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Bubbly Tea
Category: Food Coffee & Tea Coffee & Tea
55B Bayard St(between Bowery & Elizabeth St)
New York, NY 10013
Neighborhood: Chinatown
(212) 608-3688
- Nearest Transit:
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Canal St (J, N, Q, Z)
Canal St (4, 6, 6X)
Grand St (B, D)
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 10 am - 10 pm
- Price Range:
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$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
61 reviews for Bubbly Tea
Review Highlights
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"I also had the strawberry honey green tea (on promotion..." In 2 reviews -
"Thoroughly enjoyed the 99 cent grand opening special." In 3 reviews -
"I also tried the curry fish balls and they are delish..." In 1 review
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61 reviews in English
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Review from Virginie L.
Brooklyn, NY
I love bubbly tea!!! Also i love that they have ALOE!!! cause nowadays there are soooo many tea shops and of course they got your topica/pearl/bubble but rarely any aloe (it saddens me!! lol)
Besides that bubbly tea has aloe for your drinks, the drinks are amazing!!! For me I still take the tea. The first time I went there it was cold and I wanted a drink but something hot. There is a vivi there but i'm like ehhhh and i saw bubbly tea. I was like why not!?
BEST CHOICE EVERR!~! I still haven't tried vivi buuuttt I DON'T WANNA!! I'm sticking with bubbly tea.
Oh I forgot, I had the Japanese matcha tea! It was really good!!! You could have one free topping like jelly and what nots but it was a hot drink so I felt I didn't need it. AH! the tea was so good!! and you taste the tea and it isn't powdered!!! I had the pop chicken there too!! I got the regular flavored one, They give you a lot! It was yummy and tender as well.
Another time I tried their strawberry honey green tea!! SOO GOOD!! And once again you taste the tea!! I had the tea with honey aloe and mmmm soo good! I want to try their other toppings later , they got mixed jelly, pineapple jelly, egg pudding, green tea jelly and so forth. It's great that their toppings are different from other tea shops, that why i love their teas and I don't think they use syrups which is a plus for me. I mean I see their containers of tea leaves and such.
I also had their creamy form Japanese matcha , great! just as I thought it would be. I really love their teas!! Idk there isn't anything bad I want to say to it and there ISNT anything bad to say to it!
The staff that works there are friendly too, I feel that I don't get judged or anything. A plus!!! Oh I like the guy that works there he is super friendly, i like him. There girls there are as well but idk i love the guy. He's helpful not that the girl isn't of course lol. Also I like that besides that they are friendly and helpful, I feel they truly are nice as people and like their job. Unlike some places you know, where people that works there give you attitude.
Try try try their drinks and snacks!! :D
ughh just reviewing bubbly tea , makes me want a drink from them now. hehehe -
Review from Vivian L.
5/22/2012
3.5 stars
Bubbly Tea has definitely positioned itself as a direct competitor to Vivi Bubble Tea (located just down the block, a few stores away). I am a loyal Vivi fan myself but decided to give Bubbly Tea a test run to give them the benefit of the doubt (plus I applaud them for their use of a purple color scheme, my fave color =P).
I had some mixed experiences. On my first visit I ordered the Bubble Black Tea with crushed Oreos (very unique and tasty) plus the popcorn chicken (so good!). I was pleased with my purchase and planned on coming back. On my second visit I got the regular Bubble black tea, which was sub-par. The tea didn't taste that great, and the bubbles were hard and tasteless, what happened?!
Anyways, I wouldn't mind stopping by here occasionally, but Vivi still remains #1 in my heart. -
Review from Port L.
New York, NY
5/10/2012 1 Check-in Here
I came to this place because they had attracted me with their deal. They offer a large drink and popcorn chicken combo for $5. The first time, it was a good experience and was very content with the food. But the second time, our popcorn chicken was burnt and it was just not as satisfying as the first time.
I don't know, they have strong competitors around, and the other competitors seem to attract me more. I guess I will come back in the near future to give them another try. -
Review from Giacomo C.
New York, NY
5/24/2012
Loooved their signature tapioca milk black tea!!!
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Review from Lili K.
5/5/2012 1 Check-in Here
There are so many deals for this place! Friendly workers, and a yummy strawberry slush. Plus, you can go across the street to Mei Li Wah for some yummy pork buns before/afterwards.
