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Wonderful Foods Co
Categories: Food Specialty Food Ethnic Food Food Coffee & Tea Ethnic Food, Coffee & Tea [Edit]
2035 Irving St(between 22nd Ave & 23rd Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94122
Neighborhood: Outer Sunset
(415) 731-6889
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
576 reviews for Wonderful Foods Co
Review Highlights
"Hands down, the best tapioca in the city."
(in 71 reviews)
"I get the Lychee Milk Tea and its perfect."
(in 32 reviews)
"I never considered myself a huge Boba fan."
(in 189 reviews)
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576 reviews in English
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Review from brian c.
San Francisco, CA
1/3/2012
If you're from the Sunset, you already know.. this is the best boba/tapioca spot around.
fav's:
- avocado (real) smoothie w/ tapioca
- iced honey green tea
- milk tea w/ pudding
- salt and pepper chicken (spicy) w/ basil leaves
- sour belt candy (strawberry, apple and strawberry banana)Listed in: Devour the Sunset
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Review from Mar A.
1/22/2012 1 Check-in Here
They should really stick to what they know.
The boba is wonderful. Great texture, cooked right, not slimy, and not too firm. We had a taro milk tea (I wanted hot, but was made an iced one), a banana, and an avocado. All were delicious!
The part that gets me is that it almost feels like they are trying to do too many things. Candy bins line the walls-- similar to a Sweet Factory. I dove in and had a few jellies and filled my little baggie. But all the candy was stale and uneatable. :( I cried until I got my boba.
There are no places to sit, and people obviously want to sit and hang out. If they nix the candy bins, get some tables and chairs for people to sit and chat, then this place would be legit. For now, I think I'll keep it in my back pocket for when I have cravings for good boba. -
Review from Vashelle T.
San Francisco, CA
12/29/2011 10 Check-ins Here
their dogs are so adorable!
Candy and smoothies with boba. YUMM!
I think my friend makes the strawberry mango something smoothie. AMAZING!
GET A SMOOTHIE! mostly fresh fruit! -
Review from Christine D.
Oakland, CA
2/8/2012
I have nothing to add, just an affirmation that this is the best damn milk tea for miles. My favorite to order here is hot mint jasmine milk tea. Yum yum yum yum!
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Review from Kymberli C.
Concord, CA
I've always loved the boba from this place. I think it was in another location before, but my dad used to always make a stop here when we were in the area, so it brings a lot of great memories as well. They are pretty fast and efficient with the drinks. Between the three of us we had the coconut boba, red bean boba, and a thai iced tea boba... the boba has great texture. There are so many boba places in the area, but I still choose to come here.
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Review from Tiffany L.
San Francisco, CA
12/8/2011 12 Check-ins Here
I'm picky about everything... especially my boba balls.
That sounded really gross, but it was meant to be harmless. I like boba to be a certain consistency, not too mushy and not too hard... so it's nice to find a place that makes my balls right.
I typically get the lychee boba milk tea, and it is always delicious and refreshing. I know that right up the street there is Tea Way and Quickly which both offer 99cent all the boba you want drinks, however I am willing to shell out an additional $2 to get what I want.
The reason that I am not giving 5 stars is because this place is on the expensive side. I think that they could lower their prices by 50 cents and would get more business. I also think that the place doesn't have great customer service, and does not let you charge anything below $10. With all of these cons... I believe that they deserve more of a 3.5 star rating -- but the product that they produce is legit.Listed in: My SF
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Review from Liz W.
1/29/2012 1 Check-in Here
honeydew tapioca!!!!!
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Review from Sadie S.
Palo Alto, CA
1/23/2012
Best bubble tea in San Francisco!
I am a Milk Tea with Boba kinda girl - mainly because I can't pass Milk Tea up to try another flavor! The flavor, texture, and firmess of Boba is spot-on, the Milk tea is the right amount of milk and sweet, and enough ice to keep it cold without watering down the drink.
