a tea server at the back all himself explaining about the teas they serve. When we had our drinks, it came wrapped with those handles strung up with a thin rope like you can carry your drink like a small satchel (sorta felt unnecessary). We enjoyed our drinks, normally taro is a super sweet drink but this one was just right, rich in texture and smooth because of the milk. My wife and I would say that their taro drink is the best in the Bay Area if you're into rich in flavor and texture, smooth and not so sweet. Try to be careful in the parking lot, people tend to go in and out quick and the entrance is nearby to Steven's Creek blvd. The people who already want to leave when backing out get blocked by incoming traffic from the main road.

I tried Chicha San for the first time, and I can definitely see why it's so popular. The moment I walked in, the aroma of tea filled the air, and it it smelled amazing. There's even a dedicated corner for tea tasting, and the number of staff working was impressive, especially given how busy it gets. I ordered the iced grape tea with konjac jelly, which came with real green grape pieces. The flavor was refreshing. The tea was noticeable but not overpowering, and everything balanced really well. It actually reminded me a bit of Welch's green grape juice, but more refined.

First of all the aroma of the establishment are permeated by the tea fragrance of the tea wall. Was there to pick up our first drink. Clean, organized and relaxing. For those in a hurry, I highly recommend pre-order as each cup is passionately brewed with utmost precision. Had a great opportunity to be entertained and introduce to a quick tea lesson by Lucas, the tea connoisseur of the day. Learned about the tea production and quality and how to properly serve a delicate cup of tea. Shout out to Lucas

I finally got a chance to check out Chicha San Chen as the crowds have died down a bit. Chicha San Chennis located in The Crossroads plaza, close to Marugame Udon. The store is nice and simple with some tables to sit at. They have some games for people to relax and play like jenga. Two separate men & women restrooms. They do have plenty of staff to prepare the drinks. So the line does move quickly. We tried their tea tasting beforehand with Nic. Nic was very pleasant, knowledgeable, and hospitable. He did an awesome job explaining the tea and tea strengths, harvesting the teas, and explaining the whole process. It was so worth it. We sampled the lightest tea (florally and grassy), a medium tea (smoky) and a dark tea (charcoal-ly, strong smokey). *Dong Ding Oolong Milk Tea (Cream) added bubble +$1.25. Currently in season is their Peach Series. Come check them out.

First time in town and we went back here two days in a row. The inside is clean, bright, with pleasant decor and games to entertain groups. They also offer samples and have a water station which I appreciate. My favorites are the grape sparkling drink and the condensed milk drink series, which I heard are seasonal items. The staff was friendly and helpful. Would love to come back and try more!

Best tea ever! I love the freshness and the tea quality at this store I usually go with just tea no sugar no cream and that's how I got to taste the flavor. My favorite is High Mountain Pochong Service was fast and the shop has plenty of seatings Good place to gathering with friends or get some work done

Tea quality and service is good. The workers are very friendly about answering questions about the drink and the type of tea. Another cool thing you can do while you wait is to take a tea class where they make the teas for you and explain it. The place is also clean and samples you can try. The two downfalls to the place though is the price and the wait time. It is more on the expensive side for the size of the cup. The wait can be 20minutes from the time you order. And that's already after waiting in line to order. They do have the perk of the tea tasting but waiting can still be long. Best to order online.

Don't hate me but this place is kinda over hyped. Yes, I did enjoy my boba that was soft yet chewy. Yes, I could really taste the tea. But I don't understand what qualifies this place to have a Michelin star. Don't get me wrong, I definitely enjoyed it and will be coming here again if it isn't busy but I would not go out of my way or be willing to wait a long time to get this. Service was quick because I came midday on a weekday and inside it was clean.

First time having Chicha a few months ago. I had the Mango Green tea with konjac. At $8.25 a drink, I found it pretty wild for a smaller cup also. I was able to sample the Passion fruit green tea (which is usually my go-to), but wanted to try something else. In the future, I will definitely order PFGT since the flavors seemed quite good on the sample. Overall, flavors are decent but a bit over-priced. Parking can be difficult in the plaza. Also, be prepared to wait. You can order on snackpass at times too.

