Podong Seoul Tea

Stumbled upon this place by chance while trying out the place next door. The decor is pretty cool, but everything was pretty over stimulating as a first timer. I wasn’t sure what to order since they have so many different types of drinks. I got the hojicha milk tea and it’s super super sweet. The peach lychee tea is sweet too. I love sweet things but my tongue is numb from the sweetness right now.

Korean Pear Slush and Seoul Taro Milk with oat milk was pleasantly fantastic. A bit pricey but worth it. Boba was of great hardness. Thanks Irene!

Usually I don't leave a review but I was mad. I ordered BLACKEND COOKIES & CREME and It was full of ICE. No joke. ICE to the top. Cookies and cream stuck on the buttom and unable to reach. Consistency was watery not creamy. Went to the person who helped me and showed her the cup how is full of ICE. I was expecting her at least to change it and give me something better, she said talk to the management. YOU HAVE YELP !!. Apparently she doesn't care about the reviews. Here I am leaving a review. Skip it and order something else or go somewhere else. There are so many stores that provide what you are looking for.

Edit: Unfortunately, I'm really disappointed with the spot. My second visit was pleasant because the girls working are super duper nice, but the drinks just did not do it for me. On top of that, my bestfriend and I got two different drinks and those drinks had us going to the restroom. It made our stomachs upset. We got the Jeju Hojicha and Wintermelon Milk Tea and Thai Tea. Hojicha was strong in flavor and the Wintermelon was a miss. The Thai Tea was the best one as it wasn't your usual Thai Tea. It had a different flavor to it in a pleasant way. This new boba spot has very intriguing flavors! Korean -inspired flavors like Persimmon, Goguma, sweet rice milk, etc. My bestfriend and I tried 4 drinks: Peach Oolong MT, Spiced Persimmon, Seoul Taro Milk, and Mango Yogurt Blast. The best one we liked was the taro (powder based). Peach Oolong could use more peach and tea flavor. It was just milky. The spiced persimmon was more spiced and barely any persimmon. The mango yogurt was pretty good. It's a lil bit blended with ice but it just tasted like yakult with a hint of mango. I wish it had more of a mango flavor. The boba was okay. It was a bit on the undercooked side. I'll try again to try other flavors since I'm still intrigued by the other drinks like Goguma, Chestnut, Sweet Rice, etc.

Seems to be a relatively new spot and decided to check it out. Inside it’s a great spot for pictures and had a casual setting. I had the Mango Yogurt Blast and it was really delicious!

Korean owned boba shop serving very Korean flavors and vintage atmosphere. You won't find a lot of these flavor offerings elsewhere!

This place was honestly really good! The interior is really interesting and made me really curious about the drinks. The staff was informative and very helpful! I got the Blueberry yogurt drink and it was so refreshing! Hopefully this establishment gets more business, they deserve it!

Their yogurt drink is me and my husband’s new addiction. Just enough sweetness and tartiness. Their boba is on hard side but my preference is more squishy one hence 4 stars

We came on a Saturday afternoon. It's located in a pretty busy plaza square with the tiniest parking spots on the top, but there's underground parking. Inside is eclectic-y decorated with about 4 tables for seating, as well as a photo booth area. It was pretty empty so there was no wait. I appreciated the screen menu that had popular/new drinks. I ended up getting the tarty yogurt blast with boba, but there were a bunch of other drinks that I wanted to try! The drink was nice and refreshing and the boba was warm and sweet with the perfect consistency. Can't wait to come back to try something else!

I love the Seoul taro milk tea. I usually order it hot, but had to go with the iced today, it's still really good! The mango fruit blast has the perfect balance! Not too sweet. The employees are always so sweet and accommodating. Podong has a chill, welcoming vibe, we always stay to chat and finish our boba here.

This place really caught my attention because of how unique it is. I stumbled across this place via TikTok... and my friends also mentioned it as we were hanging out. The ambiance feels very retro/ 80s. I love how Podong doesn't have basic boba shop flavors... but it has a Korean twist to their flavors. I was so heartbroken because i looked at their yelp & saw a black sesame drink and got SUPER excited but they discontinued it! :( I'm a black sesame Connoisseur. Next time I come I really wanna try different flavors! I wasn't fully satisfied with my drink (I got the sweet rice drink). Overall, I give this place a 8/10. My friends and I tried each others drinks and I loved the drinks they got!

