A new boba restaurant has recently popped up in place of Tea Annie, and of course, I had to check it out. The newly opened location is called Quickly, which is a well-known Taiwanese chain called Kuai Ke Li (快可立). It was one of the first international bubble tea chains and was originally founded in California in 1996. The franchise has over 2000 locations in Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America.
Quickly has completely rebranded Tea Annie’s former interior, with a modern look and eye-catching fluorescent lights. While Tea Annie had more of a homey, small-business marketing style, Quickly has definitely capitalized on its status as an international chain.
Jasmine milk tea with boba (8/10)
Lured in by the store’s soft opening special deal, I had my first drink at Quickly: the jasmine milk tea. The price was only ninety-nine cents! I added boba pearls, which bumped the price up by seventy-five cents. Even then, the price was still incredibly affordable, especially compared to the boba from other places which can go up to nine dollars! For the price, the milk tea was amazing. I especially appreciated the strong jasmine flavor of the milk tea and the fact that it was not too sweet. The boba pearls were also firm and chewy, a perfect complement to the drink. Overall, the drink was a great first taste of Quickly (and the price was the cherry on top!).
Passionfruit Slush with popping boba (8.2/10)
I had high hopes for the next drink I tried from the store: Quickly’s Passionfruit Slush (plus strawberry popping boba). I thoroughly enjoyed the drink, but I definitely had my critiques. For one, I couldn’t taste the passionfruit flavor, which is likely attributed to the fact that they probably use artificial flavoring—and I am a passionfruit enthusiast, so you can take my word for it. The flavor was not overly sweet and the slushy texture was soft, a perfect icy texture. While nothing can beat my love and nostalgia for Tea Annie’s Mango Swirl, the Passionfruit Slush was quite yummy! I highly recommend it!
Chicken katsu bento (7.1/10)
Of course, I had to take a stab at the food options at Quickly. Upon opening the container, a delicious smell wafted out from the box. However, I was shocked to find that it was not actually chicken katsu, which is a beloved Japanese dish consisting of deep-fried chicken cutlets breaded with panko breadcrumbs. Instead, it was Taiwanese popcorn chicken with katsu sauce. Popcorn chicken is small, bite-sized pieces of deep-fried chicken. Despite my initial surprise, I actually enjoyed the (fake) chicken katsu quite a bit. The sauce was salty and a touch sweet, while the chicken was still tender and juicy. I have a soft spot for rice; theirs was cooked to perfection. Combined, it made for a fantastic lunch.
However, I had to lower the rating because of the dish’s deception. I’m not over it.
Sesame chicken bento (8.6/10)
Understandably, I still have not gotten over the chicken katsu bento’s deception. Yet, I still decided to get the sesame chicken bento.
The bento was topped with a sprinkling of sesame seeds and beautiful golden sauce. It hooked me before I even ate it, as all good food should do. We eat with our eyes first, after all. On my first bite, I knew this was a winner. The sauce was amazing, perfectly sweet and savory with the undertones of sesame flavor. However, the food critic in me recognizes that the sauce was strong and slightly cloying and the chicken was too salty. I still thoroughly enjoyed this bento, hence the high review.
Quickly is a mere five-minute walk from school and offers a plethora of snacks, drinks, and desserts. Overall, I’d give it 4.5/5 stars, and I highly recommend that everyone tries it out at least once!