I only wish Wonderful Food Company would open another Boba spot down on the Peninsula near where I work! -
Review from Tony C.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 12/16/2011
Hard and unsweet.... That's what I drank at a tapioca store in Shanghai.
When I came back to the 415, I had to get something delicious like Wonderful Foods which saved me from my misery of never drinking such a terrible plastic container of milk tea again.
#4 Extra Sweet - With tapioca is the wayyy to go!
$2.75
Home Sweet Home!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/25/2009
#1 / #3 Extra Sweet/ Water Melon no milk.
Cheap and Quick.
I wish they had small tapioca balls though.… Read more »
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Review from Angela Y.
11/22/2011
Super delicious!
This is definitely a go-to place when I'm craving some tapioca! Mostly I just love their fruit tapiocas because it taste like you're sipping on the actual fruit. So flavourful and so delicious! My favorite is the MANGO. Absolutely MUST TRY. I also really love their red bean tapioca!
This place is spot on with their drinks. They've also got candy all over for those having an extra sweet tooth. I think the decor could use a bit of work and it would help if they had places to sit....
Prices are a little higher... but it's worth it to pay a little extra for better tapioca.
But taste (because this IS a review on food) over decor any day!Listed in: Cavities? What are those?
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Review from Mai R.
San Francisco, CA
11/29/2011 4 Check-ins Here
The boba here is CRACK!
I love me some honeydew tapioca! -
Review from Kevin L.
Berkeley, CA
11/25/2011
Wonderful Foods has a unwelcoming, somewhat dingy appearance. And there's no seating. There are several other superficially more attractive boba spots in the immediate neighborhood. Well, you know what, the place is called "wonderful foods", not "wonderful ambiance". As others have noted, Wonderful Foods is the best place to get boba in San Francisco. So go there. Don't go to the other places.
Get:
Avocado boba
Banana boba
Oatmeal boba
Salt & pepper chicken
Mini gummi frogs
Avoid:
Honey almond boba -
Review from Pansy L.
San Jose, CA
12/7/2011
Had I read these Yelp reviews, I would have tried the drinks here... Damn.
But anyway, my cousins and I use to buy candy here after visiting the temple a few blocks away. This past Saturday, we decide to have a nostalgic moment by buying candy here again! For most of the sour candy I like, it's about $2.25-$2.50 for 1/4lb.... kind of expensive but there's such a large variety to choose from and I take the amount I want! There's also different dried prunes that I love!
Apparently, there's more stuff on the menu that I overlooked...guess I'll have to come back again! -
Review from Derrick C.
Buffalo, NY
1/6/2012
Impressive shop selling American candy, Asian herbs/spices/dried fruits, and putting out some of the best milk tea and boba I've had. Only downer is there's nowhere to sit.
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Review from Carol K.
San Francisco, CA
12/20/2011 2 Check-ins Here
This is my go to tapioca place on Irving! I've tried Tea Way and Quickly and dont care for them. They always make my drink the way she likes it. I especially like it the way they make my Hot Lychee Milk Tea with Lemon Jelly!
I love it that they have a great selection of drinks! Love it that they have hot snacks like salt and pepper chicken. Also love it that they have a great selection of candies and dried fruits, plums and snacks! -
Review from Emily L.
San Francisco, CA
1/2/2012 4 Check-ins Here
This is the place to be at! Been coming here since I was a small child. Regular milk tea for me w/ less ice. Yummmmm, better than Teaway & Quicklys.
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Review from Sara C.
San Francisco, CA
This place has some of THEEE best tapoica in SF and my friends and I come here often. They have a great selection of tapioca drinks and non tapioca drinks such as teas and fresh juice drinks. I like that they stay open late since thats the only time I ever seem to go there and sometimes it's very crowded and other times it's not. Would give this place 5 stars if they had some indoor seating.
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Review from Stephanie L.
San Francisco, CA
If there's one thing I'll always have room for in my life, it's boba milk tea and Wonderful Foods has got the flavor of the milk tea and consistency of boba down from Day 1!
