Bubble Tea Adventure For First-Timers in Chinatown: a Beginner’s Guide

Bubble tea, Boba tea, Tapioca pearl- it goes by different names! We’ll go on a trip into the world of Boba tea. This article is specifically for bubble tea beginners in Chinatown who would love to delve into the beautiful world of this beverage drink. Experienced guys will also have one or two things to catch on.

What’s the situation of Bubble tea in Chinatown?

Bubble tea is strictly tea-based but you can also use as a meal or a dessert. Beyond that, it’s a culture and a lifestyle in Chinatown.
The delicious chewy beverage is commonly sipped from plastic cups. Bubble tea is served hot or cold and can be customized according to personal preference. A typical cup of Boba tea contains chewy balls known as tapioca. Tapioca is a gelatinous substance gotten from cassava root. And that’s why bubble tea comes with a big fat straw so that your tapioca pearl doesn’t stick up when sipping.

Your favorite Boba locations

While Boba shops started in Taiwan, today, you can find plenty of bubble tea shop from all across the world. One of the most reputable brands is Gong Cha. For more info on a Gong Cha store Chinatown, check out their Instagram page.

Do you have this phobia for the first-time visit to a bubble tea store in Chinatown? Go with an experienced friend!

Order Tea First

As aforementioned, Boba tea is typically tea-based. Boba tea shops like Gong Cha offers variations of menus blended with different fruit juices and tea choices. Don’t get scared: we’ll guide you. Green tea would be an ideal option if you love to choose a delicious, fruity tea. You can order for green tea or mix them with fruit juice.

Gong Cha bubble tea store offers different green tea options like the honey green tea, peach green tea, or the green apple green tea.
Black or oolong tea is great if you like flavors earthy teas. You can also blend them with fruit juice. Some shops like the Gong Cha bubble tea in New York City sells roasted tea that spices up your tea taste. You can order for drinks like honey oolong tea, lemon black tea, and honey oolong tea.

Top up your tea with Milk, creamy or fresh milk

You can add a dairy product to your black or green tea to make them more delicious. Some shops only have limited milk option while others have plenty of options to choose. Try out taro milk tea, honeydew milk tea, or the oolong milk tea.

A quick tip

Gong Cha has a special menu of their popular bubble tea menu combination. You can start from there.

Size is important

For a starter, we recommend a small size bubble tea. It’s pretty manageable. Most people forget that Boba isn’t just a drink, but a tea to drink and chew/eat.

Add some toppings

Yes, you can add the tapioca as toppings in your drink. Tapioca is what every beginner should start with. But if you want something more fun, try the following toppings.

  • Red bean
  • Coconut jelly
  • Aloe Jelly
  • Pudding
  • Grass jelly
  • Boba toppings

Make sure you enjoy your Boba adventure at the nearest bubble tea store in Chinatown.