Onto the deals-got a free milk tea through Scoutmob, $0.50 off with a Yelp check-in, they have random "happy hours"-for now it's $0.99 milk tea on Tues and Thurs from 11am-7pm. -
Review from Jordan S.
5/8/2012 1 Check-in Here
This is a solid second place to Saint's Alp.
The sheer variety of drinks alone(in terms of both tea flavors and types of drinks) is enough reason to come here, but combined with a loyalty program (same as that of ohtwofive, buy five drinks get a free one, and 20% off forever(at least, I think it's forever)) and check-in offers, this place is easily the best in the area. They, like others, have snacks, but they offer a few unique ones, including beef balls (normally I only ever see takoyaki, aka octopus balls) and tornado fries. What's a tornado fry you say? Excellent question! I'd direct you to their website, but man that thing is a hunk of scrap. I'll do my best to explain. It's a potato on a stick. Ok, that's not fair. It's a potato that's been sliced spirally and placed on a long skewer. It's a novelty item. It tastes fine, but it's a bit unwieldy, especially if you're also holding a tea.
And tea is really what you should be focusing on here. Well, drinks in general. Their Creamy Foam[s] as others have said, are really good. Their bubbly drinks (not drinks with boba, drinks that are carbonated, tricky bastards) are great too. The only reason that this is four stars and not five is because Saint's Alp exists, and the boba here falls a little flat in comparison. Should that stop you from coming? Not in my book. There's no such thing as too much boba. -
Review from Leon L.
Quincy, MA
5/5/2012 1 Check-in Here
Nice selection of Bubble Tea. There are so many bubble tea places popping up in NYC Chinatown now. It is getting very competitive for the few shops in the area.
If you are not there during peak time, there are usually some specials.
They have a signature bubble tea which you should try. Also try the popcorn chicken.
Nice small shop and friendly service. -
Review from Foodie G.
Greenfield, MA
4/27/2012 2 Check-ins Here
every time we are anywhere near Chinatown, we make sure to stop in and get the awesome bubble tea here. Not anywhere else...HERE. And when we walk out the door, people stop us on the street to ask us where we got that yummy looking drink. If you don't mind textures in your drink, try the 3 Kings, with custard, jelly and boba. YU-U-UM!!
Also, if you are like me and coconut is your crack, you can try the coconut bubble shake and add on the custard. as close to perfect as you can get. -
Review from Sharon T.
4/7/2012 2 Check-ins Here
There is only one reason to go to Bubble Tea: 3 Kings (tapioca, pudding and herbal jelly). Actually, one more: the kind staff.
I'm pretty much trying to avoid all these generic flavors I can find at every other bubble tea shop but at this point, I'm in love with the 3 Kings, minus the tapioca. The pudding is great and since herbal jelly is good for you, it's a win-win situation!
I am really trying to take it slow to experiment with the other flavors since they all look tempting but I somehow always, ALWAYS end up with the 3 Kings. Also, the staff is always down to earth and friendly. This place is very small but cute. The high chairs and seats reminisce a lounge..against a wall.
Bubbly tea is so worth the train ride, car ride, plane ticker whichever takes you there. They have so many unique and interesting flavors, I'm just aching to try. -
Review from Kimberly K.
Manhattan, NY
Decided to give this place a try after reading Yelp friends Phil H and Rich W's helpful reviews.
The employees are quick. Little seating is available, 3 chairs and some counter space. Ordered a Strawberry Honey Green Tea and Tornado Fries.
The tea was refreshing, not too sweet, and had pieces of strawberries in it. Yum! I did not enjoy the consistency of the boba, it was a bit too mushy. However, I did visit the store an hour before closing.
The Tornado Fries were crisp. I felt like I was eating chips on a stick. It was flavorful. You have the option of Spicy or Salty Tornado Fries. Total came to about $5, not bad for a late night treat.
Bubbly Tea also offers Milk Teas, Fruit Teas, Bubbly Tea, Slushes, Creamy Foam, Hot Drinks, and Snacks.Listed in: Bubble Tea Love
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Review from Helen C.
Honolulu, HI
4/16/2012
I started coming here when it first opened up and it's come a long way since! I recently went back to Bubbly Tea after not going for a few months and there were so many new options.
