Best Boba in Berkeley — the snobby foodie

Oct 27

Oct 27 Best Boba in Berkeley

Asha Tea House Jasmine Milk Tea with boba

It's clear. I have a boba problem. I mean, just look at Bay Area Boba and Jasmine Milk Tea Recipe.

A Note/Rant on Non-Dairy Creamer
So I have a bias and it's against non-dairy creamer. This should be an option, not a default. Do you know what's in most milk-like non-dairy creamers? It's chemicals. Just read the ingredients on your coffee creamers. They're usually used because it's a less expensive product with a longer shelf life.

It is SO gross. If I'm paying $4 for a boba, I don't want to be poisoned. I mean - I know bubble tea is a high sugar beverage, but I don't need the chemicals as well. The point is I can't support places that don't provide me with the option of real milk.

This post contains:

Bubble tea ratings
Harsh commentary on bubble tea service
A lot of calories

ASHA TEA HOUSE

I had my hopes up about Asha Tea house and I was ready to have an awesome experience. The decor and menu presentation is awesome, so I got excited. Upon closer inspection of the menu, I noticed something that enraged me. Places may charge extra for soy, which is annoying, but this place charges extra for low fat milk. Wtf? Also, an extra charge for choosing Jasmine tea. I don't like when places nickel & dime me.

I've tried a few drinks: the Moroccan Mint, Oolong Milk tea, and Jasmine milk tea all with boba. The baristas were not particularly helpful. For some reason, there is always ONE barista that is in a bad mood when you come here.

The Moroccan mint was refreshing. The jasmine tea and Oolong milk teas were great. The boba was cooked properly and had a slight brown sugar-like sweetness. I still prefer boba sweetened with honey, but I couldn't complain. The consistency was fine. As much as I wanted to hate this $5 drink, it was tasty.

Tea Rating: 4
Boba Rating: 3.5
Milk Tea Rating: 34
Ambiance: 4
Would I come back? Yes.

SHARETEA

Sharetea had a line out the door, but I still wasn't able to decide before I got to the counter - that's how extensive their menu was. I made a hasty decision of getting an Oolong tea with crema and a Brown Rice tea with crema (which was their special).

It was very creamy, which made me suspicious. The next time I went there I asked what type of milk they used. It's non-dairy creamer. I knew it.

Boba: 4
The Drink: 3
Uniqueness: 4
Ambiance: 3
Would I come back? Yes for milk-less tea, no for milk teas.

PURPLE KOW

See post / rant...

Boba: 4.5
The Drink: 4
Ambiance: 3
Service: 2

The Verdict
Winner for Best Boba: Purple Kow
Winner for Best Tea: Asha Tea House