I have been coming to this place since its early days (when they used to have their shop next to the current Quickly's) and I have to say, I have yet to try a place with better boba milk tea. Maybe it is a little more expensive, but for the quality of boba and milk tea you get, it's totally worth it. The flavor is consistent every time and sweetness is adjustable. I appreciate how they don't skimp on the boba either but trust me, once you try this place, any other boba milk tea won't measure up.
The great service makes me happy! The super nice lady that works there recognizes me and knows my order by heart (Large Number 1 no ice, less sweet!!) even though I don't go as often as I'd like now that I'm down studying in LA. Seating area is non-existent so be prepared to grab-n-go. They also have a variety of cute little candies lined up along the entrance and taiwanese snacks (tea-eggs, fried tempura, salt and pepper chicken) for sale.
Now if only they'd open a location closer to the heart of downtown so I wouldn't have to trek 45 minutes out from where I live when I am back in the bay just to get some delicious chewy balls and flavorful milk tea.
Yup I'm dedicated to this place. For the time being, I guess I'll have to settle with going out of my way to get some wonderful boba milk tea in the outer sunset! -
Review from Sofia R.
11/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
I've heard about this place from a friend so I decided to give it a try.
The place itself isn't a typical milk tea place that's set up to look super cute or whatever. It doesn't even look like it would sell milk tea. From first glance, it looks like a candy store. When you get to the front, you start seeing the various papers on their wall that tell you what kind of milk tea they sell. That day, I chose to get a taro milk tea to test things out.
It didn't take too long to get my drink. The price is a bit more expensive than other competitors on the same street, but the quality is definitely different.
The drink itself is creamier and has a stronger flavor. It's very delightful. I would recommend going here for milk tea rather than the other places. I personally think it tastes better and it's more local. -
Review from Diane N.
Updated - 11/7/2011
I tried their Avocado Boba (which is my FAVORITE type of smoothie). Um, huh-low, why didn't anyone tell me that they use REAL FRUIT? I've clearly upped my rating..
...now if only the money fairy would cut down the prices.Listed in: NOM NOM SF, SF Weekly
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/23/2011
I wouldn't really characterize tapioca drinks and candy as "Foods". But I have to admit that they… Read more »
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Review from Johnny G.
10/16/2011
Hands down the BEST tapioca in town. This place lives up to it's name. I always order the Lychee Milk Tea with tapioca and it NEVER, and I mean NEVER, disappoints. The pearls here always tastes fresh, and the drink is always consistent. They even have little fruit chunks in the drinks to enhance the flavor. Would choose this over Teaway ANYDAY (no offense to Teaway). There's not much more to say about it. Drink isn't too sweet, fresh tapioca, and fruit chunks to enhance the flavor. Do yourself a favor and try it. You won't regret it.
Service here is always good. Since a lot of the younger kids prefer quantity over quality, they crowd up Teaway down the street and leave this place empty. They're typically quick in making their drinks. You'll be out within 5 minutes.
***Parking***: Street metered parking or regular street parking off the perpendicular streets.
CASH ONLY! -
Review from Elaine L.
San Francisco, CA
10/12/2011
The old mom & pop tapioca place that I have been coming here since high school. Nothings changed I think, other than the location which is only a few blocks up. They still carry their wide variety of candy, from chocolate gummi bears to jawbreakers (even the jumbo sized one) to packaged Japanese candy. They also have tea eggs, jerky, and dried cuttlefish and squid. It reminds me of an Asian Sweet Factory.
As for their drinks, they have delicious flavors. I usually get the honeydew or watermelon juice, most of the time without tapioca because it gets too filling. Their Thai iced tea is good and so is their regular milk tea with pudding. I recently tried their green apple with lychee jelly and that was SO good but probably tons of calories from the syrup. My brother let me try his green milk tea which is bomb too.
Parking is never really that difficult unless you chose to come during a Sat/Sun afternoon then you have to battle with everyone else that are grocery shopping or something.