I really liked the presentation and the taro balls. I didnt think the tea was as great as I was expecting for the price but still tasty. I got the dong ding oolong tea and it was decently strong but just not as much as I would've liked. I'll probably come to retry this but I did enjoy the unique topping

I love the tea here sooo fresh. My favorite boba place. Oolong and black tea are my favorites. This place always has a line ! Cause it's that's good ! Beautiful cafe

I don't think I would be coming here if they didn't have order ahead because there's no way I would be waiting 30+ mins for a drink. What I love about this place is the drink is perfect every time with the right amount of sweetness you asked for. With ordering ahead, they tell you exactly when your drinks would be ready. I have tried pretty much every kind of tea on the menu and I've loved them all, some more than others. I have been sticking to just green tea with mango or green tea with honey and add boba. The boba is the right chewiness and a hint of sweet and it's also perfect every single time. I prefer their tea without cream. You can really taste the freshness of the tea and it's so refreshing especially on a hot day. I wish they offer a bigger size because I always want more. I also hope one day they would get rid of the paper sleeves, it's just added trash to the environment. I can't really comment on if the staff is nice or not. I just come in, give them my #, grab my drinks and out the door. I never really had to interact with anyone more than that.

Very fresh fruit drinks. Lovely free tea tasting and atmosphere. Friendly service. Will definitely be back soon!

Chicha San Chen is absolutely delicious! Been constantly coming here since they opened! Finally had the opportunity to try their tea tasting with the Lishan oolong! Nic did an amazing job teaching me and demonstrating the tea making process! He was very clear in each of the steps and showing the differences between all the different tea roasts! I had a great time learning and trying their Lishan oolong! Really appreciate this experience from Nic and Chicha San Chen!

Delicious! For the Bay Area, this shop and the drinks are fairly priced. It's clear they hold the quality of yea to a high caliber. I love tha natural tastes and unique flavors. The only negative I can think is the longer than average wait times to order + pick up your drink. Overall, if I'm ever in the area, I would definitely order from here. I think this shop is amongst one of the best boba shops in the area!

I had been wanting to try their drinks for a very long time and my friend and I decided to check it out on a Saturday at around 4:20 pm. There was a decent line but we placed our orders at the front and the wait was about 30 minutes. Most people recommend ordering it online for pickup because it does take a while. Pineapple Honey Tea - The sweetness was very balanced from the pineapple bits and honey with the tea that isn't overpowering. All the flavors worked harmoniously together and it was really refreshing for a hotter day. I also tried some of my friend's classic milk tea with boba and the rich milk tea with the soft boba was a standout for me too. I would definitely come back to try some of their other milk tea or fruit tea drinks.

This place had a line out the door and for good reason! I thought the tea drink I had was pretty good. I tried the green tea and noticed the Chinese characters said 松針綠茶 (pine needle green tea). It's fairly strong and still shown through even though I got it with milk. I did less sugar and thought the sweetness was good for me but I think the "perfect" level of sugar that they had on the menu could also work for me too. I don't think the drinks are that sweet here compared to some shops which is nice. The boba is chewy for the most part! I also tried the samples of black tea perfect sugar and thought it was also yummy. There's also a tea tasting experience in the back. My friend said there is a free session and a paid session. But I believe you need to make reservations for those. Overall I quite liked the drink and the ambiance here. I can see why it's so busy!

Loved doing the tea tasting experience today with Lucas! He was extremely nice and knowledgeable about the tea roasting, and preparation for the Lishan oolong tea. It's about a 10ish-15 minute experience where you get to try a cup of freshly brewed tea from their tea buds!! We picked the lightest roast which has a floral taste to it and is very refreshing. Definitely come try the tea tasting with Lucas if you get a chance! :) it's tucked in the back of the store with five spots open for each tasting! We learned they take the extra buds and put them on the mountain artwork in the front so the whole store smells delicious. The boba is also my favorite in Cupertino with the honey osmanthus oolong tea being my go to! It's not too heavy or too sweet and it's perfect to sip on while walking around.