Amazing love the store and service, drink is BOMB. Didnt try the food but will get to it. Vibes are chill love the ambiance!

FOOD [3/5] I got the jeju hojicha and it wasn't what I expected hojicha to be. It didn't give me the roasted tea flavor. EXPERIENCE [4/5] The line to order drinks was long and did take a while. After ordering it took some time for our drinks to come out. I like the aesthetics of the store! It's cute and they have a free photo booth that prints pictures. SERVICE [3.5/5] It took a while for our drinks to come out because they were busy.

I love how unique this place is! The inside has a retro vibe to it, and they have a free photo booth that you can take pictures with your friends while you're getting a drink! I noticed they have very unique flavors that I haven't heard of before. I got the Hanok which is a matcha drink with injeolmi. Hanok: I really liked the drink! The matcha is very subtle and I think the injeolmi overpowers the matcha just a little bit, but I enjoyed it regardless. It's definitely on the sweeter side so if you're not a fan of sweet drinks, I'd recommend adjusting the sweetness to maybe a 75%. I got regular sweetness no adjustment and it was fine for me. Definitely will be back to try other drinks here!

I've now been here way too many times to have not reviewed this place. Easy 5/5. Not your standard boba flavors, but better. Korean inspired flavors with really fun stories. Staff is pretty cool too - always a vibe when we stop by. Podong's located in a small plaza, but I haven't had any issues with parking. Make sure you get a stamp card from them (you'll be back). Can't remember the drinks I've gotten, but haven't disliked a single one yet. Their boba is also A+. The texture and taste of the boba is a great contrast to the milk/tea. Always stop by here when I'm in the area - I want one of their mascot posters. (,:

Ambiance: the tea shop is located in the corner spot of the plaza, shared parking with other members, the floor inside is not cleaned and very sticky Service: very friendly staff and patient with requests Drink: ordinary menu for milk tea and slush CLASSIC MILK TEA - *** average Strawberry Creme Brulee - *** even half sugar is overly sweet, the boba was undercooked and too chewy Price: reasonable prices, about $5~$7 per drink depends choice of any toppings

Drink too much Podong and you'll become podong podong 4.5/5 | Blueberry Yogurt Blast | $6.5 Food: Another great boba shop in the South Bay! Blueberry Yogurt Blast has sweet and tart flavors with a refreshing slushie texture. I personally get only this drink here, so I definitely RECOMMEND! Service: The staff here are always chill and nice. Ambiance: The inside of the store has a hip vibe all around. There are posters, comics, skateboard, and so much more. They recently added a photobooth that you can take pictures in with your friends!

This was my first time trying this place and I ordered the Blackened Cookies and Cream. The sesame overpowered the cookies and cream so it tasted like sesame milk to me. A little disappointed as I liked the cookie and cream flavor, but the workers were super sweet and parking was a breeze in the plaza!

Podong offers unique Korean drinks from injeolmi to Korean pear! I was immediately drawn to their retro interior and free Photo Booth inside. The decor is extremely well thought out and fits their concept perfectly. You can order on the tablet or with the cashier. Even though they have 4 tables with chairs, it feels more like a grab and go place. Large parking lot outside. As for the drinks: - soul Thai milk tea 5/5 - strawberry yakult 4/5 - - Korean pear 3/5 Note: the boba is on the sweeter side I'm really sad they discontinued their sweet rice drink! I hope they bring it back. It was my favorite!!

I really wanted to try the Korean pear flavor but they were sold out. I opted for the golden mango blast. It felt like it wasn't blended properly because I kept biting on chunks of ice with each sip. Other than that, the flavor was okay, nothing special. :( I will say that the menu is very unique. The ambiance is cute, retro, and there is even a photobooth with props inside. The worker was very sweet. If I were to come again I would definitely try a different item.

Run, don't walk to Podong cause their drinks are delicious! My friend and I tried their strawberry Milkis tea and their Banana Savannah, a cinnamon banana milk crème brûlée drink, and we loved both! The Banana Savannah at half sweet is a decadent, creamy, frothy delight with a very strong cinnamon flavor followed by some banana aftertaste. The first sip wowed me cause of how creamy and cinnamon-y it was, making it the perfect drink for fall. I honestly couldn't get enough! And when you're done with the drink, you can fish out the sliced banana pieces which have some crème brulee and cinnamon remnants on them and reminded me of this banana dessert they used to have Todai, a Japanese buffet. Just like their black sesame and sweet rice milk teas, I got no tea flavor whatsoever in this drink, but also just like the other drinks, I thought it tasted great. 10/10 will stop here every time I have a show at the Forum or YouTube theater since it's relatively close by.