Credit card transactions over $15 only so remember to bring enough cash unless you want to buy $15 worth of drinks and snacks. With all the competition on Irving, you would think that they would lower their drink prices down a notch (Teaway $1.99) but they seem to be surviving for now. I seem to be pretty loyal to this place so I'll definitely be coming back. -
Review from Tiffany C.
Los Altos, CA
1/1/2012
Generally Fantasia is my gold standard for boba. Then a good friend of mine said this place is better than Fantasia..how could that be possible? I knew I had to check it out. I got the lychee milk tea, and my bf got the red bean milk tea. The tapioca was really good, not overcooked. This place costs slightly more than fantasia. The tea is a bit stronger, I almost want to say it taste more like coffee. The red bean was blended, which was different. Thicker, not as sweet. Overall a bit different, but they use real tea which is a win in my book!
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Review from Claire F.
San Francisco, CA
1/5/2012
4.5 stars.
Been coming to this place since I was a little kid, when it used to be located down one block across the street and this place still continues to be my favorite place for boba because the consistency of their tapioca pearls are perfect and so is the milk tea, it's never ever powdery!
I always get the strawberry and taro milk tea, but recently I've started to try other kinds of milk tea. It's either a hit or miss. Avoid the Cantaloupe Fresh Fruit Tapioca (just cantaloupe and too much ice) and the Lychee Milk Tea (it's just their milk tea with lychee strips?). However, the Avocado and Mango Milk Tea were superb! Too bad there's no seating. -
Review from Ann T.
San Francisco, CA
10/25/2011 7 Check-ins Here
CASH ONLY!
the first boba place in town, and still the best! the menu is huge, so you really can't go wrong with anything you order. i think i've probably tried half the menu already! haha. they have some food items too! the salt/pepper chicken here is the best as well. ohhh... and the green onion pancake is a MUST when you have the munchies! -
Review from Ivy N.
Costa Mesa, CA
Ordered the lychee milk tea with tapioca!!! $3.25. Theres chunks of lychee in there and plus the syrup. I've never had real chunks of lychee in here. It tasted refreshing and yes, I'm coming back again next year!!!!! They didn't put a lot of ice in here so it wasn't that cold so good thing I had a cooler full of ice in the car waiting.
I also ordered the salt & pepper chicken that was made to order. Hot, fresh, spicy, lots of wonder spices!!!!! $5.00 a little pricey but delicious !!! I rated this plus a 4 because of the chicken. Chicken had like a calamari chewy texture. Not sure if the chicken was freezer burned, old, or it was cooked too long?????? The outside part of the battered and chicken was yummy but inside was odd!
They have a lot varieties here such as kumquat milk tea, durian milk tea! -
Review from Caroline L.
San Francisco, CA
11/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
Currently obsessed with the honeydew milk tea with boba! So amazing. I also really like how the ice is in smaller chunks than normal. I don't know why, but I swear it makes the whole drink taste better. :)
After having boba here, you'll never want to try boba from anywhere else! -
Review from E C.
San Francisco, CA
11/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
This reminds me of that place on Clement that's closed now..
Anyhow - the boba I've had here is consistently good (taro boba for the win!) You can tell it's the powdered stuff but they but enough powder mix in there where the flavor is poppin and the texture is smooth and creamy :)
The price is not bad.. I think around $4? But I'd rather pay the extra dollar than get some watery crap from Quickly's.
Plus they have candy! Reminds me of my childhood :) The candy is kinda expensive though, FYI. -
Review from Casey L.
San Francisco, CA
11/9/2011 3 Check-ins Here
Mom and pop shop that has me hooked.
First impression from the outside is that this place is a candy shop and you smell the different dried meats causing you to be puzzled. However, don't let this confused you because there is a large drink selection that is to die for.
Their salt and pepper chicken is an automatic hit, it taste marinated, breaded and fried to ultimate perfection. The tea eggs are located in the pot are decently flavored on the spot.
