Olga K.
Google
We go to Whale Tea pretty regularly since it’s opened up. My favorites are the oolong tea with foam and aloe, and my kids like the brown sugar milk teas with pearls. They also really like trying the seasonal drinks and that there’s cake pops and macarons :)
The shop aims to be a third space, to integrate with the community - it’s modern and cozy, excellent bathroom, and whoever selects the music does a good job. I like sitting there and reading around lunchtime, and often there are uni students on their laptops.
For warm weather, there’s a waiting area for dogs with toys and water bowls/jugs. Right now in winter, they’ve put out a dome for outside seating and decorated it with lights :)
I love chatting with the owner and the staffers, and learning a bit about the business and them as people. They don’t mind my adhd kids 😅😝
The only thing I hope they see growth in is figuring out their target market. They started as a clear high-end-tea boba shop, with a taste that is probably more accepted in Rockville than DC (fresh fruit in the tea, tea base that is never oversteeped, excellent boba prep, foam that is salty - all the things i like).
As they are figuring out their business model, the menu has expanded vastly and hasn’t stabilized yet.
I think this business wants more to welcome and love people than it cares about selling a particular food. Once they figure out how to present this consistently as a brand, it’ll be perfect.