Athena
Google
I've been coming here since they opened -- the boba has been perfect for me every time I go :) So chewy and soft, just the way I like it. Maybe I am just easy to please? I am also not a "matcha expert" so maybe I cant discern the difference... anyway, I've been here MANY times, and only thought once (or maybe twice), that my drink tasted watered down. But other than that, I have always loved how the drinks tasted & gulped it down happily. Perhaps some people are confusing "watered down" with "there is less sugar" aka it doesnt taste as "strong" or sweet, it's just more subtly flavored (but that never bothered me). Less sugar means also its also healthier for you, and usually "healthy" things dont taste good... I even think one of the cashiers told me once that their "regular" amount of sugar they put in the drinks is less than the standard boba place. So for example, if I say I want 50% sweetness at Koala T next door, that's prob going to taste like 75% here? Something like that.
ALSO - I have been lucky enough to meet june here (TWICE) and she is so nice!!! :D Got a picture with her the first time, it was probably the best day ever!
This place is really cute & i love all the decor. There is a spot to instagram your drinks (of course, not surprising since june is an instagram star)! The only thing is the size, it's so small & narrow, so the customer flow is very awkward... they recently changed where the cashier is, which I admit, it would've made more sense for them to lay it out this way TO BEGIN WITH... but now everyone got used to the original way, where they had it on the side, so now everyone is waiting / lurking in the area where you line up to order & it's kind of a mess. I feel like they needed an architect to help design the inner flow better (like that scene in The Founder haha).
It has never been that crowded whenever I come here either... maybe I'm just lucky?? Literally I've only had to wait for like 1-2 people in front of me. I guess I dont come during peak hours or something.
I've almost tried every drink on the menu, so I wont go through and review them all, but of course the Magic Matcha is the best one!!! Love it so much, plus it's got good stuff for you. It's the most expensive though :( And in general, the drink prices here might be a little more than other places, esp since there is a lot of ice in the cups.
The aloe, white chocolate, and blueberry are also REALLY good, even though you might not expect it!!
My Japanese side is thrilled that they have onigiri on their menu, it’s not a mainstream food item in the US, I used to get made fun of eating these at lunch when I was a kid😕 It's a rice ball that has different things stuffed inside, and I've tried most of them, they're all delicious!! The only down side is that whatever sesame sprinkle they use on the top is SUPER salty (or maybe it's the salt from the seaweed? not sure)... either way that was kind of surprising to me.
BTW, come after 9pm (they close at 10pm) and they do buy one get one on the onigiri!!
My only gripe is this loyalty program :( It’s not dollar based, it’s just “earn a star if you spend over $3 (basically one visit, bc most items are ~$3). Except usually when I go, I spend like $10, so I feel like I should get more stars ⭐️⭐️🤔 For example, my froyo-obsessed self would always get annoyed when a place gives you “one stamp per visit” except I fill my cup with 3x as many lbs of froyo/spend more per visit than the average person. Not fair to make your most loyal customers lose out on points - everything should be dollar based, but I suppose there must be some business strategy behind it, guess they'd lose too much money if they did it on a dollar basis lol... Anyway, def worth a visit!!