One gem from this place is the hot milk tea with Boba (pearls) that takes longer to make but makes those balls so warm and chewy in your mouth (that's what she said). They use real fruit in most of their drinks. So be warned if you're order taro, avocado or even durian! Yes, real durian and its smell can blow people away if they are not accustomed to the smell =).
The price is higher compared to chains and other competitors, but the quality of this place is what has me coming back for more and more. -
Review from Tessa P.
Costa Mesa, CA
9/29/2011 2 Check-ins Here
This place is enough of a reason to get me out of my SoCal habitat and travel to SF. They have the best jasmine milk tea I've ever had; it's not too sweet, just the perfect amount of tea flavor, and omg their boba...just the right combination of soft and chewy. The only other drink I've tried was a HoneyDew slush which was also good and made with real honeydew--also made me careless to my allergies of melons.
The shop also has a variety of Asian candies and munchies :] -
Review from Julie L.
San Francisco, CA
12/23/2011 3 Check-ins Here
I highly recommend this place to grab drinks and snacks. They need to make the lychee drink #28 with salt pepper chicken a combo. If you have room also try the tea eggs, so good! The service here is also fast so don't worry about starving. And if you were wondering the gummies here are really fresh. I always get a bag to complete my meal.
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Review from Christine M.
San Diego, CA
9/13/2011
My mouth is salivating just reminiscing about this place! It was my ex who introduced me to the world of boba and I've been hooked ever since. Now I have my favorites in San Diego- but NOTHING, even my go-to's in SD can compare to my beloved Wonderful.
I remember back in the days when my BFF and I would do 1day trips to SF and we'd visit this place 5-6x/day just to get our fix AND grab some to go before we headed back to SD.
I also remember moments where if ex and I would get in an argument over the phone, he'd fly down with a thermos full of milk tea from Wonderful and he knew that he would immediately be forgiven.
So why am I telling you stories? Because my stories should already tell you why I'm giving this place is 5 (hell, if I could give it a 10 I would!).
But then again, it's just my opinion.. -
Review from Susie N.
San Francisco, CA
12/11/2011
I originally came here due to all of the high ratings and was hoping try the BEST milk tea with tapioca in the city!!! Unfortunately my expectations were way too high. Their regular milk tea tastes like coffee and chocolate mixed together which wasn't too appeasing to my taste buds, or shall I say milk tea palette. On the brighter side of things, their tapioca has good texture, but not good taste. I mean, the taste isn't dreadfully awful but it isn't super, awesome, fantastic tasting! I really like their candy even though it looks *kind of* old, ahaha. Most of all, I love the hours of this place! It's open really late and it's pretty clean inside! Just a note though, there isn't any seating whatsoever so you're gonna have to take your goods to go!
Sometimes if you go around 10 or 11 pm, you'll see the owner's cute dog running around outside. Over all I guess I would only come back for the candy if I happen to be in the area.. -
Review from Gelene V.
8/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place is SO good!!! I think I've probably tried all (if not all, then most) of the tapioca places in SF, and I don't think any of them beat wonderful food's.
I tend to stick with the original ($2.75) because the milk tea has a really unique coffee taste in it. The tapioca balls are chewy and not too hard or too soft like a lot of other places. Other flavors I would recommend are Taro, Milk Tea with Pudding, and Cantaloupe. Wonderful Foods truly makes quality drinks, not too diluted or too strong.
They also sell candy there, where you pick up a bag and fill it up to be weighed when you pay.
As for parking, it's not plentiful during peak hours (10-8), but if you drive around the block a couple of times, you are bound to find a spot. At night (9:30pm and after), parking is available almost anywhere.
Overall, this is the place I always take visiting friends and family. It cannot be beat... *ahem* talking about TeaWay down the street... -
Review from Stephanie Z.
San Francisco, CA
12/21/2011
Best tapioca place in San Francisco. I've been a patron for more than ten years and although my allegiance has faltered a couple of times, I always return back to this place.