My friends and I wanted to get boba and have a place to relax/chill at before our flight so we were super glad we picked this spot because the drinks were great and there were enough chairs/table. Their menu is definitely unique and had flavors that were authentic Korean flavors and I've never seen them before. I was nervous to try a super risky drink so I got the strawberry yogurt blast and it was the first time I had yogurt in my drink and I was hesitant to try it but I'm so glad I got it because it was delicious! The tartiness really made the drink and helped balance out the sweetness. They also have a photo booth that printed pictures out for free so we definitely had a lot of fun entertaining ourselves with the photo booth while waiting for our drinks. Highly recommend checking this boba place out!

After visiting this place multiple times, I can confirm this place serves quality drinks consistently! I've been able to find parking every time but it can most definitely get crowded at peak hours. Their aesthetic, design, and unique drinks are utterly unmatched! The interior gives off a unique retro vibe, and you typically can't find most of their flavors elsewhere. Whether you're craving something fruity, milky, or both, they have a wide range of assortments to satisfy any boba craving :) Their yogurt blasts & milkis drinks are perfect for anyone wanting something fruity, but I've yet to try any of their milk teas. Their matcha is a bit on the earthier side & tasted a bit grainy, so I guess you could say it wasn't my cup of tea (badum tss) p.s: they offer very cute stamp cards that unlock free toppings/discounts at certain amount of drinks purchased, make sure you ask for one! (*´w`*)

Came across Podong in a last minute Yelp search while on vacation and it turned out to be a great stop! They have such unique drinks on the menu and I love the Korean influence. The decor in the shop is super fun too. I had trouble deciding what I wanted but often when I'm on vacation I'll try to order what I absolutely can't get back home. For this place, it was the Korean pear slush! I absolutely love eating those so I was interested in a drink version. It was on the seasonal menu too so who knows if I'll ever get it again! I don't usually order slush drinks but the flavor intrigued me. It was the best decision!! It was so light and refreshing after a day of heavy food and hot weather. I was so full from dinner and couldn't quite finish my slush, but didn't want to waste it so I ended up putting the leftover in a bottle to freeze and bring back home. SO good!! My husband picked the Blackened Cookies n Cream which is a black sesame drink with creme brulee spread in the cup. It was good but wasn't anything super unique. The boba itself was cooked well too. Will definitely be returning here whenever we are in the area again. I have already recommended it to a friend who lives nearby!

Solid boba shop if you are looking for milk tea with a Korean flavors twist on it. They have a huge variety of different flavors and hidden menu flavors as well! I got the strawberry yakult blast with lychee. It was pretty 아주 맛있는 and so refreshing on a hot day. I hear the Korean pear flavor is really good so I will be trying that next time I stop by! The service was really nice and chill. The bobrista helped answer all my questions about the different flavors and gave me topping recommendations for each one! The ambiance of this tea shop is the best part of the experience. Brings me back to the days of when I was living in Korea so if you want to have the reminiscing in nostalgia of modern day cafe Korea without actually going to Korea I highly recommend this shop. It's super spacious too given that it's in a small complex Next time I am in the area I will be stopping by the shop