It's your standard Chinatown bubble tea shop. Nothing spectacular. Keep in mind that bubbly teas are NOT bubble drinks with tapioca pearls. They're just carbonated fruit drinks - bubbly as in fizzy, not as in pearly. I tried their "House Recommended" grapefruit and lime bubbly drink and it was okay. It could stand to have a little bit more sugar to balance out the bitterness of the grapefruit and the sourness of the lime.
I also had their curry fish balls. They reminded me of my year spent in Hong Kong! I miss those street carts. Overall, I would recommend checking it out, but don't expect it to be the best bubble tea shop in Chinatown. -
Review from Steph C.
5/6/2012
FREE bubble tea if you use the deal on scout mob!! Not the best bubble tea but the tapicos are nice and chewy and you can't complain considering the price.
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Review from Will C.
4/2/2012
Went here on Sunday night at around 9:30pm to get my fill of some delicious bubble tea. What I got instead was some seriously not good bubble tea.
The tapioca bubbles were not fresh. They were stale. Almost solid, and not soft to chew through. The milk tea I enjoyed. And, I do believe that they don't use powders. But the bubbles really disappointed.
$2.95/medium
$3.95/large
I didn't realize you could get 50 cents off the price until after I went. Darn.
From reading the other reviews, it seems like I had a bad experience, so I'd be willing to try them again on a Tuesday or Thursday when they have their 99 cent bubble tea special. -
Review from Linda N.
3/8/2012
Bubbly Tea may be pricier than most boba tea places, but I keep going back and I thoroughly enjoy the boba drinks (and tapioca boba pearls) here more.
I usually get the kumquat lemon green tea because of its refreshing taste (and because I absolutely love kumquats!) or the taro milk tea. As for the normal milk tea, the few times I got them, they were just meh. Definitely not the same taste as Nice One Bakery's a few stores down or as any hk-style milk tea's. It gave me an odd aftertaste that left my mouth super dry. It's definitely not something I look forward to when drinking milk tea. I think it's the tea or cream they use or something... or that they use powder (oh no!).
I'll definitely want to try the pudding milk black tea... or 3 kings milk black tea the next time I'm in the city again. There are also a whole bunch of other drinks and small, cheap delish snacks that I've yet to try, too (think signature bubbly teas with basil seeds or popcorn chicken with basil OR tornado fries, yay), so I'll be back soon!
FYI, get the loyalty card and receive a free drink after your 10th stamp. After that, you are presented a cute purple "VIP" card that entitles you to 20% off your whole bill every time. Can't beat that!Listed in: Best Milk Tea (and Boba)
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Review from Sonia M.
Came here around 10:15pm on a Wednesday night for my bubble tea fix. I ordered the creamy foam strawberry bubble tea and it was so refreshing! The real strawberry pieces made it the real icing on the cake sort of speak. They also accepted the yelp offer, so they took $0.50 off, which was pretty cool.
Next time I want to try some of there snacks...The tornado fries looked really good =) -
Review from Victor K.
2/16/2012 14 Check-ins Here
The girls here make some of the best drinks in the city. I can't help but stop here at least once to get something when I'm in Chinatown.
I thoroughly enjoy their hefty Three King's Milk Tea which has grass jelly, custard, and tapioca all mixed together for some deliciousness.
Their other drinks are great too and I like how you can substitute the black tapioca pearls for mixed color jellies. I prefer those just because I'm not crazy about the tapioca.
They also give out a stamp card with every 5 drinks, you can get a free drink PLUS a VIP card that gives you a discount on your purchase. -
Review from Angel H.
Updated - 2/15/2012 2 photos
Came back to finally get their Creamy Foam Strawberry. Glad I got it.
It was sort of like a strawberry milkshake, but not as thick. There were tons of strawberry chunks in there, and the entire drink was topped off with freshly whipped cream and strawberry on top of that.
So good. My new favorite! Gonna go back and try their bubbly drinks (Sorta carbonated juice drinks)1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/25/2012
I'm friends with Bubbly Tea on Facebook, and every so often, they post pictures of their snacks and… Read more »
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Review from Sally W.
Updated - 1/5/2012 31 Check-ins Here
So, it's freezing out now. What's a girl to do?
I walked into Bubbly and wanted something sweet but not cold. Ken behind the counter suggested a warm taro drink with grass jelly since there was no boba...I am so glad they ran out of boba!! First time I said that!
Omg it was super duper delicious!!!!!! I was trying to friggin' lick my cup of every drop! I was starting to get pretty violent with a cup and lid of a drink! It is a hot cup of purply goodness with grass jelly which is black in color. I was sucking up the grass jelly as i sipped my hot purply taro drink.
