by Kylie Chen (’24), Sophia Tran (’24), Amélia Ávila (’24), and Valerie Wong (’24) | March 22, 2024

One of the best aspects of Downtown Mountain View is the variety of boba tea shops it has. Each shop has its own twist and a new array of flavors to offer so that everyone can enjoy a delicious boba tea drink. For this issue, we decided to figure out which shop is the best.

Boba tea is a Taiwanese beverage made of milk tea and tapioca balls—both of which were commonly consumed separately but at some point were combined to create the popular drink. A staple of Taiwan’s night markets, boba tea has evolved over time, with stall owners introducing new toppings and tea flavors. The drink was introduced to the US by Taiwanese immigrants in the nineties.

For each store we visited, we reviewed two drinks—a standard milk tea with boba and a fruit tea with fruit jelly—and we ordered each drink with 50% sweetness and less ice.

Teaspoon 

We began our boba journey at Teaspoon, a popular boba tea chain in the US. Teaspoon’s menu features a large array of boba and an assortment of specialty drinks.

Teaspoon’s milk tea was pretty solid. It wasn’t overly sweet, and there was a nice hint of tea flavor. The pearls were satisfyingly chewy with a bit of caramel flavor. (8.13/10)

On the other hand, we were not impressed with Teaspoon’s fruit tea. While we liked the tea’s passion fruit flavor and the fact that it wasn’t overly sweet, it was too watered down. Additionally, we were not a fan of the inconsistent textures of the rainbow jellies—while some had the texture of standard fruit jellies, many were hard and difficult to chew. (7.25/10)

Yifang Taiwan Fruit Tea 

When we arrived at Yifang, we were greeted with a long line of customers weaving out onto the street. Each customer emerged out of the shop with cups filled with colorful concoctions, each cup emblazoned with Yifang’s famous pineapple logo. 

Yifang’s classic milk tea had a very nice, unsweetened tea that complemented the flavor of the warm brown sugar boba, which we all enjoyed. However, our group had different opinions on the tapioca balls, which were smaller and a little stickier than the other places we tried; depending on your texture preferences, Yifang’s boba is a hit or miss. (6.25/10)

Next, we tried the fruit tea, which is Yifang’s specialty. The tea itself was a little too sweet, but the pineapple and passion fruit flavors added just the right amount of tang to offset the sweetness. Additionally, the tea contained passion fruit seeds and a large assortment of jellies and fruit chunks, which added a wide variety of textures, making for an interesting and overall enjoyable drinking experience. (7.9/10)

Ume Tea 

Ume Tea has a very distinct, cute aesthetic, with its pastel pink walls, floral decor, and signature bunny logo. We ranked this shop the highest overall, as both its milk and fruit teas were solidly above average. 

Ume’s milk tea was one of our favorites. We thought the strong, caramel flavor and the chewy texture of the boba itself was especially enjoyable. The tea was fragrant and not overly sweet, offsetting the sweetness of the boba. (9/10)

The passion fruit green tea was also a solid drink. The green tea flavor came through very well, adding to the bright, tart passion fruit flavor, and we enjoyed the texture of the lychee jelly. Some of us, however, wished the tea was sweeter to contrast the tanginess of the passion fruit. (8.1/10)

Tea Era 

Tucked in the corner between a Chinese restaurant and a tailor, Tea Era is a hidden gem, and its humble location fails to undermine its success. Although this boba joint was considerably smaller than the other locations we visited, we were charmed with the shop’s warm atmosphere and the many boba options listed across the store’s colorful chalkboard.  

In comparison with the other shops, Tea Era’s classic milk tea had the strongest tea flavor. The pearls were decent, albeit not the best when compared to places like Ume Tea. (7.25/10)

As for Tea Era’s passion fruit green tea, the drink’s flavor was a well-balanced mix of sweet and tart, with the lychee jelly adding an additional dimension of flavor. However, we wished the green tea flavor had come through a little more. (6.4/10)

Happy Lemon 

Happy Lemon stores and their smiley lemonhead mascot can be found around the world. Known for their affordable options, fast service, and bubble waffles, Happy Lemon seemed to be a good option, especially given the popularity of the brand. 

However, Happy Lemon’s tea was by far the worst out of all the places we tried. The milk tea was very watered down, and the boba’s texture was almost grainy. (4.75/10) 

The fruit tea was also bad. The drink tasted more like a mango smoothie than actual tea, especially since the mango tasted artificial and overpowered everything else, including the passion fruit. (3.75/10)

Mr. Sun Tea 

A relatively new boba shop further down Castro, Mr. Sun Tea is originally from the “Red Sun Tea Group,” which was established in Taiwan in the late nineties. Mr. Sun features an average assortment of drinks and fresh, handmade boba. 

Mr. Sun’s milk tea was our favorite! The tea was a rich and fragrant earl grey, and the freshly-made chewy tapioca was the best out of every place we tried. (9.2/10)

The fruit tea was a little disappointing compared to the milk tea, but still a solid drink. The passion fruit flavor was a bit too overpowering, and we had conflicting thoughts about the sweetness level; some of us thought the tea was too sweet, while others thought it was too tart. (6.3/10)

We rated six popular boba shops on Castro Street. Here’s what we found: 

Best Milk Tea: Mr. Sun

Best Fruit Tea: Ume Tea

Best Overall: Ume Tea

Worst Overall: Happy Lemon 

We hope we can inspire you to try something new and experience the diverse flavors of Castro Street!