A MUST if you're a boba enjoyer and are in the area! I know they're opening up a location in La Mirada, but I can't help but to cross my fingers and pray that one day they'll expand into the 626 because hands down this is one of the most unique boba places that I've ever been to, both in aesthetics, theming, and variety and flavors of drinks and toppings. We came around an hour before they closed so there was a lot of parking available, but seeing that there's so many businesses in this plaza and that there's underground parking, just be warned that it might get crowded at other times. Can't comment enough on how UNIQUE the decor and aesthetics are for this place. I have NEVER seen this type of theming and vibe at any other boba place that I have been to. There's this unique vintage, grunge-y look that I can easily envision a K-pop music video taking place at. A vintage color palette that is both cool and warm, but evokes a sense of nostalgia. The set props perfect for taking photos at that reminds you of hanging out at someone's combined mechanic shop/garage/etc. Can't really find the words to describe it other than ON POINT. Ordering here is done with a large touch screen kiosk and the effort they put in to making their drinks visually appealing has to be noted. Each drink is given a really nice photoshoot with added filters and sparkles for that day dreamy effect. They have their Podong special drinks, but also fruit and milk teas, slushes, classic teas, and yogurt (Milkis) drinks. We got the: 1) Honey Maesil Slush (limited seasonal): -Unique, summer twist to a traditional taste and drink. -It's a Korean green plum drink, sweetened with some honey, but in the form of a refreshing slush. -Nice and citrussy, but with some earthy tasting tones. - I got this at a reduced sweetness which was perfect but I feel like if I went even lower it would have tasted like "a drink for old people" if you know what I mean. 2) Seoul Taro Milk: -A safe choice, but deliciously unique spin on a classic. -It's a mild taste that is not too sweet and there is a slight nutty taste. Perfectly made sweet with the swirled brown sugar creme brulee. My friend also got a sweet rice milk tea with some add-ons but I didn't get a chance to try. Service was helpful and friendly and I LOVE the light pastel blue straws that they have here (very Miku/Cinnamaroll core). Going to add this as an end note, but seeing that this was a very Korean flavor based boba place I knew that we HAD to go since, at least from what I notice in the 626, Koreans don't usually do milk tea and boba. If they have those it's in addition to being a coffee or dessert place (bingsu/bakery/etc.) & never standalone. So in a sense, Podong is IMMENSELY unique. If I'm ever in the area again I'm going to try more of their unique menu (and grab one of their stamp cards). Really really hoping that they add more locations.

great refreshing tea made quickly and the boba was perfect! called order ahead and it was waiting for me in the fridge within 7 minutes.

Stopped by on a Sunday - no line! Parking was t too bad as they have a shared lot in the strip mall. My lychee peach tea with lychee coconut jelly was AWESOME!

Stopped by the other day because I happened to be in the area. This place is so cute! I've never had Korean tea before, but the flavors are sooo unique. I'm not much of a risk taker, if I'm being completely honest, so I got the Strawberry Calpis drink. It was really good! I love strawberry yakult and this was just like a fizzy version of it. The ambiance was really cute. There were 4 or 5 tables but it was empty when I went, so I stuck around to kill time and take advantage of the free wi-fi ‍ The music was pretty loud but I just put on headphones. Would come back again if I was in the area :)

The drinks are amazing! It reminded me of the Korean drinks I drank as a child but with a twist. I highly recommend you stop by and enjoy a refreshing drink!!

Podong Seoul Tea has a really interesting menu! Not your basic boba drinks. A couple of drinks we tried: Jeju Hojicha - solid tea flavor! I opted for oat milk and loved it. Good for those of you who like a stronger green tea. Strawberry Yakult Blast - the flavor was good, but the drink was a little too icey. I wish it was more blended like a smoothie! Tarty Yogurt Blast - I liked this one over the yakult blast! It was creamier and had a stronger tart flavor. Boba - the boba was cooked well, but I wish it was steeped in honey so it was sweeter. This is a fun place to stop by with friends! They have a few tables and a free photobooth as well :)

I was excited to try this place due to all the enthusiastic reviews, but when I sipped the hot version of jeju hojicha oat milk tea, I was disappointed because it's not as flavorful as I expected. I could see that it's described as "nutty", but the taste seemed anemic. Their boba is chewy and satisfying, but again the underlying tea was lacking. Service was also average. The decor is eclectic and hip, but the photo booth was not operational when I visited. The Korean hip hop playing in the background did some good vibe while I waited for my beverage. Perhaps I should try another flavor next time to give them another chance.

Podong is quickly becoming my fav local boba shop. Large variety of drink. Some places only have a couple good drinks, but every drink I've tried is super good. So fun that they offer free photobooth pics. Such a good incentive to return. The interior is very bright and lively. However imo a tad outdated looking like fast fashion circa 2014. Regardless, it's unique compared to the usual, "posh", modern boba aesthetic. My favorite is Strawberries and Cream with boba. But, you really can't go wrong with any of the drinks.