Heaven during winter months! I loved my purply drink with black hunks. Thanks Bubbly!Listed in: Godmother of Chinatown's Best…, Godmother of Chinatown's all…
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/29/2011 First to Review
Just what we all need. MORE BUBBLE TEA PLACES YAY. hehhehe.
Gotta have my boba!
BRAND new place and… Read more »
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Review from lora c.
New York, NY
2/11/2012
I'm a fan of Bubbly tea, if only because they have really unique flavors. Unlike other bubble tea shops, they offer carbonated drinks and unique toppings like cereal, basil, and more, in addition to standard tapiocas, jellies, and puddings. Their grapefruit lime bubbly is more like a soda, with fresh fruit juice. And their guava bubbly is a super refreshing drink with aloe and basil.
I haven't tried them yet, but they also have creamy, whipped-cream-topped drinks- which look like Chinese frappucinos. I'm a big fan of the hot drinks and my current go-to is the Oat Flake milk tea with tapioca. It's exactly what it sounds like: milk tea, with a scoop or two of corn flakes. If you like Momofuku's cereal milk, you'll be pleased with this- so long as you don't mind drinking down a few gulps of mushy cereal.
Also, they have tornado fries! Which are something you should get because they look awesome. -
Review from Shing Yiing O.
New York, NY
2/9/2012
Standing on Mott street using my friends I phone to Yelp for bubble tea.. so I saw Bubbly Tea with 4 stars.. It's just 1 min walk.. Let's GO!!!!
Feel like having something hot.. One of their specialties is cocoa latte.. well.. I tasted chocolate... but i just feel like I am drinking milk.. but not that bad that I can only tasted milk... the taste is not good enough to enjoy.. :( and they took quite some time to prepare 1 drink... They were just talking and enjoying themselves.. there was a min I am afraid that they might prepare the wrong drink for me... -
Review from Michelle T.
New York, NY
1/8/2012
Bubbly Tea is my go-to place in Chinatown for bubble tea and snacks. I've been coming here since they opened and was lured in by their $1 milk tea deal. It was sad to see that deal go but they come up with new deals every couple of months.
To say I love Bubbly Tea is kind of an understatement. I crave it almost every other day- especially since they update their Facebook often with pictures of their drinks and snacks. I've tried a couple of their drinks (I'm slowly working my way through them all) and I have never been disappointed. My favorite has to be their peach bubbly tea with mixed jelly. They used carbonated water to make this drink so it tastes almost like peach soda.
Every time I walk into the tiny storefront, I'm always greeted by a smile behind the counter. The service is always quick and whatever I order always comes out perfect. The prices can't be beat too! They're definitely cheaper than Vivi's up the block and TenRen one block over.
As I write this review, I'm actually thinking about my next drink choice the next stop I go. Maybe I'll get their Chrysanthemum Tea, which I can attest, cannot be beat. -
Review from Shannon Z.
Brooklyn, NY
12/20/2011 4 photos
Lychee green tea - I can actually Taste the green tea! Something I rarely do at most bubble teas. Most other stores usually overdose on the flavor syrups, leaving the tea flavor unrecognizable. The lychee pieces tasted really fresh and organtic, which is a plus.
My friend ordered the Creamy Foamy Strawberry- she said it was amazing. Strawberries are fresh and tasty and they complemented the drink well. The whip cream on the top was really light and creamy.
Tornado fries are the main item that stood out to me; a very unique concept; they tasted like really nice kettle fries. I didn't like it as much as my friend did though but for $1.95, it was a good price. (I wonder where they get those huge sticks though)
Squid balls- 5 squid balls came with this sweet and sour hotsauce. The outside was crispy and the inside was soft and chewy. It reminded me of the inside of fishballs(which they also serve here).
I think I've found my new fav bubble tea place. This place deserves a good 5 stars.! I can't wait to come back and try out their other teas.
P.S. The Asian Grammy in the back is soo cute !!! :D she said 'hi' to my friend- too bad she didn't say hi to me though. I was a bit jealous inside.. xD
The people who work here are extremely friendly and nice. Which is another plus.
Overall the whole experience being here was a good one. You can actually sit here and have a decent conversation and enjoy what you ordered. I couldn't do that at vivis since it's always so packed and hectic there. -
Review from Cheryl T.