1. Perfect tapioca - excellent texture and not too sweet.
Tapioca should have a chewy consistency, with the center being slightly solid. Wonderful Foods Co gets it right every time! The tapioca never clumps together (meaning that it's never ignored). Although the flavor is slightly on the bland side, I find that lack of sweetness better complements the drink.
2. The drink itself is rich and flavorful. Not watery at all!
Many other tapioca places water down their milk teas but this place keeps it rich! I find the flavors very intense and well worth the $2+. Their regular milk teas have a hint of chocolate that people tend to enjoy. I always get the milk green tea and that has never disappointed me. Be aware that if you choose tapioca, some of the syrup will transfer to the drink, thereby sweetening it.
3. Quick, friendly service.
You order and within a few minutes it's done! Line moves very quickly and since tax is included in the price of the drink, the math is easy to calculate.
I did not find out they had alternative toppings like grass jelly until a couple of months ago. Ask for their range of toppings if you'd like! -
Review from Sydnie T.
Milpitas, CA
8/30/2011
This store is so cute! They have all kinds of candy lined up along the wall! Chocolate and white chocolate gummy bears?! Rarely do I find those two together anywhere! I only wish I had gotten some at the time but that just means i'll have to go back!
I got the almond milk tea which was mediocre. My boyfriend got the taro milk tea which he got sick of halfway through and he said the tapioca was hard and did not taste good. My mom and brother both got the hot ginger drink. And ... they both did not like it. Maybe this place isn't our kind of place for milk tea/drinks. I'd like to come back to get those chocolate gummy bears and to give this place another shot though and try their avocado shakes and their strawberry shakes. Please don't fail me! -
Review from wendy t.
Fremont, CA
Updated - 12/4/2011
This is by far the best boba drink in the world for me!! Got hooked cuz of a friend. Now I gotta have my fix whenever I'm in SF. I loved their avo juice boba, durian boba and regular milk tea boba. Will try their lychee bubble milk tea, mango, and almond milk tea next time, along w the pop corn ck super spicy =)
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/1/2011
This is by far the best boba drink in the world for me!! Got hooked cuz of a friend. Now I gotta… Read more »
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Review from Bonene G.
Daly City, CA
11/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
Some places can get their drinks right, but their tapioca balls stay hard like rocks; or overcooked and mushy. At Wonderful Foods, they mastered the art of making good tapioca balls that compliment their well blended drinks. I prefer their Avocado tapioca drink over everything else.
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Review from Erika C.
8/13/2011 20 Check-ins Here
Best boba in SF. BEST! Been coming here for years. I grew up an hour outside of SF, and during senior year in high school, when I had a three-hour lunch break (two free periods and lunch hour), I would drive up with a friend, get Wonderful Foods Co boba and Yum Yum Fish sushi, and drive back down.
It's that good.
Have I had better, cheaper boba? Yes, in Ximending in Taiwan. -
Review from Colleen V.
Manhattan, NY
8/10/2011
Simply the best milk tea boba in San Francisco. Always fresh, always consistent. The prices raised since I was last here in 2010 but it makes no difference to me, I'm still willing to drive across town and pay a couple cents more for some awesome bobes.
There hasn't been a drink I didn't like. All ingredients are fresh and nothing is pre-made. All their scrumptious drink concoctions are made right before your eyes. The tapioca pearls also taste fresh from the boiler, or oven, or wherever the hell they make them. It's SO GOOD.
Definitely try these flavors:
Milk Tea: rich, strong, mildly sweet
Almond: very much like almond milk but very sweet and less creamy Taro: a taro drink in its most literal form though the purple color is unappealing, it's super rich in taro and so addicting if you like the taste
Green Milk Tea: perfect if you want something lighter than a milk tea but with the same amount of caffeine, kind of like choosing green tea over coffee
Avocado: this made me a believer in consuming avocados in drink form. It's quite thick and filling but it's so pure, milky and just the right amount of sweet
My one con would be that there is NO seating. Really just a stop and go kind of place. I'd also refrain from buying candy here because it's a rip-off.