Tasty drink with the cutest photobooth! I genuinely enjoyed my visit here, and staff was very sweet. Ambiance is very retro, it's a great hang out spot! I ordered their Mango Milkis Tea & Seoul Taro Milk Tea! I liked the taro one A LOT! Their mango milkis wasn't my favorite, probably 3/5. And that's maybe because it was carbonated, I had expected it to be more creamy. I still want to come back and try out their other drinks! Overall, still a good place to visit.

The boba spot is very cute inside (wish I remembered to take a pic) and the service was so nice. I came with my whole family (6 of us) so ordering was low-key chaos but the guy was kind, patient, and helpful. Our orders were: - A custom Jasmine tea (I don't like Jasmine tea but my sister enjoyed her drink) - Thai creme brûlée 10/10 I would drink this every day if I lived nearby. The Thai tea was aromatic and just the right sweetness for me at 75% and the creme brûlée was the perfect texture and flavor. My dad got the same thing as me but 25% sweet and also loved it. - My brother got Peach Lychee and loved it (I did too and my partner liked it so much we went back in to order him one) - My other brother got the blueberry lemonade. This one is hard to "score". It wasn't bad but I think the "blueberry" part adds an artificial taste to it. It is also on the tart side which I don't mind. My brother really liked it at first but then got sick of it pretty fast-I think if it was sweeter with actual sugar vs the blueberry flavoring he'd have been fine. I did love the taste of the lemonade itself which I was able to try the next day when the blueberry "slush" part had separated from the lemonade in the fridge lol. Overall, it's hard to go somewhere where everyone is relatively happy, especially my family and boba (so many of us have split tastes) so the fact that we all left happy was a win. (4.5 stars)

The good: I came and tried the roasted brown rice milk tea. It was amazingly delicious and had that deep and nutty roasted flavor that is very comforting. I've always been a fan of those Korean instant multigrain drink packets (stole them from grandma) and this is an elevated version of that with the addition of black tea to add more dimension and interest in the flavor. Speaking of flavors, their menu offers so many interesting Korean-inspired drink options I haven't seen elsewhere. I want to come back and try the banana drinks. The service was quick and friendly. The bad: They have a carrying case that's a bit too low for the tall cups. It doesn't do a great job of carrying cups. The interesting: Their decor is unlike the typical cutesy boba shop with girly flowers or frill. It's still instagram-worthy but with more of a boyish flair with the race car theme. There's checkered floors, a fish eye mirror that's great for selfies, merch with their turtle icon, factory plastic curtains and chairs that look like they belong in an auto body shop. I really like the unique look of the spot because it's untraditional and edgy.

This place is fairly new in the area and really happy with it! The drinks are really good and variety is big. The staff are always super friendly and very helpful. The shop is small but there's tablets that are for submitting your order which is pretty cool. The boba and most flavors I've tried have been great! I am glad they opened up and will be back for sure!

Definitely a unique boba shop!!! *Is located at a plaza with a lot of parking but it can run out real quick* **Located right next to a lot of small businesses...so go wild and support them all** I saw this location when I was watching the news on KTLA and they were given an honorable mention for AAPI month!! Wanted to try this out because it looked unique to me! This shop has typical boba flavors that you'd find at ANY boba shop but they also offer Korean flavors. I saw that they incorporated milkis into some of their drinks and it drew me in! Got the strawberry milkis fruit tea and it definitely hit the spot! You definitely taste the milkis and the strawberry goes well with, they even have a mango milkis fruit tea! Definitely coming back!

Just looking at previous menus there have been some changes since they opened. I was excited to try their different drink flavors although the one I wanted to try, jeju hojicha was not available. Didn't feel like anything else so I just got my friend's drink and she wanted to get the black sesame but since they modified their menu they had the blackened cookies and cream. Entered the order through the kiosk and added boba since the staff was helping someone else. After the staff finished the previous person's order.. guess what they don't have.. the boba. It's about 30 mins into opening, it's like they're not fully ready to be opened. Yeah they offered another topping like aloe or more Oreo cookies. I'm paying over $7 with the added boba.. aloe and black sesame doesn't go together so I guess it's extra cookies since it's been already paid. Lesson learned, don't order through the kiosk to see what's available or not because there is no refund. Go maybe 2 hours after opening for boba if that's a topping you want. I did take a sip and it was good with a modified 25% sugar. If it was full strength sugar it would have been super sweet I'm thinking. The crushed up Oreos went well with the black sesame. Parking can be horrible on top but there is additional parking in the underground. They're open late. I'll give them a try again but probably later after they settle in.