This place is almost always busy when I come. The plaza parking design is not too great either with one side of the plaza almost hostile to any one parking there with plenty of signs reminding you may be towed if you do. Anyways, wait time could range from 20m to 40m. I'd suggest to just order on Uber Eats or something before driving over. The line usually is pretty long as well. The drinks here tend to lean towards aromatic teas than the usual sweet milk tea you get around here which is my preference. There's the usual "sea foam" that you can mix in if you want less tea. My only suggestion is to have stronger tea flavors or "lesser" ice option to avoid watering it too much.

Finally gave this spot a try on a Friday and it wasn't too busy luckily! I like how at the end of the line there's a sign saying approx how long it'll take. We opted to ordering online and the process was easy. My fiance and I both got the volcano, which is a brown sugar boba with milk, no tea from my understanding. The drink itself was pretty good, although maybe I should have tried a milk tea. The drink was a good level of sweetness and the boba was perfect texture. Overall, I'd be back! Given you can order online, I like the convenience as I don't know for me if it's worth a long wait. The inside is very pretty and clean. Easy ordering system and nice employees!

When I saw on TikTok that Chicha San Chen is a Michelin rated boba tea shop, I zipped over to Cupertino to try it. The drinks are simple and pure, tea forward. Not as much frou frou as you get at some of the other tea shops, with toppings and the like, as the focus is on tea quality. The taste of the tea has a clarity to it, bold and aromatic, like a fine perfume. The shop is very serious about tea, and offers a tea tasting and education counter in the back, where you can learn about the nuance of the various teas. I'm personally more attracted to rich and sweet combos of tea with other ingredients, so after trying a few styles, I got hooked on the taro milk tea with taro balls, which the helpful girl at the counter suggested I try, since I don't like boba. Taro balls are nutty, with a pleasingly chewy texture, and the taro milk tea is super delicious, enough so that I've craved it repeatedly, as an afternoon pick me up when working in San Jose.

The skinny: Tea tasting was excellent Expensive (but worth?) The lengthy: We wanted something cool after a hot day in the sun. Ordered passionfruit green tea, no sugar, lite ice. It was expensive. Roasted Oolong Tea tasting with Yun was informative and fun! She masked up to keep a high bar of sanitation while serving the differing roasts and explaining the process of production. After the tasting the six of us sat at the large communal table to chat and play with jenga blocks. While i do not know if it was worth $7.25, it was also some of the best tea i have had. I will be back if the wife is willing to splurge for some dreamy sips...

Can't believe I haven't reviewed this spot - worth the hype, still in 2025. I get the Milk Tea with Taro Ball and Taro Paste $8.75. They only have one size here, and it's a shame because I wish they had a larger size. I get my drink perfect sweetness and normal ice. It's quite literally the perfect sweetness! The milk tea is creamy and smooth while still having a strong essence of the actual tea leaves. The taro balls are my FAVORITE. Very chewy, not too dense and not overly sweet. I think I like taro balls better than normal black tapioca pearls. The taro paste adds to the creaminess of the overall drink. This is the perfect drink and I highly recommend. They have free tea tastings in the back, all you have to do is get a ticket and wait for the next tasting (generally every 30-45 minutes). It's a great experience and something fun to do with friends while you wait for your drinks! Steep prices and always at least a 10-20 minute wait but the quality is consistent and the drinks are delicious.

Absolutely love the packaging, one of my favorite parts about coming here! Also appreciate the quickness in ordering as well as the free samples. I know they're a very popular chain but I feel like the wait time is a little bit too long for the drink in my opinion (The first time I came here I waited about 45 minutes). The boba is nice though and hope to try more flavors in the future.

I've been hearing plenty of things about this spot so a friend and I decided to finally try it out. While waiting at a table for drinks, Nic approached our table asking us if we would like to participate in a tea tasting (complimentary) and we agreed. It didn't take too much of our time and he was very knowledgeable about the different teas that they steep--from the lightest leaves they have to the darkest. I tried their lightest selection which has a high amount of caffeine and it surprisingly tasted very subtle. Nic was able to answer any questions we had and was very kind. The tea tasting was also interactive as Nic let us smell and feel the tea leaves. I'm not normally a tea drinker, but it was nice to try it out this once.