Manhattan, NY
Updated - 1/5/2012
I went back today just for the $4 snack+drink deal. I ordered the matcha milk tea with pudding and spicy popcorn chicken.
The drink was good. The matcha flavor was not too strong; it was rather on the light side but I liked it. The pudding in the drink was really good. Rather than being too light and easily breakable like I've had at other places, it actually stayed in one piece at the bottom of my cup, but wasn't hard to suck up through the straw.
The chicken was given to me in a tiny wax bag, then put into a plastic bag. I think they should work on their packaging, because the hot air was stuck in the plastic bag, causing the whole order to turn soggy really quickly. I got the spicy flavor, but it wasn't spicy at all. Now I wonder if the other ones taste the same. The meat was really tender and juicy though, albeit not crispy at all.
In my opinion, this was really worth the $4.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/31/2011
On the same block as two other bubble tea places, this is easily my favorite despite being one of… Read more »
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Review from Phil H.
It's just ridiculous that I was still a Bubble Tea virgin while living in NYC all these years. Our friends Sally W and Rich W were determined last night to de-virginize me to this crazy good drink.
Well, they finally succeeded in popping my Bubble Tea cherry!
Really, I had no idea what to expect or if I would really like this stuff. I had seen it many times in pictures and people drinking it around town. It always looked kind of weird. Last night as we were in Chinatown the allure was too great to resist so I went for it. They introduced me to a place called Bubbly Tea as it is one of their favorite spots for this. Walking in the first thing I noticed was how clean this place was. Small and bright with only a small counter spot. Basically standing room, or pick up and go type of spot. Has a fun happy feel to it.
The staff was friendly and patient with me as first timer. They were gentle with this virgin. I finally settled on an Oreo Milk Black Tea. At first sip I knew I would be hooked. How can you not like a drink that you can suck and chew at the same time? It's oddly addicting. Fresh gummy bear like tapioca pearls mixed with crushed Oreo milk coming through my straw at the same time. It's actually a fun drink and did not taste bad at all.
Wow-wee! At $2.75 for a medium size it's actually a good sized drink. I think it was $3.75 for a large. They have all types of fruit flavors to try too. Plus, for those that are lactose intolerant they can make your drink with Lact-Aid. Also, they feature a repeat customer card that is good for their regular priced drinks. Buy 5 and get one free, and then 20% off for life after reaching VIP status. Great deal!
Yup, now that I have taken the plunge and shed my virginity I think I'll just become a Bubble Tea slut now!Listed in: Sometimes I feel a bit Asian
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Review from Helen N.
Washington, DC
11/21/2011 2 Check-ins Here
After walking for 3 plus hours (with breaks here and there), my companion and I spotted this tea shop. It has a variety of teas and smoothies to choose from. We ended up trying some type of black tea with egg custard (for the life of me I can not remember the name of the drink). It was weird seeing a piece of egg custard floating in there. It might be weird looking but it sure was yummy! I also ordered the pop corn chicken with the spicy sauce. The chicken was tender and fresh off the deep frier. Only disappointment was that they forgot to add the spicy sauce.
This place definitely deserve a second visit. Can't wait to try the other drinks. -
Review from Nance H.
11/4/2011
Solid. The people who work here are generally nice and very accommodating. I love their tapioca drinks! I especially like the trio drink with grass jelly (or Herb Jelly), custard and tapioca balls. My other all time favorite is their lychee drink, they use REAL lychee. 5 stars for that.
The reason why I'm giving them 4 instead of 5 stars is that they messed up on my drink twice. HOWEVER, they were nice enough to ask if I wanted them to remake the drink, but I didn't want to hassle them.
Overall, 4.5 stars. This is a solid and delicious tapioca joint, by far my favorite. You will spot me here for my boba fix. -
Review from Kei Ling W.
New York, NY
10/23/2011
I came here constantly when they had a promotion for bubble tea for $1 each! Bubble tea was good but a bit sweet so I had to tell them to lessen the sugar each time.
They are constantly having promotions. Last time I went, I got the watermelon slushie for $2. It was a refresher for a warm Saturday afternoon.
They also have this crazy-ass tornado fries that looks super cool. It's like a twirlie stick that you can eat. Next time I go back, it will be on my agenda to get this!Listed in: Bubble Tea in NYC
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Review from Timothy T.