Such a cool head place. I think it's owned by the same business next door which sells shaved ice. Drinks are all delicious and I would say if you want to hang out with your friends, please check this place out. There's an okay amount of parking, but both of the times I went doesn't seem like it was ever that crowded. Other than that, if you want to post anything for a social media it's kind of cool to check out. I think this place mainly specializes in Korean specialty drinks and I would say is not your average run of the mill boba shop. I think prices were pretty reasonable especially with specialty tease. Workers are pretty nice and they even have their self-service kiosk where you can order. You can definitely see that they spend effort on making their ambience very hip and cool.

I came here several times when I was living in Torrance and had the chance to try many different flavors. My favorite has to be the sweet rice milk because I really love sikhye. Second would be the strawberry milkis fruit tea. I've also tried their Seoul matcha milk tea and Seoul taro milk teas, but I found them to have a very powdery texture which I'm not a fan of. The boba is okay - a bit hard for my liking, but I'll still get it. I come here more for the drinks than the boba. It's nice to see a milk tea shop themed to Korean flavors, so I'll continue to support this business whenever I'm in the area.

This place is self-service and has 2 touch screen machines for you to order from, which is great for me because I can take my time to order. The interior of the shop is cool and colorful. I got the strawberry and creme and my sister got the mango palmer. Hers was better than mine. Mine was not what I expected and not very memorable. I would probably come back and try the persimmon one though. Not my fave boba shop but not bad!

Sweet rice with injolmi cream - milky. Flavor is plain and bland. Taste like soy milk a little bit. Nothing special, nothing wrong with it. Spiced persimmon - 75% sweet was very sweet. Tasty though! Persimmon flavor wasn't strong, wish it was stronger. Cinnamon flavor is stronger than anything else. It's very milky. I think for those that do not like sweet, maybe 50%? Service was quick, we went late and not many people were there. A couple hanging out and no one in line. Ambiance is adorable. This is not a hangout spot. Just some side bar tables and stools without backs. Not comfortable. Kind of a retro feel.

Food/Drinks : 10/10! Personally I didn't really like sweet rice milk tea. But my mom loved it lol! We also got the blueberry yogurt blast and that one was good! The strawberry milkis tea was really good! It kind of tasted like ramune. It was more so if a carbonated drink. The texture of the boba is perfect. Not too chewy or not too hard. Service : 10/10! Fast, friendly, and accurate! Ambiance : 10/10 very retro and cool inside. Lots of photo ops. And they also have merch!

Saw this under Hot and New while I was in the area and since I was kinda low on time, placed my order thru Grubhub. I ended up ordering a taro milk tea with boba and injeolmi cold foam. The parking situation was not bad when I came at a weekday afternoon (as I also saw an underground parking area as well) and came into the store. They had some merch being sold on the left. I went in and got my drink and the employee asked if the order was for me, and to taste to see if it was fine. I obliged and was fine with it. The descriptions on GH, albeit succinct, do their job. Light and nutty for the taro, nutty taste on the injeolmi - and the flavors worked so well together. I had originally chosen the topping because it was something that I hadn't had before and was left impressed by how it went well! The taro wasn't too sweet (yay since I got it 50% sweet) but I was still able to get some of the taro flavor in there. Their boba was a bit better than average for me; it might have been a smidge on the "some extra chew to it" that I wasn't too hot on. They have other interesting flavors that I want to try; the one I wanted to see was the honey chestnut but they're getting supplies over so it wasn't available at the time I went. Oh well, there's next time!

Stopped by for some drinks and had a great experience! Unique Korean inspired boba including sweet rice milk, yakult flavors, black sesame, and even spiced persimmon! We tried the spice persimmon (if you like horchata, it's a similar flavor profile but lighter), black sesame (tastes very authentic), and sweet rice milk tea. We added boba and they all tasted very well balanced. Bubbles were nice and chewy. Drinks came out fast and the worker was very nice. Ambience is fresh and fun with the tiled floors. Some seating along the side of the shop with stools. Drinks were $5.95 which is a great price!