Ambiance (5/5): INCREDIBLY pretty inside. Plenty of seating thankfully if it's not super peak hours! The smell of tea wafts all around the store and it's so pleasant to be inside. I wouldn't recommend this place for studying or doing work here though. Chicha San Chen is definitely more of just a chill, boba shop then a studying environment: few, if any, available outlets and no free wifi. They have some board games on the big table (Jenga, Uno) but I've personally never seen someone play with them for a game. Service (3.5/5): I've gone here countless times now and all of the workers are super sweet and kind. The only bad thing I have to say is that the drinks aren't well-standardarized. Sometimes, I'll order the same drink with same sweetness and it's sometimes sweeter or not as sweet. For this case though, it's not too egregious or different but definitely noticeable. In addition, when I go with multiple people and order together, they'll every now and then either switch the toppings, teas, or sweetness around everyone's orders so it's not quite what we ordered but they'll fix it kindly if you bring it up to them. I can definitely understand because it seems like they have a complicated system to make the drinks with different people working on each different part of the drink (one person for toppings, another for the tea, etc.). If you go during high peak hours, prepare to wait like 20ish min for your drink, but they're so fast otherwise. Drinks (4.5/5): Since I've been here A LOT, I'll try to review all of the drinks I tried, current and past. Not every drink is my cup of tea (hehe) but I could definitely taste that Chicha uses high quality tea and puts a lot of care into curating recipes. It's just a shame they're inconsistent and also sooo expensive. * Dong Ding Oolong Tea w/ Cream and Taro Balls, Perfect Sugar, Perfect Ice (5+/5): MY FAVORITE. This drink has been my order for like 85% of the times I've gone. I am more of a milk tea girl than fruit teas but their fruit teas are pretty good too! I do try to find more drinks on the menu that I like but they've never beaten this order yet. If I'm craving more of a refreshing taste, I literally just get this order but light sugar and it's so good as well. There was a time period, like a month if I remember correctly, when they just opened where they didn't have taro balls and I was absolutely devastated. I think I'll start ordering more often light sweet though now; the last couple of times I've ordered it, it's been personally too sweet weirdly enough. No unpleasing grape peels that some boba shops love to leave in the cup as well. * Iced Grape Green Tea with Konjac (5/5): Super refreshing and I love pairing their fruit teas with their konjac. It feels healthier too which is always appreciated. You taste the green grapes and strong tea. * Lemon and Mango Condensed Milk (3/5): REALLY tasted like lemon icing on a lemon cupcake. I really don't like icing so I didn't like this drink that much but got more enjoyable as the ice melted. It's pretty thick during the first couple of sips though, but again, the eventual melted ice helped it out. I didn't really taste the mango unfortunately. * Any drink with High Mountain Pouchong Tea (5/5): If you love strong, fragrant tea, this one is so good. It's not too dark nor too light. I've tried different variations with different toppings or fruits since their opening but I think it's best without milk/cream. Overall, very enjoyable. My favorite drink with this tea is the High Mountain Pouchong Tea with Mango and I recommend getting less sugar to really let the tea shine. * Cassia Black Tea with Cream (3.5/5): Smelled/semi tasted like chocolate. This drink just made me wish I ordered the dong ding tea... * Milk Tea w/ Taro Ball and Taro Paste (4/5): Made me again wish I just ordered the dong ding tea but I thoroughly enjoyed the taro paste in it. It wasn't too sweet at all and tasted housemade. * Bubble milk tea (3/5): If this is what you're craving, I wouldn't recommend getting it here. It's very mediocre compared to the rest of the menu. The boba is a good consistency but it just doesn't seem to pair well with their milk tea oddly enough. * Any Osmanthus Oolong Tea (4/5): Very floral, very light. I would heavily would not recommend getting milk/cream any time with this tea because they do not go together. I don't personally like Osmanthus but it's a go-to for my partner here. Overall/ TLDR: Amazing other than its high prices and drink/sweetness consistency. They put the perfect amount of the ice so I wouldn't recommend getting light ice. If you do, it ends up a little warm which is definitely not pleasing on warm days. I recommend pairing the taro balls for any milk teas (except osmanthus) and konjac/bubble/boba with any fruit/non-milk teas. I have too many photos of the drinks here but I attached my most recent visits.