New York, NY
Clever twists will keep this business afloat in a saturated market.
Bubbly Tea offers a fresh taste of bubble teas. Aside from the standards, there are Oreo flavors, slushees, fresh fruits, puddings. I went with the Cream foam Oreo black milk tea with pudding (instead of tapioca). I was reluctant to have the pudding but I figured that if I'm gonna stray away from the usual taro that it's balls to the wall from there. And to the wall it was. The tea itself was quite delicious and the different components actually complemented each other well. Medium is $3.50 and well sized.
They also serve Tornado Fries, which while I did not have, am quite intrigued from the pictures other yelpers uploaded.
(@_@) Ingenuity
(^_^) Prices (specials from $1.00)
(^_^) Variety
(^_-) Flavor
(^_^) Service
Glad I came. Will come to try a more traditional tea (so I can compare directly to other businesses).
PROTIP: They give you a VIP (loyalty) card. 5th drink is free and afterwards you always get 20% off!Listed in: My People's Food (and friendly…
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Review from Jen N.
10/10/2011
I had the signature tapioca milk black tea and it was really good! It was $2.75 for a medium size cup and $3.75 for a large size cup. Along with other flavored milk tea, they also have slush, creamy foam, fresh fruit tea, bubbly tea, and snacks on the menu.
This place was an awesome recommendation by the owner of Nom Wah Tea Parlor. The owner of Bubbly Tea was super friendly and made nice conversation while my friends and I waited for our drinks. -
Review from Saori E.
7/25/2011
Small, clean location with great milk tea :)
There is some counter seating by the window, but it's definitely a grab and go place.
$2.75 for the smallest size (medium). They stamp your receipt and it's buy 5 get one free. Sort of annoying to have to keep the receipts, but oh well.Listed in: New York Dessert
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Review from Ashley K.
Staten Island, NY
8/2/2011
I tried this store for the first time today. I got the mango kumquat green tea with jelly yesterday, along with the fried squid balls and curry fish balls. The squid balls were so good omg. The crispy outer texture and chewy inner texture really complimented each other and the sweet & sour sauce was great. Apparently, they make it similar to Thai sauce? Idk lolol. The curry fish balls weren't too spicy and were big and juicy~ The drink itself was refreshing. I liked that the jelly wasn't too squishy or too solid. And just an idiosyncracy of mine -- I liked how the plastic cover was very easy to poke through with my straw.
Kkkkkkkk so yeah, I'm definitely going to come back again~~~ -
Review from Rich W.
6/30/2011 6 photos
More Zhen Zhu Nai Cha places! (Pearl Milk Tea)
Bubbly Tea just opened on Bayard St. and running a 99-cent Opening Special!
You think you get a small cup of bubble tea for $0.99 but NO!, you get a full cup of black tea with boba (pearls).
The 99-cent special: real black tea taste, not over iced, and the boba are soft and chewy.
Go quickly before the the special ends! -
Review from Allene T.
8/29/2011 17 Check-ins Here
This is one of my favorite bubble tea places in Manhattan! The prices are good ($2.75 for a normal milk tea... cheaper than most places). If you buy 5, you get your 6th drink (any kind) free, AND you get a permanent 20% off VIP card.
The black milk tea (I had it a lot during their 99c promotion) tastes very fresh and doesn't taste like it was made out of powder. It actually tastes like tea. If you are the type that likes the artificial tasting bubble tea, this probably isn't the place for you. I also had the strawberry honey green tea (on promotion currently). I liked that it wasn't overly sweet like most places make their drinks, and they even put pieces of fresh strawberries in it! I also had creamy taro something or the other - it was strange, mashed up sweet taro in milk. I would stick to the teas.
You can't really beat the freshness and the prices here.
Pros: real tea taste, not too sweet
Cons: nowhere to really sitListed in: For the bubble tea…
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Review from Crystine W.
New York, NY
7/12/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Really awesome bubble tea here. Its very fresh and they have a large variety of options. My favorite is their red bean shake, SO fresh and delicious. Everything is of the best quality, I will be a returning frequent visitor for sure.
They are currently having a .99 cent bubble tea special (great price, but amazing quality still), get yours now because it will go fast! -
Review from Dennis C.
10/10/2011 5 Check-ins Here
This block is crazy...there's about 3-4 bubble tea places within 30ft from one another. What drew me to this one was the $1.99 passionfruit green tea special. Giddy up.