My friends and I came by on a Saturday evening and surprisingly there were very few customers. The person behind the register seemed quite nonchalant as we struggled to pick out drinks and order via the self-serve kiosk, but he turned out to be super helpful when he heard that we wanted a drink that was on one of the seasonal menu signs but not in the kiosk. He told us to pick a certain drink in the kiosk and he'll make it into what we wanted from the seasonal menu sign. The drinks came out and we were pleasantly surprised by how good they turned out. It was a good sweet for me and plenty of flavor. There is also cute merchandise and board games available to play. It was a comfortable place to sit and sip drinks while we talked for a couple of hours. Definitely recommend for a quick stop as well. I missed the plaza on the first turn but there is some parking there if you get there at good times (i.e. late night, opening times). There is underground parking as well. Also the drink we wanted was the persimmon one (it was so good!!). Not pictured here, but it was my friend's drink and she loved it.

From the company behind Seoul Wine Bar and Smoking Tiger, Podong is one of their newest endeavors. They entered a very crowded milk tea market, in an area that's oversaturated with boba shops. What makes this place different? They're located in a shopping center along Western, replacing what used to be a medical supply store. Parking is usually okay, and there's an underground garage if the lot gets full. They close at 11:00 PM, which I consider very late for Gardena. Tables are available outside. Seating is limited inside, with a couple of floor-mounted bar stools and counter seating by the window. The ambiance is interesting, with blue and yellow tiled floors combined with shades of black, gray, and metallic elements. Like a retro diner going through an emo phase. It's loud both visually (decor scattered about) and audibly (upbeat background music). So this place is different from other boba shops because they have a bunch of Korean-inspired flavors (Honey Chestnut, Spiced Persimmon, Sweet Brown Rice, etc.) you don't really see elsewhere. The menu also has fruit teas combined with Milkis, which is a carbonated drink. Everything else like fruit teas, milk teas, yogurt drinks, ice teas, etc. are all familiar options. For now, the only toppings they have are boba, aloe jelly, and coconut lychee. Oat and almond are the two alternative milks they offer for an additional 75 cents. You can customize the sweetness, but I did not see an option to change the ice level. Order at the tablet on the counter. Black Sesame - Strong flavor with a very nutty consistency Thai Milk Tea - My mom's only comment was that 50% was still too sweet compared to the 50% sugar level Thai teas she gets at other nearby shops. First time she didn't finish a drink I purchased for her. Sweet Rice - Slightly toasty and sweet. Absolutely refreshing. There were also small rice grains at the bottom of the cup like the actual sweet rice drink AKA Sikhye. Wintermelon Milk Tea - Very balanced with the tea and the milk, and the sweetness was perfect for this one. Sweet Potato AKA Goguma - Just what I imagined, basically sweet potatoes in drink form. I personally won't get it again because it's too thick when it comes to the consistency and the temperature is mostly lukewarm. Maybe it's because it's freshly baked, but I just prefer cold milk teas. On both visits, the boba was on the very very chewy side, and required a little more effort to bite through. It had an interesting butterscotch-y quality to it, and tasted a little different from conventional brown sugar boba. All in all, they really excel at getting the flavors right! Everything on the menu tasted exactly as described, very spot on. I'd come back, but I probably won't get toppings.

After besties and I spent hours upon hours at the women sauna a few yards away, we found ourselves in dire need of a refreshment. We were gonna drive out somewhere else, but one of them practically said, "Why bother, there's one right there." I didn't even know this place existed - I thought I was familiar with every business here (apparently not) but when I noticed their "soft opening" sign, it made a lot more sense. But I was certainly glad one of us spotted it because it saved us a trip! First thing I noticed when I walked in was their merch. (Nice!) I then did a quick glance of the menu and when I saw wintermelon tea, I knew I wasn't leaving without one. Then I found another. And I decided I wasn't leaving without both. (I didn't wanna go home wondering what the taste difference is!) 4 orders later, we were on our way home. WINTERMELON CEYLON: Included in their classic tea group. I ordered this with 50% sweet level. It was refreshing. I liked it. WINTERMELON MILK TEA: Part of the milk tea group and got it also at 50% level. The difference is this, of course, had that creamy bit. I liked it as well. And the verdict: I liked the milk tea version slightly better. They both had that teenee bitter after taste, but the milk tea subsided it far better than the ceylon. So, when the next time comes around (because there will be one) it'll most likely come down to which mood my palate's in. FOOD: (errr.. drink!) 5. SERVICE: 5. We all wanted bobas in our drinks. Our server apologized profusely that they had ran out (and won't be ready for a bit.) So we told him we were okay subbing with with the aloe jelly. And because we were such good sports about it, he comp'd it for all 4 drinks. VALUE: 5. Comparable to most places, but the free jelly upped the rating. PARKING: Shared with other businesses. Underground parking aplenty. OVERALL: 5. Besties loved their drinks as well. They didn't last very long, even if it was a mid-winter cold SoCal Saturday evening. That says a lot. Great discovery. Great first impression. We shall all return!

