Harvey K.
Yelp
*****Customer Experience During the COVID-19 Pandemic*****
Tiger Sugar - Cupertino came highly recommended by a couple friends of mine. One told me their drinks reminded him of what he had at TS locations in Taiwan, while the other spent his last two nights in CA here before his move out of state. With ringing endorsements like that, I knew I had to try it for myself. That opportunity came on May 1, 2021 when I was in the Cupertino area with my family.
The line was about 10 deep outside when I walked up at around 3:10 pm. Social distancing markers were on the ground and there appeared to be a capacity limit inside the shop. The line moved pretty fast and I was inside in less than 10 minutes. The interior was very clean. Multiple COVID safety measures were observed. Staff all had the gloves and masks on.
While in line, I texted one of my friends for his recommendation. He said out of all the drinks he tried, he liked #1 (Black Sugar Boba Milk w/ Cream Mousse) the best. I took his advice and got two of them, one for me and one for my brother. The young woman who helped me was cheerful and friendly. The total, with a small tip, was north of $13. I thought it was a trifle pricey for two small drinks, but, what the heck - everything is expensive these days, right?
The drinks were ready in about five minutes. Size wise, they were smaller than the regular size drinks you get at any bubble tea shop. Visually, they were very appealing. The syrup streaks did look like tiger stripes. Taste wise, I was impressed after the first sip. The organic milk used was of excellent quality (I later found out it was from Petaluma's Straus Family Creamery) and the brown sugar syrup had an intense caramel-y flavor. The pearls, which were cooked in their brown sugar syrup, were nice and chewy. The cream mousse provided a nice balance to all the sweetness with its slightly salty taste. Honestly, I couldn't find anything negative about it.
Overall, I thought it was an excellent experience. The drink I had was superb, the wait was short, and the service was friendly. Definitely worth a try if you are a bubble tea fan.
BONUS MATERIAL:
- Be prepared to wait in line for a bit.
- If you are getting the #1, shake it 15 times before consuming.
- Major credit cards accepted.