The place is super tiny, but clean. The front staff were nice and very helpful. After ordering my tea, the guy asked if I wanted any toppings. I thought he meant sprinkles. He said I can get aloe or lychee jelly, etc, and it was free. Sweet! Lychee it is.
For the price, the drink is a good size, about 16oz and tasted sweet and refreshing. The lychee jelly pieces, however, needed improvement. Their taste and texture were spot on, but their size became an issue. Most of the pieces are too large to drink through a straw and I ended up with a bunch stuck at the bottom. So if they could chop the pieces smaller or use bigger straws then the problem would be solved. -
Review from Eunice T.
8/7/2011
It's right next to ViVi, so I can't say I'll probably frequent here much. I tried it out for the grand opening & again to try the passion kumquat mango green tea. That's a lotta fruit in one tea but it was delish. The tapioca was chewy & sweet just like it should be. They have tornado fries! Which I've never had in my life but am glad they have found me. It's potato chips on a large kabob stick weapon. Get it spicy.
Until their frequent buyer cards come in, they stamp your reciept. I think it's buy 5 get one free.Listed in: Blowing Bubbles
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Review from Alan S.
CANAL STREET, NY
7/2/2011
Thoroughly enjoyed the 99 cent grand opening special. The bubble tea was quickly made; the taste was enjoyable. In my opinion, on the better side. The bubbles are pretty soft. Worth the full price once the special goes away.
Prices are on par with nearby places, but I love the buy 5 get one free deal. This sets the place apart; at other places you have to buy around 8-10 if you want to get one free.
Seems to have a variety of options for what to put in the tea besides bubbles; since I'm not the biggest fan of bubbles, I tend to ask for lychee jelly instead, which comes out good here. I'd also recommend trying the Japanese matcha bubble tea; it has a nice matcha flavor.
The people that work here seem to be pretty upbeat and nice and have a sense of humor.
All in all a nice addition to the bubble tea places around, and one I tend to favor over others. Recommended. -
Review from D. J. H.
Fresh Meadows, NY
7/5/2011
How do you differentiate yourself when you are a bubble tea shop in a neighborhood full of bubble tea shops? Running a special for 99¢ is a great start, and so is naming your business after what you sell.
I was a little skeptical about how good the 99¢ special was, but I gave it a try anyway. The only item at that price was a milk black tea, which actually will give you a pretty good idea of a shop's quality.
I was impressed. The tea was made from leaves and not powder, the tapioca pearls were fresh, and there weren't too many of them. Finally, they got the right amount of sweetness; not too much and not too little.
For the lactose-intolerant, they offer part of their menu using Lact-Aid, and there are a number of non-dairy selections altogether. One of our fellow yelpers got a drink that was pretty much lychee overload (no, it's not called that), with a green tea base, lychee flavoring, and chopped lychee on the bottom. A bit too sweet for me, it was still delicious, and not obnoxious.
I'll be back to try more flavors! -
Review from Stan N.
PRINCE, NY
2/12/2012
I've asked them to make my lychee green tea hot and they refused to and stated that those kind of drinks doesn't take good hot and it's better cold. That's a lie! I've always gotten them hot and they've always been delicious. Since they refused my request, I asked for one of their carbonated drinks under "bubbly tea" on the menu. It was so acidic that it made lemonade seem not acidic at all. It tasted horrible and I still felt it in my stomach for a few days. I'm sure the other drinks there probably taste better. Just don't get the bubbly tea.
The biggest negative of these place is probably the fact that one of my friend's ordered a drink there a few months ago and said he saw one of the workers there stir his drink with her finger...WITH HER FRIGGING FINGER! NO JOKE!
The popcorn chicken wasn't so bad though but it was way too salty for my taste but I liked the fact that it was freshly made. Even though it was salty, it really wasn't bad at all.
The best part of this place is probably that they chrysanthemum tea which most places just don't carry anymore. Also, the super cute cashier girl. -
Review from C S.
Brooklyn, NY
1/29/2012
Love it! Selection is great, I get the classic Milk Tea with Tapioca, sometimes the Taro Milk Tea - sweet, and a wee bit starchy and its PURPLE! How fun! ANd in the summer, nothing beats the Kumquat Mango Passion Fruit juice with herb jelly. Best part? The staff are awesome! Get their "frequent flyer card" - you'll be back for more!