Def would come back. Really like the old school look and vibe. Drinks and boba was good! Service was pretty quick to get our order.

I've had this place a couple of times now, and I just can't seem to find the right type of drink that tastes good! Maybe it's the type of drink I'm getting because everyone else loves this place. This is my personal experience, so take it with a grain of salt. Podong is hard to miss in the plaza right off of Western by Gardena Honda. It's decked out with race stripes with a colorful interior sporting an orange counter. I got the Mango Ceylon Tea ($4.75) with a quarter sweetness and it was super sweet and I didn't taste any of the mango flavor in it. All I could taste was sugar. And I really needed water to dilute it. Maybe the person behind the counter was just off that day. But I went again on a different day and tried their Jasmine Milk Tea with Oat Milk and 25% sweetness. And I thought the Jasmine flavor was bland. I couldn't really taste it. Maybe I had another miss? All I really tasted was the oat milk lol. Parking is plentiful, but this plaza does get busy because of the other tea and eateries in the vicinity. There is underground parking but I've never parked down there. Also, be careful going out on Western! It's a busy street and lots of people like to drive fast trying to not catch the light!

The inside of the store is like a retro techno vibe. It's really cool. What I like is that they have really good kinds of teas and even cater to non-caffeine drinkers like me. Milk teas taste nice. They make them with real tea instead of powders. They have a big screen where you order and they make the drinks pretty fast.

There was no one behind the counter when we got there. I got taro with no ice. I think I got scammed lol the drink came out half empty.

This was our first visit to Podong. They have merchandise for sale in addition to their teas. We ordered: Sweet Rice Milk Tea Black Sesame Milk Tea We'll have to visit again. So many options to try! Parking note: there's subterranean parking available if the street level parking lot looks full. It usually looks full as you drive by.

What a cool place with a hot take on a stamp card! The stamp card reminds me of a game board, requiring a bit of technique and critical thinking to make the most of. Servers were knowledgeable and kind giving their honest input. I was notified the all drinks are dairy free, but they do have almond milk and oat milk as alternative choices. The oat milk they use is a bit fattier than Califa but a little less than Oatly. After getting the expert advice, I ordered 4 drinks: 2 Jasmine milk teas 1/2 sweet with boba and oat milk 1 sweet rice 3/4 sweet with boba and oat milk 1 oolong black tea Still a pretty small sample size, but I can already tell that this is a place that focuses on quality products and reasonable pricing.

I loved this retro-style Korean tea shop! Their teas are unique and have a lot of authentic Korean flavors like black sesame and Korean ingredients like Yakult. We tried their blueberry yogurt blast and it was sooo good. It tasted like an elevated blueberry gogurt drink. Super refreshing and tart. I'm excited to come back and try their other drinks as well!

I came here on a Saturday afternoon, and it was completely empty. Maybe it was the rain? I ordered the roasted brown rice, and it was delicious. It tastes like misootgaru (mixed grain). My husband ordered the Jeju Hojicha, and it was good as well. It had a nutty flavor. The employee working there talked so softly and low, I could barely hear him. All drinks on their menu have caffeine, according to the employee. I was a bit disappointed in their offering.

The drinks here are great. They have so many cool korean inspired flavors that you can't find in other places. We got: - The banana savannah: A banana cinnamon milk with crème brulee. A little sweet, so I recommend getting 50-75% sweetness. Tasted like banana pudding in a drink. - The honey maesil slush: YUMMY! This is a seasonal drink made of plum. It's VERY sour, but the sourness works well. Would get this one again. We've also gotten the spiced persimmon tea in the past. Another highly recommended drink, but they didn't have it on the menu when we went. Hope it comes back soon! Tasted a little like horchata. Service was good, ambiance is amazing. It's an old school boba shop with cool decor. There's no other boba shop in the torrance area with this concept. A unique place with unique drinks. You gotta stop by here if you're in the area!