Besides hot cocoa and coffee, the in-beverage this winter is certainly bubble tea or boba. This Taiwanese concoction– usually comprised of milk, green or black tea and tapioca balls– is sweeping the nation and has even secured multiple outlets in Collegetown! Leaving us with the dilemma of picking a location to frequent for a Sunday night fix. Thus, we went on the quest to find the best bubble tea in Ithaca’s Collegetown boba buzz!
Each category was given one of the following numerical ratings, average determined from three people’s reviews:
1- terrible
2- okay
3- average
4- great
5- excellent
For the sake of uniformity, we order the standard “Milk Black Tea” at each location.
The Old Teahouse 111 Dryden Road
Menu-
Variety: 5, had all standard flavors
Creativity: 3, some creative “slush” options but nothing too innovative
Pricing: 4, $3.50
Taste-
Flavor: 3, tasted somewhat like water
Liquid Consistency: 3, refreshing but not a lot of substance
Boba Consistency: 4, good combination of flavorful and chewy
Other Comments-
Nice multi-colored straw selection, comfortable lounge seating area
Kung Fu Tea 143 Dryden Road
Menu-
Variety: 5, both normal and abnormal (such as Oreo) offerings
Creativity: 4, interesting sweet flavors
Pricing: 4, $3.50
Taste-
Flavor: 5, delicious depth of multiple tastes
Liquid Consistency: 4, very creamy maybe even a tad too much so
Boba Consistency: 3, slightly too chewy but good taste
Other Comments-
Good atmosphere, but limited seating. “Punch” flavors sound appealing for a hot summer day
Cafe Pacific 114 Dryden Road
Menu-
Variety: 2, only very basic flavors
Creativity: 2, you can “make your own” but nothing too extraordinary
Pricing: 3, most expensive at $3.69
Taste-
Flavor: 2, strange aftertaste
Liquid Consistency: 2, too runny
Boba Consistency: 2, much too chewy
Other Comments-
Very chalky aftertaste, you can taste the fact it is made with powder. Large dining area, no ambiance however.
And the best bubble tea in Collegetown goes to…
KUNG FU TEA!