Best Boba (Bubble Tea) In Los Angeles
Before Pinkberry—before cupcakes, even—there was boba. This Asian-inspired drink served hot or cold, in a variety of flavors, is packed with chewy, mouth-watering tapioca pearls. For a while, it seemed like boba, also known as bubble tea, would take over the world. But instead of following other sweet-tooth trends whose bubble economies burst (Krispy Kreme, anyone?), bubble tea found its sweet spot and has settled into every corner of the city. Here are a few spots you might want to try.
Tea Station
560 W Main St # A
Alhambra, CA 91801
(626) 289-7389
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Sure, the Tea Station is a franchise (originally from Taiwan). Plus it's usually packed to the rafters with trendy San Gabriel Valley folks having a (sometimes loud) chat. But there's a reason the place is popular. Patrons especially like the hot boba milk tea (although some folks complain that drinks like the almond milk tea are just too sweet). Try munching on some sweet butter toast while you take in the slick, clean, coffeeshop-bright ambience, a Tea Station hallmark.
Hwa Sun Ji Tea & Coffee (Koreatown)
3960 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90010
(213) 382-5302
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While Hwa Sun Ji doesn't specialize in bubble tea per se, it's traditional Korean tea house setting should not be missed, especially for folks who prefer serene settings over loud and crowded ones. Add boba to your delicious tea (and maybe throw in some of that divine green tea ice cream, which gets high marks from just about everybody), and take in the charming bamboo touches, the waterfall, and traditional tables with plush pillow cushions. This is what tea is all about!
85 Degrees C (Irvine)
425 W Valley Blvd
San Gabriel, CA 91776
(626) 282-8688
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Warning: If you're trying to lay off the sugar and pastries, avoid this place like the plague. But if you're hankering for a full-range of milk teas (and wanting to pop in some tapioca pearls for an extra kick), and if you want to round out the experience with delectable bakery offerings like a slice of Black Forest sponge cake, then this Irvine hot spot is the place for you. You'll probably have to come back a few times to try all the goodies, like the ever-popular sea-salt coffee.
Four Leaf (Downtown/Little Tokyo)
318 E 2nd St
Los Angeles, CA
213-621-2559
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A calm, leaf-tinted interior welcomes you into this cozy storefront that's just over a year old and offers dozens of combinations of teas and coffees. The cold almond milk tea is absolutely delicious, and the tapioca boba pearls have just the right consistency—they're soft but still chewy (plus the friendly, fast service doesn't skimp at all: our wide-gauge boba straw was practically clogged with boba!). Bubble tea is the perfect dessert after slurping some top-notch ramen next door.
Boba Loca (Burbank)
148 N San Fernando Blvd
Burbank, CA 91502
(818) 842-0406
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Nobody likes their boba hard. At Boba Loca, that's something you don't have to worry about! For folks in the valley craving some good bubble tea on the go, this is the perfect place to order up your boba in whatever manner floats your boat: Thai Tea, Almond Milk Tea, or the purple goodness known as Taro Slush. It doesn't hurt that the service is so good either, with servers who don't bat an eyelash when you ask to customize your drink.
Infuzion Cafe (Santa Monica)
1149 3rd St
Santa Monica, CA 90403
(310) 393-9985
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Santa Monica's Third Street Promenade might be something of a tourist trap, but it's also a pleasant walk and a stone's throw from the Pacific. Besides having a wide variety of iced, blended, and hot coffee drinks as well as smoothies, Infuzion Cafe has a decent selection of boba teas, including island-bright varieties like Papaya, Guava, Lychee, and Cantaloupe. On the creamy side, Coconut, Red Bean, and Green Tea Latte mixes will do the trick.
The Boba Truck (roving)
It was only a matter of time before boba went mobile. What could be better than a jumbo straw full of bubble tea on wheels? The Boba Truck blends the old school quest for the perfect tapioca pearls with the new school mania for Twitter-driven good eats. Sip your boba with some fancy schmancy specialty takes on the bubble tea phenomenon, like the Boba Truck's Hot Sri Lankan Milk Tea, Pomegranate Black Tea, Osthmanthus Oolong Tea, or the refreshing Cherry Blossom Green Milk Tea. Like all things Food Truck, it's all about being in the right place at the right time!
Cha for Tea (Long Beach)
5720 E 7th St
Long Beach, CA 90803
(562) 668-5100
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Hot day in the LBC? Cool off with a Green Apple Green Tea Boba, or the aptly named California Cooler. As an added bonus, dig in to Cha for Tea's full menu of Asian appetizers, entrees, and noodles, with the Crispy Chicken being a perennial favorite (although plenty of vegetarian options are also included). A franchise like the Tea Station, the Cha for Tea in Bixby Village qualifies as a local hang out or for anyone in the area with a craving for some sweet, gummy bear-soft boba.
Chris Santiago is a freelance writer and blogger. Check out his work at Mixed Well.
